Countries with Passive Income Visas and High Cash Usage: What the Research Shows

I need to be upfront with you: the available research doesn't provide a direct ranking of "passive income visa countries by predicted cash usage in 2026." These are two separate data sets that aren't typically cross-referenced in immigration or payments research.

However, here's what I can tell you based on the sources:

The Cash Landscape

Visa's 2026 outlook highlights that $11 trillion in cash still anchors daily commerce globally, despite decades of cashless predictions [7]. This signals that physical money remains deeply embedded in many economies, even as digital payments expand [1].

Popular Passive Income Visa Countries

The countries most frequently cited for passive income/retirement visas include [4][10][13]:

• Portugal (D7 Visa) - €920+/month required
• Spain - €28,800+/year required
• Italy - €31,160+/year required
• Greece - €2,000+/month required
• France - €1,800+/month required
• Austria - €2,436+/month required
• Ecuador - ~$1,380/month required [6]

What This Means for You

If you're specifically looking for destinations where you'll rely heavily on cash transactions, you'd generally find higher cash usage in:

• Latin American countries (like Ecuador with its retirement visa)
• Southern and Eastern European nations
• Southeast Asian destinations with nomad visas

Western European countries like Portugal, Spain, and France have more developed digital payment infrastructure, meaning you'll encounter fewer cash-only situations.

For the most cash-dependent lifestyle combined with passive income visa availability, you might focus on Ecuador, Greece, or exploring digital nomad destinations in regions with less digital payment penetration [2][5].

Always verify current requirements with official sources as immigration rules change.