The layer that decides approval
Every route below clears on income, not on a big bank balance — which suits you. But the thresholds, the way dependants are counted, and what counts as acceptable evidence differ sharply by country. This page sets out exactly what each wants, how our numbers stack up, and a dated plan to be visa-ready and landed by September — done properly.
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All figures are foreign-source income — earned from outside the destination. A local roastery is a separate permit (see Practicalities). Rough rates used: £1 ≈ US$1.27 ≈ €1.17.
US$24,000/yr (~£1,575/mo) for tech/digital profiles; US$60,000/yr (~£3,940/mo) for non-tech. Assessed on the main applicant alone — a spouse's income can't be added; she'd need her own pass. Whether coffee reads as "digital" (online sales/marketing) or "non-tech" decides which bar applies.
€3,500/mo net (after tax) solo, +20% for a spouse and +15% per child — so €4,725/mo net for the three of us (~£4,040). Demonstrated by the principal; combining two incomes isn't guaranteed and is consulate-dependent.
US$1,500/mo per adult + US$500/mo per child. So US$3,500/mo for the three of us (~£2,755), or US$4,000 with Darci (~£3,150). Effectively a household sum — combined income works, and the visa itself is free.
Monthly income each route needs from us, against what we can actually evidence. The gap between the two is the whole task.
Monthly requirement — Simon + Mandy + Eli (and + Darci)
| Penang — main applicant only (digital bracket) | ~£1,575/mo |
| Penang — main applicant only (non-tech bracket) | ~£3,940/mo |
| Crete — three of us, net (Darci can't be included) | ~£4,040/mo |
| Mauritius — three of us (household) | ~£2,755/mo |
| Mauritius — four of us, incl. Darci | ~£3,150/mo |
What we can evidence. Formal PAYE salary is currently £13k each — £26k total, about £2,167/mo combined, and only £1,083/mo each. That formal salary alone sits below every bracket above (even Mauritius's US$1,500/£1,180 per adult). Our real income — roughly £3,000 (Simon) and £1,500 (Mandy), ~£4,500/mo combined once drawings and dividends are counted — clears Mauritius comfortably and reaches Crete if combined income is accepted. The job is to make the evidenced figure equal the real figure.
Darci. Malaysia (dependants under 18) and Greece (dependent minors) won't take her at 18. Mauritius counts a dependent child under 24 — so she can be included there for +US$500/mo, and only there.
As business owners we don't use payslips as the main evidence — we build a pack, and consistency across it is everything.
Business and personal, showing regular deposits. Malaysia wants ~3 months matching the income claimed; Greece looks for steady income over recent months; Mauritius wants ~3 months with the required sum landing. Aim for 6 months of clean, consistent statements as the floor.
From a chartered/certified accountant (ICAEW/ACCA), on letterhead: total remuneration — salary + dividends + drawings, your ownership %, that the business is active and sound, that figures reconcile to filed accounts, plus the accountant's name, firm and registration number. This is what carries the income the payslips don't.
HMRC SA302 / tax-year overview, filed company accounts, corporation-tax return, and — crucially — dividend board minutes and vouchers for every dividend drawn. Plus client contracts and invoices as backup.
Then, per country: comprehensive private health insurance valid at destination, a criminal-record certificate (UK ACRO), proof of accommodation, passports valid 14+ months, marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates, and — for Greece — a signed declaration letter describing the business, clients and finances.
The reasons applications stall or get refused — all avoidable with a bit of forethought.
Deposits that don't match the stated income, the accountant's letter or the contracts. "Bank statements don't match contracts" is a leading rejection reason in Malaysia. Everything must reconcile.
A large lump sum landing just before you apply, to hit the number. Reviewers want a sustained monthly pattern, not a spiked balance. Genuine project lumpiness is fine — but explain it.
Minimising taxable profit through expenses lowers tax but can make income look too low to qualify — especially against Greece's net test. Balance the tax bill against what you need to show.
The formal £13k salaries are too low; the real money is in drawings and dividends that aren't yet formalised. Here's how to make the evidenced figure equal the real one — legitimately.
Declare a dividend now, properly voted and minuted with a dividend voucher dated now, paid to your account now. A dividend voted today is real income today — the clean way to lift the evidenced monthly figure.
Raise PAYE from this month forward, filed with HMRC in real time. Set a fixed monthly draw — Simon ~£3,000, Mandy ~£1,500 — landing on the same date each month. Consistency beats size.
The accountant's letter states total remuneration — salary + dividends + drawings — and confirms the business supports it. That captures the real income honestly, without touching a single historic filing.
The rule we're building on
Income documents are never backdated. A payslip or PAYE filing that says money was paid on a past date, when it wasn't paid then, is a false record — not tidying, fabrication. HMRC already holds the original dated RTI submissions for every payday, so a backdated version is independently checkable, and a false document in a visa pack risks a fraud finding that outlasts any rejection and follows the whole family across future applications. It also puts the accountant's practising certificate on the line.
The decisive point: it's unnecessary. Real salary plus properly-declared dividends already clears Mauritius, and reaches Crete. We don't need the fiction because the truth qualifies — so we build only on genuine, dated income.
Britons enter all three visa-free/on arrival as tourists. Landing in September on that basis and settling in while the residence application lands is entirely legitimate — but the sequencing differs sharply, and only one truly fits the deadline.
Enter visa-free (up to ~180 days) and apply for the Premium Visa from within the country. The visitor window is the real prize: it lets your income history mature on the ground before you submit. This is the route that hits September.
Since 5 Feb 2026, in-country applications are abolished — you must apply at a Greek consulate before travelling. "Arrive and sort it out" no longer works; you'd need €4,725/mo net evidenced earlier, which pushes Crete past September unless income is front-loaded now.
No tourist-to-DE Rantau conversion in-country. You apply online (possible from outside Malaysia) and enter once approved — so the evidence must be ready before you commit to a move date.
Built around Mauritius as the September-compatible lead, with Crete kept alive as a front-loaded alternative. Dates assume a mid-July 2026 start.
The honest caveat on timing
By a September submission you'll only have ~2 months of the new consistent statements, and Mauritius likes to see ~3. This is exactly why the visitor entry matters: you can land in September, let another month or two of real income accrue while you're already there, and submit in-country once the runway is solid — well within the ~180-day tourist window. The accountant's letter and dated dividend paperwork corroborate the fuller picture in the meantime. Start the consistent draws this month and the timing works.
We qualify on our real income today — the task is evidence, not earnings. Formalise it properly now and a September landing is realistic.
Mauritius is the clear September route: combined household income, in-country application, the lowest bar, and the only one that takes Darci as a dependant. Crete stays viable but needs the €4,725/mo net front-loaded and applied for at the consulate before travel. Penang works only if the roastery reads as digital, and never takes Darci.
The formal £13k salaries won't carry any of them — but a declared dividend now, PAYE raised going forward, and an accountant's letter covering the lot make the evidenced income match the ~£4,500/mo we actually earn. No historic filing is touched, and nothing in this plan could sink an application.