Latin America: freedom and quality of life

Your life. Your rules. Your second continent.

One country is not the whole world.

Latin America gives you the choice.

Your life does not have to depend on what your home country decides next.

In Latin America you get back something that is becoming rare: room. For your wealth. For your family. For your decisions. And for a real Plan B, one that is more than a piece of paper when it counts.

🔥 Check my Plan B Book a consultation →

Why Latin America, and why now

How much of your life should depend on a single country?

You have built something. Perhaps a business. Perhaps wealth. Perhaps simply a life in which you want to decide for yourself what happens next. That is exactly why what happens at home does not feel abstract. Every new tax, every new reporting duty, every new regulation sooner or later reaches something that belongs to you.

You can argue about whether that direction is right or wrong. Or you can make sure that your family, your assets and your freedom of movement no longer depend entirely on one political system.

If you wait until you have to leave, you have left it too late.

A Plan B only works while you can build it calmly. While you can gather documents, structure your assets, choose a residence and make decisions without time pressure making every option expensive.

“Moving abroad one day” is not a strategy. What leaving actually costs depends on your home country: when your tax residence really ends, whether it taxes gains you have not yet realised when you go, and what it keeps taxing afterwards. Know those rules before you need them, not on the way out. Here is where each home country stands:

Your home country

Leaving your home country: residence and exit tax

Moving does not by itself end your obligations at home. Pick your country below: each answer is checked against the law and the tax or pension authority of that country.

Home country	Tax residence	Exit tax
United States	Citizens stay taxable worldwide; only renouncing ends it	Expatriation tax when renouncing (covered expatriates)
Canada	Ends when significant residential ties are cut	Departure tax: deemed sale of most property
United Kingdom	Statutory Residence Test; 5-year return rule on gains	No exit tax; inheritance tax tail of 3 to 10 years
Ireland	Ordinary residence lasts 3 years after leaving	No exit tax; 5-year rule on large shareholdings
Australia	Ends when residence, domicile and 183-day tests fail	CGT event I1 on departure, deferral by choice
New Zealand	Ends after 325 days away with no home in New Zealand	No general exit tax; FIF interests deemed sold
Sweden	Presumed connected for 5 years after leaving	10-year rule on gains from shares
Norway	Residents of 10+ years stay taxable 3 more years	Exit tax on share gains above NOK 3 million
Denmark	Ends only without a year-round home in Denmark	Exit tax on shares from DKK 100,000
Finland	Citizens: year of the move plus 3 years	Narrow: deferred share-swap gains outside the EEA
Netherlands	No day count; all circumstances decide	Conservatory assessment on pensions and 5%+ stakes

United StatesExpatriation tax when renouncing (covered expatriates)

When your tax residence ends

The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live (Treas. Reg. 1.1-1(b)), so moving to Latin America does not end US tax residence for a citizen; only relinquishing citizenship does, with the date fixed by the certificate of loss of nationality rules. A green card holder stays a resident for tax purposes until the lawful permanent resident status is revoked or abandoned (section 7701(b)(6)), or until a treaty tie-breaker is claimed on Forms 8833 and 8854. A departing resident alien's residency ends on December 31 of the last year unless an earlier termination date applies, which requires a foreign tax home and a closer connection to the foreign country.

Sources: 26 CFR 1.1-1, Income tax on individuals (eCFR, current as of 2026-10-19) · IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad · 26 U.S.C. 7701 (govinfo, USCODE-2024) · IRS Publication 519 (2025), U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens · IRS: Expatriation tax

Citizenship-based taxation

US citizens remain taxable on worldwide income and must keep filing Form 1040 while living abroad, with an automatic extension to June 15 (interest runs from April 15). Earned income can be excluded up to $132,900 for 2026 under section 911 (Form 2555) with a foreign tax home and bona fide residence or 330 full days abroad in 12 months; pensions and Social Security are not covered. Foreign income tax can be credited (Form 1116) except on excluded income, and treaty saving clauses generally keep US tax on citizens. FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is required above $10,000 in foreign accounts, and Form 8938 above $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time for a single filer living abroad.

Sources: 26 U.S.C. 911, Citizens or residents of the United States living abroad (govinfo) · IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments) · IRS 2025 Instructions for Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income · IRS: Foreign earned income exclusion · IRS: Foreign tax credit · FinCEN: Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts

Exit or departure tax

Sections 877 and 877A impose an expatriation tax on citizens who renounce and on long-term residents (green card holders in at least 8 of the last 15 years) who end residence; moving abroad alone does not trigger it. A covered expatriate (average annual net income tax above $211,000 for 2026, net worth of $2 million or more, or no 5-year compliance certification on Form 8854) is taxed as if all property were sold the day before expatriation, with gain reduced by $910,000 for 2026 ($890,000 for 2025). IRAs and similar accounts are treated as fully distributed, eligible deferred compensation is subject to 30 percent withholding, and the tax on deemed sales can be deferred with interest and security. Exceptions from the tax and net-worth tests exist for certain dual citizens from birth and for minors under 18 and a half.

