September 26, 2014
Sovereign Valley Farm, Chile
We like to think of the solutions we provide here at Sovereign Man as seatbelts—common sense tools you might never need it, but could save your life in a real emergency.
If you live, work, bank, own property, invest, structure a business, store gold, etc. all in the same country of your citizenship, you’re at mercy of the political climate of one single jurisdiction.
This is a lot of faith to place in one country… especially if that country is on a downward slide of debt, money printing, and erosion of freedom.
The idea of international diversification is to spread different aspects of your life across different jurisdictions so that no single country has total control over you.
Only then can you be truly free and independent.
One key node in any international diversification strategy is having multiple citizenships and passports.
Having another passport means having more options. It means you can travel. It means you can live in other countries. You can do business in other countries. You have greater ease in opening investment and financial accounts.
It also means that, in a worst-case scenario occurred and you had to get out of Dodge, you’ll always have a way out… and a place to go.
If you’re lucky enough to have ancestors from places like Poland, Italy or Ireland, then obtaining a second passport is very straightforward.
But for most people who aren’t part of the lucky bloodline club, obtaining a second citizenship and passport requires one of three things:
- Money
- Time
- Flexibility
You can obtain citizenship through investment or “donation” in places like St. Kitts, Dominica, Antigua, or Malta.
These options are expensive, though. The cheapest citizenship-by-investment programs run well into six figures, hardly a trivial sum for most.
But if you’re flexible with your time and lifestyle, you can obtain citizenship in one of these places at relatively little cost:
Brazil
If you’re flexible and willing to go the unorthodox way, you can obtain citizenship in Brazil after as little as a year of living there by having a Brazilian child. It works, I know several folks who have done this or are in progress.
Another route to citizenship is by marrying a Brazilian. In fact, the marriage route just got easier. [Note to Premium Members: I’ll tell you more about this soon.]
Panama
Panama is the easiest place in the world to establish residency under the so-called “Friendly Nations Visa”.
It’s a straightforward process that involves setting up a local company and opening a bank account with a fairly small sum. You don’t even have to spend time in the country. And after five years, you’re eligible to apply for naturalization.
Israel
Are you Jewish? Do you want to be? Any Jew can qualify for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. The added benefit is that, just like Brazil, Israel doesn’t extradite its citizens, which is a good option to have if you ever find yourself in a pinch.
The downside of course is that a 2-year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces might be required as well.
Belgium
Three years of residency in Belgium qualifies you for naturalization. “Residency” is quite flexible—you don’t actually have to spend time there, especially if you move around the borderless Schengen area.
As long as you demonstrate some ties to Belgium – family, business, property, paying taxes – you’ll be able to get citizenship.
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