You Might Already Be a European Citizen

The gentleman sitting in front of me at our recent IL Bootcamp in Las Vegas was stunned by my answer to his question.

“According to the law of the Czech Republic, you’re already a Czech citizen. You must just prove that with the required documentation, and they’ll give you a passport,” I’d told him.

He was one of more than a dozen people who learned they were likely already citizens of the European Union at my Global Citizen table at the conference.

That’s what surprises people. Countries that practice jus sanguinis (right of blood) consider the offspring of their citizens to be citizens as well, no matter where they were born and currently live. A surprising number of European countries extend that right back as far as grandparents and great-grandparents.

With documents like birth and death certificates in hand, many Americans and Canadians can claim an EU passport. They can then live and work anywhere in the region whenever they like. They don’t have to know the language. They don’t have to move to the country until they’re ready.

Sometimes all you need to discover an instant Plan B is to ask someone. At our recent conference in Las Vegas, I was that someone.

But despite my billing as the “second passport” guy, I helped people with a wide variety of issues.

For example, many attendees came to me with a common dilemma. They wanted to get an EU visa that would lead to citizenship, but they didn’t want to move there right away. That’s definitely possible, and I personally introduced several folks to contacts who can make that happen.

Another common question came from people who’d bought properties in multiple countries from our friends at Real Estate Trend Alert. (I met one couple who were on track to own 13 rental properties around the world). How do they plan their global estates?

Interestingly, those questions didn’t come up until after my presentation at the main conference on real estate and estate planning. The truth is that most people don't think about this before they start investing in foreign real estate.

I hadn’t even made it to the back of the auditorium before such people started asking for advice. A large group followed me back to my table and waited patiently while I clarified the situation.

“Every country has different inheritance laws,” I explained. “Countries that practice common law—mainly those that descend from the British Empire—let you distribute your estate as you like. But those that follow civil law—pretty much the rest of Europe and their ex-colonies—have a formula that you must follow… unless you’ve made provisions to avoid that ahead of time.”

As you can imagine, once you own multiple properties in different countries, a solution that lets you avoid that can save you a lot of time, hassle, and money. That solution can help you to avoid having to create wills in each country where you have property, and to coordinate them with your US or Canadian will. With the right preparations, you can avoid probate everywhere… and save on taxes for your heirs at the same time.

The people I met in Las Vegas got a taste of what I offer at my Global Citizen service. For a small fraction of what you'd pay to a fancy immigration consultant, I can show you what questions to ask. I can help you design multiple pathways from your current situation to your future life abroad call my helping you to avoid disappointments and pitfalls along the way. Best of all, I can make personal introductions to people all across the world who can help you do these things.

So if you couldn't make it to Las Vegas, don't worry. Just drop me a line, and I'm at your disposal.