On a more serious note, some European countries grant citizenship if you can prove a parent or grandparent was born there. That might be worth looking into.
A friend of mine got Irish citizenship that way.
Posted on 08/29/2025 10:03:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Gaining residency—the legal right to live in another country long-term—is a cornerstone of most offshore diversification plans. A second residency opens you up to more of the world’s possibilities and enhances your freedom.
In times of crisis at home—whether social unrest or another pandemic—it provides a legitimate fallback location. On a practical level, it allows you to stay in a country you enjoy for as long as you wish, without the constraints of tourist status.
A second residency can also unlock strategic advantages: preferential tax treatment, access to affordable health care, local discounts, and lower-cost education.
While there are many routes to residency, one of the fastest and most straightforward is investment-based residency, often called a “golden visa.”
In exchange for investing a qualifying amount—whether in government bonds, investment funds, or real estate—you can secure a residence permit. For our purposes, we’re focused on countries that grant residency specifically for real estate purchases above certain thresholds.
Below is an overview of countries where buying property alone can make you eligible for residency.
Note: Some programs require you to spend a minimum amount of time in-country each year to keep your residency. This can reduce their appeal if you’re looking purely for an investment without extended stays.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
For those who don’t want to read on, the countries are :
Belize 🇧🇿
Colombia 🇨🇴
Panama 🇵🇦
Greece 🇬🇷
Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
Montenegro 🇲🇪
Dominican Republic and Columbia, the murder capital of earth? No thanks. I’m good
Just in case any Democrats are thinking of fleeing the country.
Are any of those countries safe politically, crime situation, financial stability?
On a more serious note, some European countries grant citizenship if you can prove a parent or grandparent was born there. That might be worth looking into.
A friend of mine got Irish citizenship that way.
No.
Yep. Sure are. I’ve been to all of those countries with no problems anywhere.
The Dominican Republic which borders Haiti?
Yeah, that’s a real investment opportunity alright. As long as you live in a fortress and enjoy eating rats.
There are days where it looks like half of the entire Dominican Republic population is living in Allentown PA. You see them with their national flag hanging on their car dashboards. If they are so proud of their damn flag why did they freaking come here? They also hate blacks, even though they are 80% negro themselves.
I have a sneaky feeling, those who already fled are finding themselves pariahs wherever they go.
Naw. None of those countries are even in the top 10. But you know it is in the top 10? Yep, the United States. Great job America!
The Dominican Republic and Haiti are too vastly different countries even though they border each other on the same island of Hispaniola. I’ve been to both.
I’ve been to 4 of these countries, more recently Panama.
Panama in 2025 presents a mixed picture—stable in some areas, but facing real challenges in others.
Politically, President José Raúl Mulino is in office and has a strong approval rating (76%), suggesting public support for his leadership. While there’s no immediate threat of political collapse, tensions around constitutional reform, resource management, and external pressures (like U.S. rhetoric on the canal) make the landscape fragile but manageable.
Crime Situation?
Homicide rate: ~11.5 per 100,000 people—moderate by Latin American standards, but rising.
Theft and robbery have increased in urban areas like Panama City, with a 7% rise in thefts and a 14% increase in homicides in early 2025.
Public perception of safety is low: 80% of Panamanians believe crime is worsening. Personally, I didn’t feel unsafe. I found the place better than most of our large urban areas.
Panama’s fiscal deficit reached 7% of GDP in 2024, prompting credit downgrades by Fitch and S&P. That’s higher than ours which is 6% of GDP, ours is elevated but stable; driven by entitlement growth and interest payments.
The Panama government is trying to stabilize finances through social security reform and infrastructure investment.
You should get out more. Punta Cana is a really great place to visit. In fact millions of people do exactly that every year from around the world. Bavaro Beach is one of the nicest beaches in the world and Cap Cana has a ton of money and luxury condos and Resorts and all that stuff. I’ve never eaten rats any of the times I’ve been there.
“A friend of mine got Irish citizenship”
Well, that’s like getting citizenship in Kosovo. Today’s Ireland is nothing like that of The Quiet Man’s Sean Thornton.
My great grandparents were born in Germany and they emigrated with several kids to the US before Ellis Island opened. They had more kids after they arrived in North Dakota. They had a total of 10 kids. Typical German North Dakota farm family. My Mom’s Dad was born in North Dakota. My Mom’s Mothers side originally came from the Bern, Switzerland area. My Mom’s parents met at a barn dance in North Dakota.
I could get German dual citizenship by descent.
The advantage of my friend getting Irish citizenship is that it automatically gave him EU citizenship.
Of course, the EU isn’t what it used to be, either.
Better these days to stay home, I think. There are plenty of wonderful places to visit here in the USA.
...and earn the likely enmity of the locals.
RE: Are any of those countries safe politically, crime situation, financial stability?
If you are looking for a country where English is spoken, Belize is the place to consider.
Belize ranks around 65% on the World Bank’s Political Stability Index, placing it in the upper-middle tier globally.
The government is functioning, elections are peaceful, and there’s no significant threat of terrorism or political violence.
Murders and other major crimes are under control. The only issue is Petty theft and opportunistic crimes.
Belize’s economy is small and tourism-dependent, which makes it sensitive to global shocks.
There’s no immediate fiscal crisis, but public trust in institutions and economic diversification remain long-term concerns.
I would say that Belize is politically stable, showing progress on crime, and financially modest but functional. It’s a country with real challenges—but also with institutions that are working, communities that are engaged, and a government that’s responsive.
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