Countries
Compare countries.
Residence routes, health cover, tax and registration.
PT
ES
TH
AE
| At a glance | PT Portugal | ES Spain | TH Thailand | AE UAE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currency | Euro (EUR)1 checked 15 October 2026 | Euro (EUR)1 checked 15 October 2026 | Thai baht (THB), divided into 100 satang1 checked 15 October 2026 | UAE dirham (AED), pegged at USD 1 = AED 3.67251 checked 15 October 2026 |
| Time zone | Mainland and Madeira: UTC+0 (summer UTC+1); Azores: UTC−1 (summer UTC+0)1 checked 15 October 2026 | Mainland and Balearic Islands: UTC+1 (summer UTC+2); Canary Islands: UTC+0 (summer UTC+1)1 checked 15 October 2026 | GMT+71 checked 15 October 2026 | GMT+41 checked 15 October 2026 |
| Official language | Portuguese1 checked 15 October 2026 | Spanish (Castilian); other Spanish languages are co-official in their autonomous communities1 checked 15 October 2026 | Thai1 checked 15 October 2026 | Arabic1 checked 15 October 2026 |
| Remote-work route | €3,680 per month12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | €2,849 per month (€34,188 per year)123 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Funds, not incomeTHB 500,0001 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | USD 3,500 per month12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide |
| Retirement / passive-income route | €920 per month12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | €2,400 per month (€28,800 per year); +€600 per month per family member12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | THB 800,000 deposit, or monthly income of at least THB 65,000, or a combination totalling THB 800,000 a year1 checked 15 October 2026 | Age 55+ and 15 years of prior service; plus property or savings of at least AED 1 million, or fixed annual income of at least AED 240,00012 checked 15 October 2026 |
| Health insurance on the long-stay route | Travel insurance covering necessary medical expenses, urgent medical assistance and possible repatriation12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Public or private sickness insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | USD 100,000 (THB 3,000,000) for the whole stay12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Employers must insure employees; sponsors must insure their resident dependants1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide |
| Tax residency rule | More than 183 days in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax year, or a home held as habitual residence1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | More than 183 days in Spain in the calendar year, or main centre of economic interests in Spain1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | More than 180 days in aggregate in a tax year1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Primary residence and centre of interests in the UAE; or 183+ days in 12 consecutive months; or 90+ days with a residence permit (or UAE/GCC nationality) plus a permanent place of residence or employment/business in the UAE12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide |
| Special tax regime | 20%1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | 24% up to €600,000; 47% above12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | 17% flat personal income tax for Highly-Skilled Professionals; overseas income exemption listed as a privilege; 90-day report replaced by a 1-year report1 checked 15 October 2026 | Employment income, personal investment income and real-estate investment income of individuals are not subject to UAE Corporate Tax1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide |
| Registration / ID | Any person, Portuguese or foreign, resident or non-resident12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Personal, unique and exclusive identification number for foreigners12 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide | Within 24 hours of a foreigner's arrival, by the house owner, landlord or hotel (Immigration Act 1979, Section 38)1 checked 15 October 2026 | Mandatory for all UAE citizens and residents; must be carried at all times1 checked 15 October 2026Read the guide |