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Hello fellow Nomads!
Iโd like to be more than just a Shengen stamp in the EU. What are the easiest ways/countries to be an EU resident (perhaps even permanent).
I heard you can buy cheaper property in Bulgaria or a business in Lithuania. Does anyone have suggestions?
Happy Nomading!
Andrew
Countries that offer citizenship by descent:
Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland (kind of)
Easiest country for high-level entrepreneurs:
Belgium. Itโs not anywhere near Maltaโs costs. but it has ongoing costs.
Cheapest countries for start-ups:
Baltics, Slovenia. In some cases, no employees required and very low start-up costs.
Thanks Andrew, that helps. I just met Gregory yesterday and we were discussing a Slovenian residency for me. I will be in touch.
Iโve researched this at length and in sum, itโs pretty expensive if you donโt have a relative or ancestry line to obtain citizenship, or a work permit (usually sponsored by a company).
One of the easiest and most affordable places Iโve uncovered to-date is Malta, where you can get residency with a real estate investment of โฌ275,000. Thatโs pretty cheap compared to most Western countries, but significantly more expensive than getting residency somewhere like Costa Rica or Panama, where it can cost just a couple thousand dollars.
You can go back as far as necessary through the paternal line if you have the proof and if no one renounced citizenship. My grandfather was born before my great grandfather became a US citizen therefore I qualify.
Qualifying through the maternal line is more difficult and might involve going to court.
wanderingdev, how were you able to do this. I was told by an Italian lawyer when I looked into it, โIf your grandfather naturalized, it is essential he did so after your father was born (your uncle, for your cousin) otherwise you are not eligible.โ But you are saying you went as far back as your great grandfather. i.e. Your parentโs father or mother must have still been an Italian citizen when they were born. Can you give more details? Thks!
I believe Adam at Travels of Adam (Google it) wrote a detailed account of getting German residency as an American freelancer.
I also just wrote a detailed account of my Swiss visa process as an American freelancer. Many European countries operate similarly. http://gigigriffis.com/how-i-got-swiss-residency/
Some countries sell EU resident, itยดs very expensive but possible:)
" Obtain a Cyprus passport for you and your family with an investment of less than โฌ1 million."
The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty allows Dutch residency to Americans who start a business in The Netherlands. You donโt need to hire anyone locally or have a lot of registered capital; the minimum investment is a few thousand dollars. There are very strict requirements around this visa, and you will have to move your tax domicile to The Netherlands (where you will be paying more in taxes than in the US) and sign up for Dutch health insurance. You will also have to follow all of the Dutch regulations around residency registration with city hall, etc. However, the procedure does work and you could pick far worse places in the world to live than The Netherlands.
Hungary could be an option ! If you incorporate a company or invest in bonds , you can become a resident. They are open to all nationalities as well !
I got a 4 year self-employment resident visa in Berlin, Germany. My boyfriend also got a 1 year WHP visa (weโre Australian, but I assume US has the same program available to them too). Iโd highly recommend the 4 year self-employment visa - I had a great German lady help me get mine (for 800 euro) as you need to translate everything & be able to have someone that can speak Deutsche. She came to the meetings with me for the application & helped me to set up a bank account etc. PM me if you want her details.
Thank you for the information provided. I am from India and has just joined nomad forum.
You have mentioned about a certain German Lady who has helped you getting the self-employment resident visa in Berlin, Germany.
I am interested in getting this visa .
I would highly appreciate if you could provide me the contact details for the mentioned lady.
My email is [email protected].
Again thank you in advance for the the required information
Iโve received a lot of DMโs from people requesting the assistant I used to help me get a visa. Unfortunately, she no longer offers this service so I canโt pass on her info.
A simple google search will tell you everything that you need to know about applying for the freelancer/self-employment visa. Good luck!
I contacted the Danish embassy. They said the cut-off is 18 years old. However (a big one), you can appeal the decision if you can prove you practiced Danish traditions in the home (we kind of did). I think I will go for it!
Also, a business license in Lithuania allows for a residence permit for you and the business ownerโs spouse. Thatโs also exciting news.
If you have recent-ish Italian background, check this out: http://www.myitaliancitizenship.com/
And, about Bulgaria, yes you heard right. If you buy enough real property in BG theyโll give you a BG passport. But a quaint little hamlet in the countryside wonโt cut it โ you better be prepared to drop about a quarter mil USD.
Just make sure you call it โinvesting in the national economic infrastructure.โ โBuying a passportโ sounds gauche.
Residency is usually defined via physical presence, so you donโt have to have ancestry, etc (thats needed for citizenship).
There is one exception emerging for virtual EU residency: https://e-estonia.com/e-residents/about/
As far as I know, though, Estoniaโs virtual residency program doesnโt confer any of the benefits associated with traditional citizenship (like, most relevant to people like us, a passport, but also things like access to nationalized social services, voting rights, etc.). Of course, correct me if Iโm wrong.
Thatโs exactly what I pointed out: residency != citizenship. The original question asked about the former. Passports and voting rights relate to latter.
Yep! Made my flipping day when I found that out! Itโs a long process, but the end result will be awesome!
