Moving Outside EU, but where?

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Hi all,



As a European citizen who has already lived in Spain, Malta, Austria, and Cyprus, I’m now considering where to go next.



Currently, I'm based in Cyprus. However, over the past 1.5 years, the situation in the Middle East has started to weigh on me. There’s no immediate danger, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been feeling an odd vibe. Ultimately, Cyprus hasn't turned out to be what I expected when I moved here.



Having now experienced both the pros and cons, I'm looking for a new destination, this time, outside the EU.





What I’m looking for:

  • A place where English is widely spoken (both in daily life and in official matters like forms, documents)
  • A relaxed, easygoing atmosphere
  • Friendly locals who are welcoming to foreigners
  • Reasonable taxation (I've learned it’s not all about low taxes, but they still matter)

Any suggestions?
 
India, Caribbeans, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Gibraltar?



I think it mainly depends what you consider a relaxed athmosphere.
 
As Mercury mentioned above, Phillippines is a quick solution and ticks all your boxes.



As a bonus, foreign corporations are subjected to tax only on income from the Philippines,



The visa is easy to extend, most people speak English (it's an official language there), the cost of living is less than in Europe,

they got nice warm weather and hundreds of beaches to choose from (if you prefer mountains, look around Sagada, it's very chilled), you'll get your peace.



You'd be even safe from the 'Samson option' there.
 
sporeaway said:






Singapore.



Good luck getting in bro.

Click to expand...



I just spend a few days there last week and i dont recommend it to anybody.

An 'Instagram perfect' jail jfc
 
Ani said:






As a European citizen who has already lived in Spain, Malta, Austria, and Cyprus, I’m now considering where to go next.

Click to expand...



If you want stay near EU check what is going on in Gibraltar.



English is first language, fair taxation and if rumors are true you will be able to enter/exit without controls and be in Marbella in 1hr.



Basically Spanish lifestyle with Gibraltar taxation.



And depending on how you generate your income you could be tax free.



I nearly sold myself to move there LOL



If instead you crave a different vibe then Thailand amending taxation of foreign income could be a strong option.
 
Caribbeans: Bahamas, Turks & Caicos

Asia: Philippines, Thailand

Central America: Belize
 
Marzio said:






If you want stay near EU check what is going on in Gibraltar.



English is first language, fair taxation and if rumors are true you will be able to enter/exit without controls and be in Marbella in 1hr.



Basically Spanish lifestyle with Gibraltar taxation.



And depending on how you generate your income you could be tax free.



I nearly sold myself to move there LOL



If instead you crave a different vibe then Thailand amending taxation of foreign income could be a strong option.

Click to expand...

I wouldn’t recommend doing this. I lived in Marbella for two years under the Beckham Law, and I saw firsthand how many people ran into trouble with the Spanish authorities for trying similar setups.





It’s really just a matter of time before they catch up with you. The issue isn't with the Gibraltar authorities, it’s Spain that will come after you.
 
cryptofriendly said:






As Mercury mentioned above, Phillippines is a quick solution and ticks all your boxes.



As a bonus, foreign corporations are subjected to tax only on income from the Philippines,



The visa is easy to extend, most people speak English (it's an official language there), the cost of living is less than in Europe,

they got nice warm weather and hundreds of beaches to choose from (if you prefer mountains, look around Sagada, it's very chilled), you'll get your peace.



You'd be even safe from the 'Samson option' there.

Click to expand...

Do you have any info regarding long-term visas in the Philippines? I haven't been there yet. (but I will start re-searching) How is the safety there?
 
Ani said:






I wouldn’t recommend doing this

Click to expand...



Doing what?



Marzio is recommending establishing tax residency in Gibraltar and then going to Marbella when you feel to.



He is not suggesting to live in Marbella pretending to be resident in Gibraltar.



If you don’t rent a home in Spain and don’t spend too much time in Spain you will be fine.
 
Despina said:






Doing what?



Marzio is recommending establishing tax residency in Gibraltar and then going to Marbella when you feel to.



He is not suggesting to live in Marbella pretending to be resident in Gibraltar.



If you don’t rent a home in Spain and don’t spend too much time in Spain you will be fine.

Click to expand...

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but those sentences,“If the rumors are true, you’ll be able to enter and exit without checks and be in Marbella within an hour. Basically, Spanish lifestyle with Gibraltar taxation”,seem to suggest that, due to the lack of border controls, you could live in Spain and work from a rented office in Gibraltar.



If he recommends that ofc it is totally fine.
 
Ani said:






Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but those sentences,“If the rumors are true, you’ll be able to enter and exit without checks and be in Marbella within an hour. Basically, Spanish lifestyle with Gibraltar taxation”,seem to suggest that, due to the lack of border controls, you could live in Spain and work from a rented office in Gibraltar.

