Family relocation: what it involves
Moving a family is not a single visa but a chain of decisions: status in the new country, tax residence, bank accounts, housing, school and insurance. Taken in the wrong order, mistakes are expensive to fix: tax residence cannot be changed retroactively, and an account is harder to open after your status changes. This section covers two services: turnkey relocation support and residence and citizenship by investment.
Residence permit, permanent status or citizenship
| Status | What it gives | How it is obtained |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | Right to live in the country, usually for 1-5 years with renewal | Work, business, investment, retirement, study, remote work, family |
| Permanent residence | Indefinite right to live and work | Usually after several years of lawful residence; in the EU long-term status is granted after 5 years |
| Citizenship | Passport, voting rights, free movement wherever the passport allows | Naturalisation after years of residence, descent, or investment under citizenship by investment programs |
For most families the sensible route is residence in a country that is convenient to live in, plus a second passport as insurance. More on the second passport by investment page.
Family office after the move
When wealth and family members are spread across several countries, they need one governance framework: who owns what, where accounts are held, which country taxes which income and how assets pass to heirs. That is the job of a family office. We help set up the ownership structure, open accounts with several banks, add trusts and private foundations where they fit, and run a tax reporting calendar across all countries. Ownership options are compared on the trusts and foundations page.
Tax residence when relocating: how it is determined
In many countries you become a tax resident after 183 days a year, but other criteria apply too: a permanent home, family, place of work and business. If two countries both treat you as resident, the tax treaty decides: first where you have a permanent home, then where your centre of vital interests is, where you habitually live and, finally, nationality. So before the move we draw up a calendar of days in each country, decide what to do with the home you leave, and prepare a tax residence certificate from the new country, which banks and tax authorities will later ask for.
How we proceed
- Consultation: citizenship, family, income, goals and timing.
- Plan: country, route, tax residence, accounts and order of steps.
- Documents: apostille or legalisation, translations, certificates.
- Filing and status for every family member.
- Housing, school, insurance and local registration.
- Tracking renewals and the path to permanent status and citizenship.
The quote is fixed in writing before work starts, and at the consultation we say plainly if the chosen country does not suit your family.