Portugal named Europe’s best destination for retirement

Portugal has been ranked the best country in Europe for retirement and the fourth-best destination worldwide in a new international index assessing the most attractive places for retirees to live abroad.

The Retirement Abroad Index 2026, published by international health insurance provider Expatriate Group, ranked Portugal behind only the Philippines, Thailand and Colombia among 20 destinations assessed across healthcare, visa accessibility, health insurance requirements, cost of living and expat integration.

With an overall score of 71 out of 100, Portugal was the highest-ranked European country in the study, outperforming traditional retirement destinations including Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

According to the report, Portugal’s strong performance was driven by its D7 Passive Income Visa, established expatriate communities and well-developed private healthcare sector.

Spain ranked joint eighth with 64 points, while France placed 11th despite receiving one of the highest healthcare scores in the survey. Italy finished in 15th place and Greece ranked 14th.

Researchers said high living costs and increasingly complex visa requirements weighed on the performance of many European destinations.

The Philippines topped the global ranking with a score of 78 out of 100, followed closely by Thailand on 77 points and Colombia on 73.

According to the report, the Philippines benefited from highly accessible retirement visa options, low living costs and strong expatriate integration, while Thailand scored particularly highly for healthcare quality.

Portugal received strong scores for healthcare, visa accessibility and expat integration, although its affordability rating was lower than many of the leading destinations in Asia and Latin America.

The study also highlighted the growing importance of healthcare planning for retirees considering a move abroad.

Researchers noted that access to public healthcare systems is often restricted for foreign retirees and argued that many expats ultimately rely on private healthcare, regardless of their destination.

The ranking was compiled using publicly available data and retirement-specific criteria, with each country assessed across five categories worth up to 20 points each: healthcare quality, visa accessibility, health insurance requirements, cost of living, and expat community and integration.

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.