Click to expand...

You will definitely need an apartment in Gibraltar. But there have been some rumors that there are border checks now. I am not sure, maybe somebody can go check for us?








M





Post in thread 'Buying a house in Spain non-resident, risks?'



Dec 17, 2024





There is a hard border between Spain and Gibraltar - your passport is now scanned by Spain border control when you leave Spain and again if you re-enter Spain from Gibraltar.





  • MikeM1953






 
void said:






good point.... why does Belize have such a bad reputation and is rarely recommended?

Click to expand...

Because it has high criminal rates, very few shopping options and international flights, is underdeveloped and the expatriates are mostly retirees. Ambergris Keys would be an option there if you are ready to check out an island lifestyle.
 
Marzio said:






If you want stay near EU check what is going on in Gibraltar.



English is first language, fair taxation and if rumors are true you will be able to enter/exit without controls and be in Marbella in 1hr.



Basically Spanish lifestyle with Gibraltar taxation.



And depending on how you generate your income you could be tax free.



I nearly sold myself to move there LOL



If instead you crave a different vibe then Thailand amending taxation of foreign income could be a strong option.

Click to expand...

As a non UK national, what are the requirements for getting residency in Gibraltar?









daniels27 said:






But there have been some rumors that there are border checks now. I am not sure, maybe somebody can go check for us?

Click to expand...

There are border checks, but it was just announced last week that UK and Spain has reached an agreement over Gibraltar that will remove the border checks. Gibraltar will join schengen and implement a 15% vat.
 
Ani said:






Do you have any info regarding long-term visas in the Philippines? I haven't been there yet. (but I will start re-searching) How is the safety there?

Click to expand...

You can come as a tourist, and extend your visa up to 36 month. After that you can take a trip to Singapore, and come back to do the same again.

They have also long term stay options, but I haven't looked deeply into it myself. Honestly, Philippines isn't my favorite in Asia, but it fits into your requirements.

It's a huge place, with many islands and many different kind of people.



Security wise it's like everywhere, don't flash your money and you'll be ok. Shops and banks have a guy with a shotgun for security outside, but I guess that's not much different from Caribbean islands.

I spent 4 months there, one month on a beautiful tiny island in the middle of the ocean (no tourists there, you can walk around the island in 15 minutes), after that Boracay was a huge disappointment.

I liked the mountains north Manila the most (Sagada), lovely locals walking around the rice terraces listening to American country music on their radio, perfect English there and very peaceful. You can even find coffeeshops (the Amsterdam type) there if you keep your eyes open.



Negatives: shitty food, beggars, pod people with hive mind and crab mentality (no offense to Filipinos).



You can also check Malaysia (Georgetown, KL), Singapore, or even Bali (but all of there won't fit 100% into your requirements).

Taiwan is good taxwise, they speak English too, but the culture is very traditional Chinese and I don't know about the visa things for people without any connection to the country.
 
avalanche said:






only if you dont care about banking in different currencies

Click to expand...

It's always smart to store your main chunk of wealth in reliable offshore banks/international brokers jurisdictions, such as Singapore, HK, US if you live in Asia. Just transfer and convert in a shitty local currency what you need for your living expenses or afford to lose.
 
Ani said:






you could live in Spain and work from a rented office in Gibraltar.

Click to expand...



I'm suggesting exactly the opposite: tax residency in GIB and when bored visit Marbella.











Xshore said:






Gibraltar will join schengen and implement a 15% vat.

Click to expand...



According to BBC Gibraltar joining Schengen "was never on the table".
 
However, it will apply Schengen rules to Britons arriving in Gibraltar who are not resident there. This means they could be turned away at the border if they have already spent 90 days in the Schengen zone over a 180-day period.

Click to expand...



If this is true for Britons does it mean that a EU passport holder could freely move to GIB as it is in Schengen?
 
Alonzo said:






English isn't widely spoken there.

But if you mean broken English then yeah I guess

Click to expand...



word but id argue if you are gonna spend any extended period of time here you should learn at least broken Thai.

No need to know how to read nor write really



Thais are good enough people that theyll even cheer your attempt to destroy their language lmao, I see it every day.
 
Ani said:






Hi all,



As a European citizen who has already lived in Spain, Malta, Austria, and Cyprus, I’m now considering where to go next.



Currently, I'm based in Cyprus. However, over the past 1.5 years, the situation in the Middle East has started to weigh on me. There’s no immediate danger, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been feeling an odd vibe. Ultimately, Cyprus hasn't turned out to be what I expected when I moved here.



Having now experienced both the pros and cons, I'm looking for a new destination, this time, outside the EU.





