• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Colombia

The 7 Best Countries To Get A Residency

World’s Easiest Residency?

Kat Kalashian by Kat Kalashian
Nov 10, 2020
in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Lifestyle, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, Residency
0
Red Handle Rubber Stamper and Permanent Residency text isolated on White Background.

iStock/syahrir maulana

287
SHARES
3.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

While some countries make residency difficult and painful to acquire (ahem, France), others make it exceedingly easy. They want foreign residents bringing in foreign capital. There are entire industries devoted to designing residency and citizenship initiatives and attracting potential new folks to these countries.

I heard from a couple friends last week, career nomads and famous perpetual travelers, that they had managed to secure Mexican residency since the beginning of the year. They haven’t had a real or permanent residence for decades, and it was a problem for them in this COVID-19 era. They couldn’t guarantee that they’d be allowed into any country other than their own. So, while stuck in Seattle, they headed over to the Mexican Consulate and began the proceedings. Within just a few weeks they had their escape hatch all ready. They can now leave the States to go to Mexico whenever they wish.

And, as I mentioned last week, some of these visa offers are not just easy to apply for, they’re easy to maintain. My Panama permanent residency is just that—permanent—regardless of my whereabouts. Same goes for Mexican residency.

I keep repeating the word “easy,” but easy means different things depending on your goals and/or limitations. I’ve already mentioned easy to apply for and easy to maintain, but there are other ways a visa can be more accessible, too.

This debate has come up in editorial meetings over the years… specifically in referencing Colombia and Panama—both of which we had touted as having the “world’s easiest residency.”

In fact, both things are true. Panama is the easiest place to qualify for residency… but Colombia’s process is easier, meaning its visa is easier to acquire once you’ve qualified.

You also want to consider how difficult the residency, once obtained, is to maintain. As well, there are different kinds of residency programs—those intended specifically for retirees, for example, and those you qualify for through investment. Some of these are “easier” than others, of course.

Boiling it down to the top country for each category, here are the best backup residency options on the table today:

Panama—Easiest Residency To Qualify For

Panama is the easiest backup residency from the perspective of qualifying for residency. If you’re from one of 50 countries, then you qualify for residency in Panama under the Specific Countries residency program or what is commonly called the Friendly Nations residency visa. It doesn’t get any easier to qualify for residency than by simply carrying a passport from a country that Panama deems worthy.

Colombia And Mexico—Easiest Residency Process

While qualifying for residency in Colombia is easy, it’s not as simple as being a citizen of certain countries. Where Colombia shines, though, is its process. It’s straightforward, transparent, and doesn’t require a background check from your current country of residence. All requirements are clearly spelled out on the immigration website, and the requirements aren’t open to interpretation at the point when you interact with the individual immigration agents… as can be the case elsewhere in the world.

Mexico likewise offers an easy process that can be started online and completed within mere hours.

Dominican Republic And Mexico—Easiest Residency To Maintain

The Dominican Republic has what is probably the easiest residency permit to maintain. It comes with no time-in-country requirement. Once you’ve obtained permanent residency, you keep it simply by renewing your residency card every four years. If you’re not in the country to renew your card, you don’t lose your residency—you simply pay a penalty for every month you’re late in renewing. The nominal monthly penalties can add up over time if you go too long, but, as a backup residency, this can be your best option.

Again, Mexico also shines in this category. No matter how you seek residency in Mexico, there is no physical presence requirement, whether you’re on a temporary or permanent visa (so long as the visa is valid). Temporary visas here are valid for four years, but by investing more or proving additional funds, you can skip right to a permanent visa that will let you bypass renewals.

Nicaragua—Easiest Pensionado Program To Qualify For

The minimum income requirement to qualify for Nicaragua’s pensionado program is just US$600 per month. As the average monthly Social Security payment is more than US$1,400, most anyone receiving Social Security is in. If you don’t yet qualify for Social Security, you can obtain rentista residency in Nicaragua by showing as little as US$750 per month of stable permanent income (from a rental property, interest from a CD, or dividends from stocks, for example).