Sources: IRS: Expatriation tax · 26 U.S.C. 877, Expatriation to avoid tax (govinfo) · IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments) · IRS 2025 Instructions for Form 8854, Initial and Annual Expatriation Statement · 26 U.S.C. 877A, Tax responsibilities of expatriation (govinfo)

Leaving properly

A citizen who only moves abroad has no departure formality but keeps filing Form 1040, FBAR and, where thresholds are met, Form 8938, and should avoid seriously delinquent tax debt, which can block a passport. Ending US tax status as a citizen means formal renunciation before a US consular officer abroad (8 U.S.C. 1481(a)(5); consular fee $450 under 22 CFR 22.1) and filing an initial Form 8854 with the return for the expatriation year, with a $10,000 penalty for not filing. A green card holder can record abandonment on USCIS Form I-407, must generally obtain a sailing permit (Form 1040-C or 2063) before departure, and files Form 8854 if a long-term resident. States tax state-source income and some do not follow treaties.

Sources: 8 U.S.C. 1481, Loss of nationality by native-born or naturalized citizen (govinfo) · 22 CFR 22.1, Schedule of fees for consular services (eCFR, current as of 2026-10-19) · IRS 2025 Instructions for Form 8854, Initial and Annual Expatriation Statement · 26 U.S.C. 6039G, Information on individuals losing United States citizenship (govinfo) · USCIS: I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status · IRS: Departing alien clearance (Sailing permit)

CanadaDeparture tax: deemed sale of most property

When your tax residence ends

Canada taxes residents on worldwide income (section 2(1) of the Income Tax Act); no particular length of stay abroad by itself makes you non-resident. The CRA treats you as non-resident from the latest of your departure, your spouse's or dependants' departure and your becoming resident abroad, provided you sever your significant residential ties (home, spouse or partner, dependants) and most secondary ties such as provincial health cover, a driver's licence and bank accounts. Someone who is not factually resident but stays 183 days or more in a calendar year is deemed resident for that whole year (paragraph 250(1)(a)), and a treaty tie-breaker that assigns residence to the other country makes you a deemed non-resident under subsection 250(5).

Sources: Income Tax Act, section 2 (Justice Laws, current to 2026-09-30) · CRA, Leaving Canada (emigrants) (page date 2026-09-17) · CRA Income Tax Folio S5-F1-C1, Determining an Individual's Residence Status · Income Tax Act, section 250 (Justice Laws)

Exit or departure tax

Section 128.1(4) of the Income Tax Act deems you to sell most property at fair market value immediately before you leave (departure tax), with the gain reported on Form T1243. Excluded are Canadian real estate, business property of a Canadian permanent establishment, registered plans and pensions (RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, pension plans), and, for people resident in Canada 60 months or less in the previous 10 years, property brought in or inherited. If your property is worth more than CAD 25,000 you must file Form T1161 even without a return. You can defer payment interest-free until actual sale by electing on Form T1244 (subsection 220(4.5)) by April 30 of the following year, with security required above CAD 16,500 of federal tax.

Sources: CRA, Leaving Canada (emigrants) (page date 2026-09-17) · Income Tax Act, section 128.1 (Justice Laws, current to 2026-09-30) · CRA, Dispositions of property for emigrants of Canada · Income Tax Act, section 220 (Justice Laws)

Leaving properly

Notify Canadian payers and financial institutions that you are non-resident, and tell the CRA your departure date (benefits such as the Canada child benefit generally stop). File the departure-year return with the province where you lived on departure, entering the departure date and reporting world income up to that date. Attach Form T1161 if property exceeds CAD 25,000, Form T1243 for the deemed disposition and, if deferring, Form T1244; Form NR73 can be used to ask the CRA for a residency opinion. OAS recipients should contact Service Canada before leaving for more than six months.

Sources: CRA, Leaving Canada (emigrants) (page date 2026-09-17) · CRA Income Tax Folio S5-F1-C1, Determining an Individual's Residence Status · CRA, Form T1161 List of Properties by an Emigrant of Canada · CRA, Form T1243 Deemed Disposition of Property by an Emigrant of Canada · CRA, Form T1244 Election under subsection 220(4.5) to defer payment of departure tax · Service Canada, Old Age Security: While receiving OAS

