Assets abroad
Spreading your investments and attaining assets abroad is of great importance, because it protects you against most calamities – and, more prominent and thus more dangerous: governments and taxes.
Avoid having (a lot of) assets in a country where you are a resident or citizen, because this once again opens you up to the risk of having them seized and or taxed.
Having assets abroad is a crucial part of internationalizing your lifestyle, and anyone who wants to be a Citizen of the World should consider this.
It is a core part of setting up Bases across the world, together with Residency, Citizenship, Sources of Income, Banking and your Businesses.
How to get assets abroad?
A pretty simple way of getting started with internationalizing your investments and attaining assets abroad is to simply invest in foreign stock markets and global ETFs/index funds, as this allows you to tap into the market of other nations.
An example of this would be Vanguard FTSE All World ETF.
I’ve personally had great success investing in this one, with a great increase and decent dividend yields.
But do keep in mind the manner of how you invest in these foreign markets, because doing it through a broker in your own country is not the best way to get the most out of this Base.
Local brokers are better, but perhaps not accessible to you as a foreigner. It depends on the situation, so do your research.
Buying real estate is another great option, especially in nations such as Vietnam, Uruguay, the Philippines, Colombia, Georgia, Indonesia, and so on, because the returns there are often double that of what you can get in the West.
In addition, it’s much cheaper to invest there, and the real estate prices go up every year because the economies are booming.
Investing in real estate also helps with attaining your Residence Base in some cases.
You can also purchase physical precious gems, gold, silver and platinum, and store them wherever you want (but again, ideally not in a Western nation or somewhere you have to pay taxes).
Investing in precious metals and gems can be done in a number of ways, such as purchasing the physical versions and storing them somewhere in a privately-owned company in a country where you aren’t paying taxes.
You could also buy ETFs or other funds which invest in these things, speculate on their prices, or buy stocks of companies active in this sector.
These assets come with a lot of benefits, such as more portfolio diversification, a sizable increase in value on a long-term basis, they offset inflation, and they’re usually valuable wherever you move to.
And let’s not forget cryptocurrency, which is a truly international asset and something you can carry around with you wherever you go, access whenever and wherever you want.
Crypto is usually completely off the grid, so you won’t have to pay taxes on it (in most cases, although in several EU countries they are now implementing rules which force brokers to report your crypto investments to your government).
You can buy crypto from dozens of brokers, or just from individuals.
Storing them on the platform you purchased them isn’t usually a great idea if a lot of money is involved (they could get hacked or compromised) – you’re better off buying hardware “cold” wallets and storing your crypto there.
That way, you can just keep your capital with you while you’re traveling. You could have millions of dollars’ worth of crypto in your pocket, and nobody would know.
Want to learn more about specific assets? Check out these articles:
- Assets Abroad: Gold
- Assets Abroad: Cryptocurrency
- Earn location independent income through real estate
- Best countries to invest in real estate
📦 The “Portable Wealth” Tier: High-Density Physical Assets 💎
While gold and silver are excellent hedges, they can be heavy and difficult to transport in large quantities during a quick exit. A sophisticated diversification strategy often includes high-density physical assets like high-grade diamonds or rare colored gemstones.
These assets allow you to carry a significant portion of your net worth in a small pouch, making them the ultimate “emergency fund.” Unlike gold, which can trigger metal detectors at airports, precious stones are much more discreet and easier to move across borders.
The Mobility Advantage: You can carry the value of a luxury apartment in your pocket without the logistical nightmare of shipping physical bars or dealing with bank-to-bank transfers.
Expert Tip: Always ensure your stones are GIA-certified and purchased through reputable dealers in jurisdictions where the trade is well-regulated and often tax-efficient.
Read Also: Diversifying Investments: Opportunities Outside the Western Markets
Where to put your assets abroad?
Ideally, you would put your assets and investments in countries without a capital gains tax, such as:
For real estate there are other options, and if you invest in this without intending to sell, but rather to rent out, you should pay more attention to taxes on rental income, yearly yield, the ability to actually own real estate, and whether the law favors land lords or tenants.
I’ve done quite a lot of research into this topic for another project of mine (Becoming Financially Independent), and based on these factors, here are some of the best countries in the world to invest in real estate:
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Uruguay
- Croatia
- Mongolia
- Vietnam
- Philippines
- Colombia
- Indonesia
Keep in mind that this is purely based on real estate investments, nothing else.
Keep in mind that this is purely based on real estate investments, nothing else.
However, as you might notice, countries such as Uruguay make an appearance as a recommendation for other sorts of Bases as well, making them suited for multiple Bases – giving you plenty of choices.
I’d advise against putting many Bases in the same country, for reasons discussed in the article about Five Flags/Setting up Bases.
🛡️ Jurisdictional Arbitrage: Separating Storage from Residence
One of the most common mistakes is storing your assets in the same country where you hold your primary residency. The goal of internationalizing your wealth is to ensure that no single government can hold your entire lifestyle hostage.
If you are living in a Latin American hub, your physical gold should be in a vault in Switzerland or the Cook Islands. If your business is in Central America, your brokerage account should be in a different jurisdiction entirely.
The Firewall Principle: This separation creates a legal and logistical firewall. If your country of residence experiences a sudden political shift or implements capital controls, your wealth remains safely outside their reach.
Read Also: Avoiding Double Taxation When You Emigrate: A Practical Checklist
🚜 Agricultural Land: The Ultimate Defensive Asset 🌾
In a world where digital currencies and stock markets can be volatile, productive agricultural land remains a foundational asset. Unlike residential real estate, which is tied to the local housing market, farmland produces a tangible commodity that the world always needs: food.
Nations with vast tracts of fertile land, such as Paraguay, offer incredible opportunities for land banking. These assets are “inflation-proof” because the price of food generally rises alongside the cost of living.
The Sovereignty Factor: Owning land in a stable, non-Western nation provides a level of security that paper assets simply cannot match. It is a physical “stake in the ground” that can serve as a final fallback point.
Read Also: When Countries Collapse: Early Warning Signs and Exit Strategies
Assets abroad: in summation
Attaining assets abroad is a crucial part of your international lifestyle.
This will provide you with more safety and freedom.Â
No single government or entity will be able to control all your assets, so even if one country starts to heavily tax you, or restrict your access to, or income from, any asset, you will still have your other assets abroad.
Great options are investing in foreign stock markets (either through ETFs, index funds or individual stocks), bonds, real estate, cryptocurrency and precious metals.
All of those have benefits and downsides, but they sure beat getting 0.5% return on a savings account which your government can seize at any point.
Do your due diligence – research this topic, and get started with investing and creating assets abroad.