Wot? I thought it was grandfather only! Wow. That means I could have gotten it through Italy as well!
What is your ancestry? Some EU countries offer citizenship through Ancestry. Iโm getting my Italian citizenship that way.
Hi, I saw your comment and I am in a similar situation, I would like to visit Italy on Oct and would like to get citizenship. My Great Grandmother was born in Italy. I asked here in Argentina and I am able to get my citizenship but it takes 4 years, so I think in Italy is faster. Do you have some tips or recommendations to keep in mind? thanks very much.
I have Danish ancestry. I wonder if itโs possible. For Italian, did they have an age cut-off after 17 or something like that?
I donโt know about Denmark, but it canโt hurt to check it out. Italy has no cutoff age, but whether it can come through the maternal or paternal line is decided by birth dates. Iโve not paid too much attention to that because mine comes through the paternal line so it doesnโt impact me. I qualify because my Great Grandfather was born there.
Thatโs really amazing. Great Grandfather can equate to citizenship? Go Italy!
Marry an EU citizen. 
After being told it's unworkable in Puerto Escondido, looking for alternatives :)
What I mean is, for example, since most of the EU has banned Americans, if I live in Guatemala and will be traveling FROM Guatemala to the EU, could I get in? Or does the ban count for all Americans regardless of where they live?
Hey, hope everyone is well!
We're leaving in a month to go travelling. Our first destination is still to be confirmed, but will likely be Poland or Slovakia. We will be moving around every month or two to different destinations.
The question we have is: what do people do with phones/ phone numbers when hopping from country to country? Ideally we'd just like one number for the whole trip (even better, the number we already have) wherever we go, rather than getting new SIMs with different numbers.
This is just so it's easier to keep in contact with family/ clients/ etc.
I'm a dual citizen of America and France with my resident based in the America. Can I travel to the EU using my French passport?
Hi! I want to relocate to Spain and I was wondering if someone can recommend a SIM card with a good data package.
Thanks
Anyone with knowledge regarding complications of not being a tax resident anywhere in the world? Iโm aware that primary health care, bank account opening and incorperation can be problematic but are there other practical or legal factors I should be aware of?
And what about paying myself salary from a self-owned OECD company? I would like to know if I risk potentieal issues with the tax authorities in the jurisdiction of the company, especially regarding withholding tax.
Appreciate your input!
I know from experience that if you have residential status in countries where IG (a broker) serves, you can buy stocks and other assets through this broker. But I wonder what doors to the stock market, asset market or broker can be unlocked with e-residency? Some banks open a terminal for customers to buy assets overseas too, is one of the e-residency friendly bank offering a good portfolio of assets to invest in?
Hello,
Iโm preparing to travel again to Europe, but this time I want to bring our bikes. 2 road bikes. Iโll be traveling from USA to the Milan or Rome airport.
Iโd appreciate hearing your thoughts, experience and tips on traveling with a bike. I plan on being fairly stationary with our location and staying in one spot for 2-3 months, then (hopefully train) to another spot for 3 months, etc. So itโs the initial international flight Iโm most concerned about. But realistically, I think a regional flight will be inevitable with the bikes, too.
I know a bike box will be huge and we will have to break down the bike, thankfully our bikes are fairly light weight. Iโm expecting it to be a huge painโฆbut I think the reward of having a good bike to roam around with will be invaluable. Especially since we will be staying in rural areas and donโt want to rent a car.
General range of cost?
Anyone bring their bike and glad they did? โฆWish they didnโt?.. 
Thanks!
Currently in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and heading to Santa Teressa, Costa Rica next week.
Then Aruba in the Caribbean Sea for Christmas and New Year.
However I feel I want to head back to Central America to bring living costs down, rather than staying in the Caribbean Sea among the expensive Islands.
This means I have around 2 - 2,5 month of unplanned travelling.
Any digital nomads who have ideas about where to head in that timeframe?
Hi everyone and nice to e-meet you!
finally, after so long I found a job that allows me to work remotely.
But now? Do you have any practical advice that I can use to approach this new world?
In particular, I have to put my tax situation in order, do you know a good tax advisor from whom I can ask for advice? (Iโm Italian but I live in FranceโฆI donโt know how long it will beโฆ) )
Beyond that, any advice is welcome.
Thank you!
Maria
Iโm surprised this isnโt anywhere on the forum yet. But just a pro tip for Americans about to start a nomad adventure. T-mobile offers unlimited SMS & data in 120 countries for FREE with any of their (already pretty cheap) plans. Itโs ideal if you plan to be back in the US for any part of the year, but I honestly would consider it even if youโre going to be entirely out of the country.
You get bumped down to much slower 3G speeds, but itโs free and works as soon as you land. Can be super helpful before youโve sorted yourself out with a local SIM. I usually keep my T-mobile SIM in my iPhone all the time and then buy a local SIM and drop it in my pocket wifi for both laptop and iPhone when needed. I keep my local US number and just use it (itโs like $0.05/min in most places) for important clients calls so they donโt have to bother with Skype.
Iโm not affiliated at all, just a happy customer. Anybody found a better deal worth mentioning?