Ecuador—Easiest Through Investment

Ecuador offers the world’s easiest residency-through-investment option. You simply have to invest 70 times the minimum monthly salary in a bank CD for two years (730 days). That amounts to US$28,000. Or you can invest in real estate at 80 times minimum monthly salary, or US$32,000. You can also invest in a private company (can be your own company); the minimum investment requirement is 100 times the minimum monthly salary, or US$40,000 right now.

Portugal—Easiest In Europe

Right now, I’d call Portugal the easiest residency option in Europe. You can qualify simply by showing sufficient means. The specific amount isn’t stipulated and is at the discretion of the immigration agent handling the case; however, our attorney in Lisbon says that 1,200 euros a month is sufficient. Any provable passive income qualifies.

Kat Kalashian
Editor, Live and Invest Overseas Confidential

Tags: backup residencyCOVIDLive abroadMove abroadmove overseasOverseas Residency optionsresidency optionsResidency Processsecond residencyvisa
Share141Tweet61
Previous Post

How Public Holidays Are Celebrated In Panama

Next Post

8 Top Tips For Maximum Profit Selling Your Property Overseas

Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian

Kat Kalashian has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama, and has traveled extensively in her few years. Growing up as a young expat she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. Living and learning through experience, she now considers no one place home and feels more comfortable in new environs than in familiar ones. After living in Panama for seven years, where she enjoyed living for a stint in the tropics, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018 where they now live full-time with their American-born cat, Panamanian-born dog, and French-born daughter. Her post as Special Projects Manager of Live and Invest Overseas keeps her busy… whether it’s spearheading a big new product, MCing Live and Invest conferences, or scouting out new locations for coverage, she’s always on the move and eager to discover new things.

Related Posts

Paradise islands with white sands and clear waters in San Blas, Panama
In Focus: Panama

Things You Must Know About The Wonderful San Blas Islands

by Rebecca Teeters
June 23, 2022
0

Think palm trees swaying in the breeze, crystal clear water, and white-sand beaches. Then add pelicans overhead, starfish within yards...

Read more
Porto, Portugal

Where (And Why) Should You Buy Property Overseas In 2022?

June 15, 2022
Panama City with high skyscrapers and port on the Pacific coast

The Ultimate Panama Second-Hand Shopping Guide For Expats

June 9, 2022
A grid with several Latin American countries

Finding The Best Places To Live In Latin America

June 9, 2022
An image of Medellin, Colombia to the left and Cuenca, Ecuador to the right

Expat Life In Medellín, Colombia Vs. Cuenca, Ecuador

June 8, 2022
Panama City, Panama to the left and Medellin, Colombia to the right, comparison

Comparing Panama And Colombia: Living, Retiring, Investing

June 3, 2022
Marsaxlokk bay harbour of Malta, with beautiful architecture and boats at dusk

The 7 Best Places To Travel In Summer 2022

May 29, 2022
Next Post
Home on top of U.S dollars. Resell property overseas concept.

8 Top Tips For Maximum Profit Selling Your Property Overseas

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.







Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!

​​Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our ​FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.

Get Your Free Panama Report Today!

​​Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT - 101 Things You'll Wish Someone Had Told You About Panama.
 

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…

Get Your Free ​Mexico Report Today!
 

​​​Learn more about ​​​MEXICO ​​​and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​​​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT – ​​​Mexico: Home To The World's Largest Population Of North American Retirees
 

Get Your Free ​Portugal Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​PORTUGAL ​​​and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​​​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal — The World’s Number #1 Retirement Haven
 

Get Your Free Panama Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​​PANAMA and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​, as well as our ​In Focus: ​Panama ​newsletter​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT – ​​​101 Things You'll Wish Someone Had Told You About Panama.