Indonesia retirement visa 2026: the $3,000 a month income rule, the second home deposit, couples, and how a US annuity fits
Written by Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent · CA 4273294Short answer: Indonesia’s retirement visa (E33F) requires age 55 or over and a bank account showing income of US$3,000 a month (about Rp53.7 million at Bank Indonesia’s rate of 2 October 2026), plus a sponsor; a spouse joins on a family visa (E31B) with proof of US$2,000 of living expenses, so a couple should plan on $3,000 for the main applicant. The rule says “income or allowance” and does not require lifetime income, so a life-only SPIA bought in the US is one clean way to show it: at 62 about $455,000 to $515,000 of premium pays $3,000 a month (illustrative, September 2026 rates). The alternative is the second home visa (E33): a US$130,000 deposit in an Indonesian state-owned bank, at any age, for up to 5 years.
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The Indonesia retirement visa requirement in 2026
If you want to retire in Indonesia, the Directorate General of Immigration’s eVisa site lists three routes for someone living on savings and income rather than a job. I read the requirements directly from the eVisa site on 4 October 2026. Several of these records were updated in the first days of October 2026, so the rules are moving; check the eVisa page again the week you apply. Many websites still quote age 60 and $1,500 a month: those are older figures.
| Visa | Age | Money test (eVisa wording) | Stay | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E33F Retirement | 55 or over | “Bank account proving income or allowance with a value of US$3,000 per month,” plus a personal bank statement with at least US$2,000 for the last 3 months; a guarantor (sponsor) is required | Up to 1 year | Rp7,000,000 |
| E33E Silver Hair | 55 or over | Proof of income of at least US$3,000 a month and a commitment to deposit at least US$50,000 in a state-owned bank in your own name | Up to 5 years, extendable | Rp13,000,000 |
| E33 Second Home | No minimum stated | Deposit US$130,000 in a state-owned bank in your name, or buy Indonesian property (such as an apartment) worth US$1,000,000, within 90 days of arrival | Up to 5 years, extendable | Rp13,000,000 |
On the retirement visa you may not work or sell goods or services in Indonesia, and you may bring eligible family members. Older rules once required retirees to employ an Indonesian housekeeper and hold local health insurance; neither appears in the current eVisa requirements, but ask your sponsor what your immigration office expects. Law firms describe the retirement stay permit as renewable each year, and a route to a permanent stay permit (KITAP) after several years; Immigration’s site does not spell that out, so confirm it with your sponsor.
Single or married: how much income you need for the Indonesia retirement visa
The test is set in US dollars. For reference I convert at Rp17,898 per dollar, the Bank Indonesia JISDOR rate for 2 October 2026.
| Household | Monthly amount (USD) | About (IDR) | Who must show it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single applicant (E33F) | $3,000 of income, plus a $2,000 balance over 3 months | Rp53.7 million | The applicant |
| Married couple | $3,000 for the main applicant; the spouse on an E31B family visa shows at least $2,000 of living expenses | Rp53.7 million plus Rp35.8 million | Each visa holder shows their own proof |
| Both spouses 55 or over | Either the route above, or each applies for E33F with $3,000 each | Rp53.7 million each | Each applicant |
| Each dependent child | Family visa; no income figure published for the retirement route | None stated | Through the main holder |
Immigration does not say whether the $3,000 is per person or per household, or whether a couple may add two incomes together. The spouse visa’s own $2,000 test suggests each holder shows their own money. Get your sponsor’s written view before you size anything.
When only one spouse has the income
The spouse with $3,000 of income applies for the retirement visa and the other follows on the E31B spouse visa (5 years for Rp12,000,000 or 10 years for Rp18,500,000), showing $2,000 of living expenses. If neither has enough income, put a lifetime annuity on the spouse who will apply, as owner and annuitant, bought while you both still live in the US. A joint and survivor payout keeps the income going after the first death, so the survivor can still renew. A woman’s payout per dollar is lower, so the same income on her life costs a little more.
US gift note (general information, confirm with a tax adviser): if the premium comes from the other spouse’s money, moving it into an annuity owned by the applicant spouse is a gift between spouses. Between two US-citizen spouses, gifts are unlimited under the marital deduction. If the receiving spouse is not a US citizen, the 2026 annual exclusion is $194,000 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32); above that you file Form 709, and tax is generally not due because the excess uses part of the lifetime exemption.
Where a US life annuity fits in Indonesia
The retirement visa wants a monthly number, “income or allowance” of $3,000, renewed every year. A 401(k) balance or a brokerage account is not income on that test, and Social Security may be years away if you retire at 55 or 60. A life-only single premium immediate annuity (SPIA) turns part of your savings into a monthly deposit that shows up in the bank account the rule asks about, every month, for life.
The rule does not use the word pension and does not require lifetime income, and Immigration has not said anything specific about private annuities. An insurer’s letter stating the monthly amount, plus bank statements showing it arriving, fits the wording; your sponsor submits the file.