Over the next few weeks Iโm visiting:
I am British and was assuming I would use my giff gaff sim as that has free EU roaming.
But I have been in Mexico for six weeks and giff gaff emailed and said if I didnโt use my sim in the UK soon they would start charging their normal expensive roaming rates.
Soโฆ Can anyone recommend a pre-pay data only sim/package I can use in all of these countries? Ideally which I can pick up in Prague?
Planning ahead for the winter. Iโll be in Spain in the Fall and want to go someplace warm for the winter in or near Europe, but not Schengen. Was first thinking Cape Town, but the internet is slow and it is very far. Was also thinking:
Israel - but airbnb listings are very pricey.
Morocco?
Turkey - maybe a little chilly.
Any other suggestions?
Dear all
As a wanna be nomad figuring out a way to get free of the rat race, I was wondering what is the best bank account to have while travelling the globe? I need an account where is easy for me to receive payments from all over the world and it also need to be a bank that I can find almost anywhere in the world. I want to avoid carry cash on me if itโs possible.
Iโm currently doing some work through Upwork, but itโs sporadic and Iโm keen to get more active on other platforms like Freelancer, Toptal, CodeMentor, Fiverr etc
Currently Iโm managing leads in a Google sheet. Basically itโs just a list of projects I pitched for, how much I bid, what I did differently from the last pitch/bid, how much time went by before I got a offered a job etc.
Iโm not actively following up anybody, and Iโve in fact โlostโ a few jobs where the client was keen, but then disappeared without a trace. I guess I need to keep in touch with those people to ensure that they remain focussed on our agreementโฆ
Iโm also keen to take on more small projects concurrently, without dropping the ball on any of them.
Iโve done a quick Google and turned up a few names including Salesforce, Zoho, Nutshell, HighRise, Base, Nimble, etc etc. But testing out all these products isnโt all that appealing, so I thought Iโd ask here first 
Ideally Iโd like something that integrates with remote job boards in some way.
Iโve done some research and currently have this feature list:
Cheers,
Dan
I have an commerce website. We get around 1000 orders per month and this is going to get quite a bit bigger in next few years.
I am British. I live in Thailand.
Im not allowed to majority own a Thai business and small foreign entrepreneurs are not really welcome. So i need an offshore company.
I need PayPal and an ecommerce internet merchant account. Also looking at alternatives like worldpay. 2checkout etc
Does PayPal need me to be a resident to the country i register my account to? Are there complications being a non resident to get other payment solutions?
Apparently in Hong Kong you need 2 years trading history to get an Internet Mechant Account and they generally turn their noses up at those with less than $1m(us) a year turn over. Singapore seems a bit easier.
I really want to avoid paperwork and book keeping. I hate it.
So i was looking at Seychelles, Panama, BVI, Belize.
Does anyone have experience with payment providers in these countries?
Most nomads i see donโt really have a high volume of small monthly transactions which i do. Im going around in circles and donโt know where to start.
Ill also need a bank account for business and a personal bank account to pay my salary into
Hello,
Iโve been searching through the forum, but most of the information Iโve found seems a little old and Americans, unfortunately, seem to be exceptions to a lot of things.
Situation:
Iโll start a new job with a 1-2 year contract outside the US in about a month, I:
am a US citizen - it is the only passport I hold
have been using my parentsโ address (Texas) as my official address for the past few years.
will be on-sight in South East Asia, but officially billed as a private contractor for the company.
will make less than the cut-off amount for the American tax exemption in next year. It is realistic to assume based on my career, though, that in the coming years I will be over that mark.
plan to qualify for the 330 rolling days outside of the US
Donโt plan to return to the US for at least the next several years, maybe ever for residency.
From research so far, it looks like the best options for me are Belize, though I see a lot of people talking about Hong Kong or Singapore. I know that within the US, Delaware LLCโs are easy to set up, and may be a good short-term option since Iโll likely qualify for the foreign tax exemption in 2018.
I would love to talk to anyone that has some experience with this as my head is spinning a little bit. Website recommendations would also be great (there is a lot of information out there, but figuring out what is and isnโt sketchy is a bit harrowing - has anyone worked with, like Nomad Capitalist or Flag Theory before?).
Thanks!!
Nomad Capitalist: http://nomadcapitalist.com/
Flag Theory: https://flagtheory.com
Weโre Americans planning to be in Europe for all of 2020 - approx. 90 days in each country, and alternating Schengen and non-Schengen. Our destinations will likely include four of these: Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Romania, and Spain.
Can anyone give us advice on cell phones? We would prefer to keep our current (U.S) numbers if at all possible. We donโt anticipate making many local calls, but will phone the U.S. about once a week. Weโll use our phones for internet quite often.
Any advice for our situation would be very much appreciated!
Thanks,
Heather and Lars
Weโre nomadโing around Europe, living in places for a few months at a time. It would be super convenient to own a car for this, but we havenโt found a good option to buy and keep one without being a steady registered resident in any country. Every time we move weโd have to basically change number plates et cetera.
Does anyone have any experience with this and has helpful advice?
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