What I’m looking for:

  • A place where English is widely spoken (both in daily life and in official matters like forms, documents)
  • A relaxed, easygoing atmosphere
  • Friendly locals who are welcoming to foreigners
  • Reasonable taxation (I've learned it’s not all about low taxes, but they still matter)

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Montenegro could possibly work for you. How much money do you have with you?
 
Marzio said:






If this is true for Britons does it mean that a EU passport holder could freely move to GIB as it is in Schengen?

Click to expand...

Schengen doesn't give you right to move anywhere inside, it's just an area with no internal passport control. To move somewhere you have to be eligible.
 
Marzio said:






Of course you have to demonstrate that you are self sufficient.

Click to expand...

For example or you are American and have a visa for Spain, you can't move to Portugal.

Gibraltar will probably keep their current residency requirement even if they are inside of schengen.
 
Xshore said:






Gibraltar will probably keep their current residency requirement even if they are inside of schengen.

Click to expand...



You're probably right.
 
cryptofriendly said:






You can come as a tourist, and extend your visa up to 36 month. After that you can take a trip to Singapore, and come back to do the same again.

Click to expand...

But you would not be a tax residency in Gibraltar on a tourist visa ?
 
alley said:






But you would not be a tax residency in Gibraltar on a tourist visa ?

Click to expand...

The message was about the Philippines where you can actually stay on a tourist visa and tax is rather lax.



Gibraltar is in a state of change due to Brexit and Schengen border controls. But to be honest, in general if you settle in Gibraltar, it is to be resident there and escape the EU/UK. There is no other reason to go there. Maybe Switzerland and Iceland.
 
Why did nobody mention Dubai or UAE generally?

I am in my 31st year here (in UAE) and have never regretted that move I made on November 15 1994.

Live quietly and you will have a nice life ............. if you want be some kind of influencer (whatever one of those is), then you surely invite trouble.
 
Lord Palmerstone said:






Why did nobody mention Dubai or UAE generally?

I am in my 31st year here (in UAE) and have never regretted that move I made on November 15 1994.

Live quietly and you will have a nice life ............. if you want be some kind of influencer (whatever one of those is), then you surely invite trouble.

Click to expand...

Read OP’s thread.



He feels uncomfortable moving to the Middle East. Also UAE is not for everyone - I doubt OP wants to live in an awful weather only desert with sharia law and harsh censorship.
 
carlc said:






That's what they say a lot about Belize as well.

Click to expand...

Belize was good enough for John McAfee......until it wasn't.

Like many of those places, even if you plan to stay there long term, keep most of your banking and assets outside, just in case.

You never know which neighbors you get, and what connections they have.
 
cryptofriendly said:






Belize was good enough for John McAfee......until it wasn't.

Like many of those places, even if you plan to stay there long term, keep most of your banking and assets outside, just in case.

You never know which neighbors you get, and what connections they have.

Click to expand...

Definitly keep the money outside. The Belizian dollar is worthless ouztside of Belize. Pegged 2:1 to USD. A black market exists that trades cash against USD and MXN at lower rates.

The local banks do not have USD accounts. There are some "offshore banks" licensed to carry USD accounts within the country. These are also to avoid. See prominent insolvencies of Choice Bank and Atlantic Bank. If I would have to pick one I would go with Ashcroft's Belize Bank International.
 
You can move to Philippines with a permanent residency.



Requirements:



1) Open a bank account in the Philippines and deposit at least 75.000 USD (you will get that money back when leaving the country)

2) Clean criminal records in your country of citizenship (unless you lived abroad for the last 5 years)

3) Legit source of income

4) Not being a citizen of a country sanctioned by the Philippines



Pure Territorial taxation (like Panama or Paraguay), you need to stay 180 days per year to maintain the residency.



Honestly it ain't that bad as a country to live in, people are welcoming and you can keep most of your money abroad anyway.
 
In my own experience (cut my foot badly when walking in Manila in the rainy season), the PUBLIC hospitals in the Philippines are FREE OF CHARGE, you just have to buy the medicine outside.



This was visiting as out-patient, once in the emergency room (only that was 'semi-active' after 8 pm) and once as a normal outpatient the next day. Just for wound cleaning and a tetanus shot though.

They were nice, and didn't want any of my money.
 
Protect Your Wealth said:






You can move to Philippines with a permanent residency.



Requirements:



1) Open a bank account in the Philippines and deposit at least 75.000 USD (you will get that money back when leaving the country)

2) Clean criminal records in your country of citizenship (unless you lived abroad for the last 5 years)

3) Legit source of income

4) Not being a citizen of a country sanctioned by the Philippines



Pure Territorial taxation (like Panama or Paraguay), you need to stay 180 days per year to maintain the residency.



