Uruguay Tops 2026 Global Retirement Index, Beating Portugal and Spain

Uruguay ranked first among 46 retirement-visa programs in the 2026 Global Retirement Index published by Global Citizen Solutions, displacing Portugal, which fell from first to fifth. Mauritius, Spain and Costa Rica placed second through fourth, respectively. Uruguay grants permanent residency with no waiting period to applicants showing $1,700 in monthly income, with government fees of $100 to $300. Married couples may naturalize after three years and single applicants after five, with dual citizenship permitted. A law passed in January exempts foreign capital gains from taxation for the arrival year plus 10 years. Mauritius, second, levies no tax on foreign pensions and requires $2,000 monthly income. Costa Rica ranks fourth with the lowest income threshold in the top 10 at $1,000 per month, though applications take 12 to 18 months. Spain ranks third overall but last on taxes, scoring 50 of 100. The firm cautioned that fewer than four points separate first from 10th, advising readers to treat the top 10 as tiers rather than a strict ranking.