Tonga Assured Income Visa

The Assured Income Visa, also called the Assured Income Permit, is Tonga's residence category for non-Tongan passport holders who want to retire in Tonga on a regular income from overseas (Embassy of Tonga).

It is a retirement permit, not a work route: holders may not work, study or start a business in Tonga. The category sits in the fee schedule of the Immigration Regulations, and the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides applications (Immigration Regulations).

• Who it is for: non-Tongan passport holders retiring on overseas income.
• Income: at least TOP 10,000 a year.
• Validity: 2 years or more, renewable.
• Permit fee: TOP 300 a year for each person on the application.
• Not allowed: work, study or business in Tonga.

The newest official pages on this permit date from 2018 (embassy) and 2011 (Immigration Division checklist), so applicants should confirm current details with the Immigration Division before applying.

Applicants must be non-Tongan passport holders who want to retire in Tonga and can show income of at least TOP 10,000 a year from overseas, such as a pension or fund, with supporting documents (Embassy of Tonga).

No nationality list, minimum age or separate income amount for dependents is published. A spouse and accompanying children can be named in the permit; each pays the fees that apply to them (Immigration Regulations).

Anyone who needs to earn money in Tonga, study or run a business there should look at another category: the permit rules this out.

The Embassy of Tonga lists these documents:

• Photos: 2 recent passport photos for each applicant.
• Passport valid for 6 months from the date of travel.
• Medical report from a licensed doctor, issued within the past 6 months.
• Police clearance from the country or state of residence, issued within the past 3 months.
• Two character references with contact details.
• Proof of income of at least TOP 10,000 a year, with supporting documents.
• Fee, paid in full before the application is lodged.

No health insurance, translation or apostille rule is published for this category. Applicants with documents in another language should ask the Immigration Division what it accepts.

The Immigration Regulations set the legal fee for this category at TOP 300 a year for every person included on the application. Fees are paid in full before lodging and are not refundable (Immigration Regulations, Schedule item 12).

Applications lodged through a Tongan mission carry a different charge of $345 (US dollars), in cash or by money order payable to the embassy or consulate (Embassy of Tonga). The two official figures have not been reconciled, so applicants should confirm which applies, and whether both do, with the Immigration Division.

• Permit fee (law): TOP 300 a year per person.
• Mission charge: $345 (US dollars).
• Late renewal: extra charges apply when a permit expires before or during a late renewal (see Duration and renewal).

Medical reports, police clearances and courier costs come on top.

Where to apply: On the approved form, sent to the Principal Immigration Officer, Immigration Division (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Nuku'alofa, or lodged through a Tongan embassy or consulate (Immigration Regulations). No online portal was found.

1. Complete and sign the approved application form, naming any spouse and accompanying children.
2. Gather the documents and pay the fee before lodging; fees are not refundable.
3. Send the file to the Principal Immigration Officer in Nuku'alofa or lodge it with a Tongan embassy or consulate.

No official processing time is published, so applicants should allow time and ask the Immigration Division or the mission for a current estimate.

The permit is valid for 2 years or more and can be renewed (Embassy of Tonga).

Renewal: Renewable; no cap on renewals is published. Late renewal costs extra: TOP 500 if a permit expires while an application lodged less than 4 weeks before expiry is processed, TOP 1,000 if it expires before the new application is lodged (Immigration Regulations, regulation 11). Lodging a renewal early, before the cutoff the regulations set, avoids the late charges.

No official source says whether the permit leads to permanent residence or citizenship. Switching to another permit category carries its own fee under the regulations.

No official source sets a special tax treatment for Assured Income permit holders or for overseas pensions.

Under the Income Tax Act 2007, a person is resident for a fiscal year if present in Tonga for 183 days in any 12-month period that starts or ends in that year, or if they have a home in Tonga at any time during the year (Income Tax Act 2007, section 4). Most permit holders will meet that test.

Retirees should check how Tonga and their home country treat their pension or fund income, and whether a tax treaty applies, before moving.