Which annuity counts
Because Indonesia asks for income rather than lifetime income, period-certain payments may also be accepted. For a retirement visa you renew every year, though, the income should last: a life-only SPIA, a life with cash refund SPIA, a joint and survivor SPIA, or an existing deferred annuity or MYGA converted to lifetime payments. An income rider (GLWB) with a cashable account value, or a deferred annuity still accumulating, reads as savings, not monthly income.
The deposit routes, honestly
For many people the second home visa is cheaper: a $130,000 deposit stays your money (it earns interest in rupiah or dollars at a state-owned bank), against roughly $455,000 to $515,000 of annuity premium for $3,000 a month at 62. The trade: the deposit ties up capital in Indonesia for the life of the permit, and you still need money to live on. The Silver Hair visa asks for both $3,000 a month and a $50,000 deposit, in exchange for five years instead of one and no sponsor. A common mix is Social Security plus a smaller annuity to reach $3,000, or the deposit route with the annuity paying living costs.
Why I write about this. My mom is Norwegian, my dad is American, and they’re planning the move from the US to Norway. My mom is the sponsor (the host, or “reference person” in UDI’s words), so Norway’s income test falls on her income, not my dad’s. UDI told us in writing that money in an account does not count as income, and only lifelong income does. Their savings were not the problem; the paperwork wanted a monthly number in the host’s name. The rules in Indonesia are different, but the problem is the same one many retirees hit: the income test, not the net worth. I’m writing this to help others in the same boat as my parents. Read how we worked through the Norway income requirement.
In the same boat? Let’s run your numbers
See roughly what a lifetime annuity would cost to close your income gap, then get my personal read by email. I can help while you still live in the US.
Estimates use the September 9, 2026 ImmediateAnnuities.com payout survey (life only) and a 15% cushion. Illustrative, not a quote.
Example: a 62-year-old American moving to Indonesia
Premium = monthly target / payout per $100,000 x $100,000. At 62 the ImmediateAnnuities.com survey of September 9, 2026 (life-only, per $100,000 a month) averages $603 for a man and $582 for a woman; the best quotes were $660 and $637. Rounded to the nearest $1,000. Illustrative, not a quote.
| Household, age 62 | Monthly target | Premium, average rate | Premium, best rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single man | $3,000 | $498,000 | $455,000 |
| Single woman | $3,000 | $515,000 | $471,000 |
| Couple, annuity on his life, 10% headroom | $3,300 | $547,000 | $500,000 |
| Couple, annuity on her life, 10% headroom | $3,300 | $567,000 | $518,000 |
Social Security changes the math. It can start at 62 and is income like any other on this test, so a retiree with a $2,000 benefit needs only $1,000 more: about $166,000 of premium for a 62-year-old man at the average rate. The headroom covers US withholding and the possibility that Immigration raises the figure again.
For a couple, a joint and survivor annuity keeps paying the surviving spouse, but it pays less per dollar than single life, so the premium runs above the table; get a quote for both.
How to set it up
- Buy while you still have a US address. US insurers generally will not issue a new contract to someone already living abroad.
- Choose life-only (or life with cash refund) wording, no commutation or cash-out rider. The letter should say payments continue for the lifetime of the annuitant.
- Keep a US bank account for the deposits. It keeps transfers simple. It does not change withholding: since January 1, 2026, a US citizen with a foreign residence address cannot opt out of federal withholding on annuity payments, even if they go to a US account (IRC 3405(e)(13), Treas. Reg. 31.3405(e)-1). Withholding is a prepayment of your US tax, not an extra tax, but the deposit that reaches the account is the net amount, so size for it.
- Start payments 3 to 12 months before you apply. The E33F asks for 3 months of bank statements.
- Line up a sponsor (guarantor) for the E33F; the Silver Hair and second home visas can be filed without one through the eVisa site.
How the annuity is taxed: Indonesia and the US
The US side (the same wherever you live)
As a US citizen you stay taxable on worldwide income wherever you live. A US single premium immediate annuity bought with after-tax savings is taxed under IRC 72: an exclusion ratio makes part of each payment a non-taxable return of your premium until the premium is recovered. If you bought it with IRA money, every payment is taxable. The foreign earned income exclusion does not cover annuities (IRC 911(b)(1)(B)(i)). Foreign tax on the payments can generally be credited on Form 1116. Since January 1, 2026, a US citizen with a foreign residence address cannot opt out of federal withholding, even if payments go to a US account (IRC 3405(e)(13), Treas. Reg. 31.3405(e)-1). Withholding is a prepayment, not extra tax. An annuity from a US insurer is not reported on FBAR or Form 8938, and it is not a PFIC. See the exclusion ratio for Americans abroad and the exclusion ratio calculator.
The US and Indonesia tax treaty
Yes, there is one: the convention signed in Jakarta on 11 July 1988, generally effective from 1 January 1990. Article 21(2) says “annuities paid to an individual who is a resident of one of the Contracting States shall be taxable only in that Contracting State,” so for a resident of Indonesia, Indonesia has the right to tax the annuity. But Article 28(3), the saving clause, lets the US tax its citizens “as if this Convention had not come into effect,” and the exceptions in Article 28(4)(a) do not include Article 21(2). Article 23 gives the US foreign tax credit only “subject to the limitations of United States law,” and unlike the newer US treaties it has no rule re-sourcing the income for US citizens. The taxable part of a US insurer’s annuity is US-source, so the US credit for Indonesian tax on it is limited. Social Security is different: Article 22 leaves it taxable only in the US.