Honestly it ain't that bad as a country to live in, people are welcoming and you can keep most of your money abroad anyway.

Click to expand...

Also QUOTA Visa. Not sure about now but requirement was just to move about 20KUSD to the PH and show the proof of transfer. After that you can immediately remove it / spend it. Permanent residency for life with only a once a year annual report (visit to Immigration), which can be skipped and done later if not around.
 
Jock said:






Also QUOTA Visa. Not sure about now but requirement was just to move about 20KUSD to the PH and show the proof of transfer. After that you can immediately remove it / spend it. Permanent residency for life with only a once a year annual report (visit to Immigration), which can be skipped and done later if not around.

Click to expand...

Interesting! A bit unclear if you need to have the special professional qualifications and show the funds, or if only funds is sufficient. So no minimum stay requirement for this visa? And if you're from a small country it could be easier to get, as there are max 50 from each country every year accepted.
 
Xshore said:






Interesting! A bit unclear if you need to have the special professional qualifications and show the funds, or if only funds is sufficient. So no minimum stay requirement for this visa? And if you're from a small country it could be easier to get, as there are max 50 from each country every year accepted.

Click to expand...

Another name by which it was referred to, was investor`s visa. The funds were officially for "starting a business" although no proof of this was required neither was any proof of actually starting a business. It was simply show that the funds have been credited to your account. No requirement to actually keep the funds there or show that you actually did anything at all. It is the strongest visa. Even get to use diplomat lane at the airport. No minimum stay requirements.
 
Jock said:






No professional qualifications were asked for. QUOTA IMMIGRANT visa.

Click to expand...

Have you or do you live in the Philippines since you know that much? are you an US citizen?
 
alley said:






Have you or do you live in the Philippines since you know that much? are you an US citizen?

Click to expand...

Yes live here. Not a US citizen. Have Quota immigrant visa.
 
Jock said:






Yes live here. Not a US citizen. Have Quota immigrant visa.

Click to expand...

1. Did you apply it by yourself or did you use an agent/company/"fixer"?

2. Do you need to live a minimum amount of days there to renew (as far as you know)?

3. Can you tell me what docs you gave?



I have PH wife, we are living in EU, but would love to get permanent residency in PH (and their ACR-card) as long as I don't need always to live there to renew...You know, PH is not taxing foreigners on their overseas income at the moment (Thailand used to be like that but changed since this year for example). So PH residency would be great to be used as upfront when doing business (registering US LLC, offshore bank accounts, etc).
 
bibing said:






1. Did you apply it by yourself or did you use an agent/company/"fixer"?

2. Do you need to live a minimum amount of days there to renew (as far as you know)?

3. Can you tell me what docs you gave?



I have PH wife, we are living in EU, but would love to get permanent residency in PH (and their ACR-card) as long as I don't need always to live there to renew...You know, PH is not taxing foreigners on their overseas income at the moment (Thailand used to be like that but changed since this year for example). So PH residency would be great to be used as upfront when doing business (registering US LLC, offshore bank accounts, etc).

Click to expand...

1. You want Jurgen at https://www.foreign-assistance-center.com/index.php/visa/quota-visa

2. There is no renewal. It is for life. Just an "annual report" which can be skipped and done later, but like everything here, nothing is clearly defined or consistent in terms of implementation. Everything is grey. Country is a dysfunctional circus.

3. Over 10 years ago for me. Requirements change. Was straightforward but need police clearance from home country that must then be certified by your embassy (which refused to do it as it was a police cert. LOL).
 
@Jock thanks for your precious info.



Last question

1. Do you remember if you needed to show a lot of money?

2. How long was the entire process?



I know it was 10 years ago. Just to have an idea.



I will contact Jurgen to know more about it as well
 
Protect Your Wealth said:






You can move to Philippines with a permanent residency.



Requirements:



1) Open a bank account in the Philippines and deposit at least 75.000 USD (you will get that money back when leaving the country)

2) Clean criminal records in your country of citizenship (unless you lived abroad for the last 5 years)

3) Legit source of income

4) Not being a citizen of a country sanctioned by the Philippines



Pure Territorial taxation (like Panama or Paraguay), you need to stay 180 days per year to maintain the residency.



Honestly it ain't that bad as a country to live in, people are welcoming and you can keep most of your money abroad anyway.

Click to expand...

thx I will check this. I need to visit Philippines as tourist to see the first impression.
 
bibing said:






@Jock thanks for your precious info.



Last question

1. Do you remember if you needed to show a lot of money?

2. How long was the entire process?



I know it was 10 years ago. Just to have an idea.



I will contact Jurgen to know more about it as well

Click to expand...

It wasn`t that much. Took about 6 months.
 
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