Life & moving abroad · Retirement
Retiring on Réunion Island
Updated: 4 September 2026
The retirees we have met
Over the past two years, we have met many retirees: couples and solo travellers, while hiking, on the beach, in cafés, in town and at well-known attractions. Some have also visited us at home, and we are still in touch with several of them.
Many come to Réunion Island for an extended holiday or a hiking break. Others discover the island on a cruise through the Indian Ocean and stay for one or several days. In 2025 alone, Port Réunion recorded 34 cruise calls carrying a total of 43,790 passengers.
We also met a couple who regularly spend the winter in Mauritius and came across to Réunion for two weeks. There are many different ways of making the island part of your retirement.
Moving abroad or escaping the winter?
One thing has become clear from our conversations: only a few are considering leaving Germany completely. Children, grandchildren, friends and other family ties often speak against it.
For many, it is therefore more appealing to spend a few weeks or months on Réunion while keeping their base in Germany. Marina and Eric, for example, have been coming to the island for roughly three months during the European winter for several years.
Réunion has much to offer: a warm climate, the ocean and exceptional scenery. The island is a hiking paradise and offers countless possibilities, especially for people who want to remain active in retirement.
What to consider beforehand
Réunion Island is not a cheap tropical paradise. Food, accommodation, car hire and regular flights to Europe can add up considerably. Choosing where to stay also matters: the coast is warmer and more humid, while the uplands are cooler. Many roads and paths are steep, and in numerous areas daily life is difficult without a car.
The distance from children, grandchildren and friends in Germany should not be underestimated either. At around 9,000 kilometres, a spontaneous visit is hardly possible.
Pensions and health insurance
For a German retiree, moving to Réunion Island is not a move into a completely unfamiliar legal and social-security system. Réunion is part of France. In principle, it therefore makes no difference whether someone moves from Germany to Alsace, Provence or here.
EU citizens do not need a residence permit to live in France. They must, however, have sufficient financial resources and health insurance, among other requirements.
Pension and health-insurance rights acquired in Germany are not lost by moving. Anyone receiving a German pension and remaining insured through Germany will generally request an S1 form from the responsible German institution. Once it has been registered in France, medical care is provided under French rules. Registration is therefore usually relatively straightforward; this is not an entirely new form of private cover that first has to be built from scratch.
Matters can become more complicated if pensions are received from several countries, if the retiree continues to work or if special insurance arrangements apply. The taxation of pension income must also be assessed according to the individual situation.
Our advice
Anyone seriously considering retirement on Réunion Island should not pack up permanently after a short holiday. It makes more sense to live here for several weeks or a few months first, get to know different parts of the island and experience how ordinary daily life actually works.
Our articles and videos are not intended to make the decision for you. They are meant to show the possibilities, how other retirees approach it and what should be considered in advance.
Sources and further information
- Service-Public: residence in France for an EU retiree ↗
- Service-Public: health insurance for a retiree from another European state ↗
- CLEISS: transferring health-insurance rights with form S1 ↗
- European Union: pension payments when living in another EU country ↗
- Île de La Réunion Tourisme: Réunion as a cruise destination ↗
- AIDA Cruises: cruises to Le Port on Réunion Island ↗
- Costa Cruises: Réunion as a destination ↗
Retirement on Réunion Island on video
Our overview and in-depth interview with retirees cover options, real experiences and questions to consider before a longer stay. The videos are currently in German.