The Indonesia side
You become an Indonesian tax resident if you live there, are present more than 183 days in any 12-month period, or are present in a year and intend to reside (PwC, reviewed June 2026). Residents are generally taxed on worldwide income at 5% to 35%: 5% up to Rp60 million, 15% to Rp250 million, 25% to Rp500 million, 30% to Rp5 billion, and 35% above. A rule that taxes some new foreign residents only on Indonesian income for four years is tied to specified skills and is unlikely to help a retiree. Indonesia does not publish a specific rule for a purchased foreign annuity, and whether it recognises a return of premium share is unclear; get an Indonesian tax adviser’s written view.
For scale: $3,000 a month is about Rp644 million a year. If it were all taxable, the tax would be roughly Rp137 million, about $7,700 or 21%, before personal allowances (my arithmetic at Rp17,898).
Net result
For a US citizen living in Indonesia, a US annuity can be taxed in full by both countries, with only partial relief: the treaty gives Indonesia the residence right, the saving clause keeps the US right, and the credit rules leave a gap. Indonesia’s rate at this income is usually the higher one, so the annuity is tax-costly here compared with drawing savings principal, which is not income. Plan with an adviser in both countries before you become resident, and compare the second home deposit route on an after-tax basis.
Does Indonesia have a wealth tax?
No. PwC’s country summary says Indonesia has no net wealth tax and no inheritance, estate or gift tax. A US annuity is not in any Indonesian wealth base; the question in Indonesia is income tax on the payments.
The trade-offs, once
A SPIA is irrevocable: you trade a lump sum for income you cannot cash out. Payments are level unless you add a cost-of-living rider, so their buying power falls over time, and the rupiah-dollar rate matters for your living costs, though not for the dollar test. Payouts are lower at younger ages, so a 62-year-old pays more for the same monthly amount than a 70-year-old. The income is backed by the issuing insurer’s claims-paying ability. For most people the answer is to size the annuity to the requirement plus some headroom and keep the rest of the portfolio working. Indonesian Immigration decides every application on its own merits; a well-documented lifetime income makes the file strong, but no one can promise approval.
Married? Make the income outlive either of you. In Indonesia the main applicant shows the income and the spouse joins as a family member, so the annuity sits with the main applicant. If a single-life annuity is on one spouse and that spouse dies first, the payments stop, and the surviving spouse may have to show income of their own at the next renewal. A joint and survivor annuity, which keeps paying until the second death, or a separate annuity on each spouse closes that gap. Joint and survivor pays less per dollar than single life, so ask for both quotes and compare.
Frequently asked questions
Free annuity gap analysis for Indonesia. Tell me your ages, your Social Security or pension, and whether you are single or a couple. I will show how far your income is from the Indonesia requirement and what a lifetime annuity would cost to fill the gap, in the sponsor’s or main applicant’s name where that matters.
Related reading
- Moving abroad on a fixed income: hub
- Retirement visa income requirements compared
- Using an annuity to meet a visa income requirement
- Thailand retirement visa income requirement
- Malaysia MM2H income requirement
- Philippines SRRV pension requirement
- Mauritius retirement permit income
Sources
- Directorate General of Immigration, Indonesia: eVisa visa selection (E33F Retirement, E33E Silver Hair, E33 Second Home, E31B spouse), read 4 October 2026
- Bank Indonesia: JISDOR reference rate (2 October 2026)
- US and Indonesia income tax convention (1988): Articles 21, 22, 23 and 28
- US Treasury technical explanation of the US and Indonesia convention
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Indonesia, residence
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Indonesia, taxes on personal income
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Indonesia, other taxes
- IRS Publication 514: foreign tax credit limited to US tax on foreign-source income
- IRS: 2026 inflation adjustments, including the gift exclusion for a non-citizen spouse (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- IRS: United States income tax treaties, A to Z
- 26 U.S.C. 3405 (withholding on pensions and annuities)
- ImmediateAnnuities.com: immediate annuity rates by age (survey of September 9, 2026)
Goldstein & Co. LLC dba Goldstein Insurance Services · Hans Goldstein, licensed insurance agent, CA lic. #4273294 · NPN 20602398 · 213-414-2808 · hans@hansgoldstein.com
Education, not tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules, thresholds and exchange rates change; confirm with the consulate or immigration authority and a local tax adviser before you act, and get answers in writing. Hans Goldstein is a licensed insurance agent (CA 4273294) and can only offer annuities to residents of states where he is licensed. Annuity payments are guaranteed by the issuing insurer’s claims-paying ability, not by any government. Payout figures are illustrations from a published survey, not quotes. Immediate annuities are generally irrevocable.