Quebec

Revenu Québec applies its own residence test: while you stay outside Quebec and Canada you generally remain a Quebec resident, but if you move out of Canada and sever all residential ties with Quebec you will likely cease to be one, judged on your residential ties, the regularity and length of your visits to Quebec and whether a return is foreseen (interpretation bulletin IMP. 22-3/R2). Quebec income tax is due from individuals resident in Quebec on the last day of the year (Taxation Act, s. 22), and for someone who ceases to reside in Canada that day is the last day of residence in Canada (s. 23). In the departure year you pay Quebec tax on worldwide income for the period of residence in Canada, and for the rest of the year as a non-resident of Canada. Someone ordinarily resident outside Canada who sojourns in Quebec 183 days or more in a year is deemed to have resided in Quebec for the whole year (s. 8). Quebec has its own deemed disposition: under section 785.2 of the Taxation Act an emigrant is deemed to dispose of each property at fair market value immediately before leaving Canada, except Canadian real estate, capital property of a business carried on through a Canadian establishment, excluded rights such as RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and pension plans (s. 785.0.1) and, for someone resident in Canada 60 months or less in the previous 120, property owned on arrival or inherited; the gain is computed on form TP-1033.2.A. If reportable property is worth more than CAD 25,000 in total, form TP-785.2.5 listing it must be filed by the filing due date even without a return, on pain of CAD 25 per day up to CAD 2,500 (s. 785.2.5). Payment of the Quebec tax can be deferred by electing on form TP-1033.2 (s. 1033.2), sent with the return by April 30 of the year after emigration; while accepted security covers the tax, interest and penalties are computed as if it had been paid. Security is required when that tax exceeds CAD 12,875 (form TP-1033.2, version 2021-03): an irrevocable bank letter of guarantee, a conventional immovable hypothec on Quebec property or certificated shares of Canadian private corporations. For the federal deferral, former Quebec residents must give security above CAD 13,777.50 of federal tax.

Sources: Revenu Québec, Vous avez quitté le Québec (live page) · Revenu Québec, Leaving Québec (live page) · LégisQuébec, Loi sur les impôts (chapitre I-3), à jour au 12 août 2026 (Internet Archive snapshot 2026-10-21 of the official text; live LégisQuébec returned HTTP 502/403) · LégisQuébec, Règlement sur l'admissibilité et l'inscription des personnes auprès de la Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (chapitre A-29, r. 1), à jour au 1er décembre 2025 (Internet Archive snapshot 2026-04-11 of the official text; live LégisQuébec returned HTTP 502/403) · RAMQ, Déménagement hors Québec (live page) · RAMQ, Moving outside Québec (live page)

United KingdomNo exit tax; inheritance tax tail of 3 to 10 years

When your tax residence ends

UK tax residence is decided tax year by tax year (6 April to 5 April) under the Statutory Residence Test in Schedule 45 to the Finance Act 2013. A leaver who was UK resident in any of the previous 3 tax years is automatically non-resident with fewer than 16 UK days, or with fewer than 91 days while working full-time abroad; otherwise the sufficient ties test applies, where the more UK ties (family, accommodation, work, 90-day, country) a person keeps, the fewer days they can spend in the UK. Split year treatment (Cases 1 to 3) can make a person non-resident from the day after departure, for example when they cease to have any UK home and set up a sufficient link abroad within 6 months. Under the temporary non-residence rules, someone who returns within 5 years or less (and had sole UK residence in 4 of the 7 years before leaving) can be taxed on return on certain gains, pension lump sums and company distributions received while abroad.

Sources: HMRC, RDR3: Statutory Residence Test (SRT) notes · HMRC, RDR3 Statutory Residence Test (landing page) · Finance Act 2013, Schedule 45 (legislation.gov.uk, revised) · GOV.UK, Tax if you leave the UK to live abroad

Exit or departure tax

The UK has no exit tax or deemed disposal for individuals who emigrate. Non-residents pay Capital Gains Tax only on UK property and land (and UK branch assets), but gains made while temporarily non-resident can be taxed if the person returns within 5 years. For Inheritance Tax, since 6 April 2025 a person who was UK resident for at least 10 of the previous 20 tax years is a long-term UK resident under section 6A of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984, so worldwide assets stay within UK Inheritance Tax for a tail of 3 to 10 consecutive non-resident years, depending on how many of the last 20 years they were resident.

Sources: GOV.UK, Tax on your UK income if you live abroad (printable guide) · GOV.UK, Tax if you leave the UK to live abroad · Inheritance Tax Act 1984, section 6A (legislation.gov.uk, revised) · Inheritance Tax Act 1984, section 6 (legislation.gov.uk, revised)

Leaving properly

Tell HMRC on form P85 (if not in Self Assessment) or on the residence pages SA109 of a paper Self Assessment return for the year of departure; P85 must be printed and posted if filed before leaving. Tell the local council to stop Council Tax, deregister from the GP practice, and report a change of address for any State Pension to the International Pension Centre by phone or in writing. Consider voluntary National Insurance contributions abroad to protect State Pension entitlement.

Sources: GOV.UK, Tax if you leave the UK to live abroad · HMRC, Get your Income Tax right if you're leaving the UK (P85) · GOV.UK, State Pension if you retire abroad (printable guide) · NHS website, Planning your healthcare when living abroad

IrelandNo exit tax; 5-year rule on large shareholdings

When your tax residence ends

Under section 819 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 an individual is resident in Ireland for a tax year with 183 days of presence in that year, or 280 days across that year and the previous one; a year with 30 days or less never makes you resident and those days do not count toward the 280. After three consecutive resident years you become ordinarily resident (section 820), and that status continues for three consecutive tax years after you leave: during that tail Irish tax still applies to worldwide income (except foreign employment or trade income and other foreign income of EUR 3,810 or less) and to worldwide gains, subject to any double taxation agreement. Domicile is a separate general-law concept and changes only with clear evidence of a permanent move; an Irish-domiciled person with worldwide income over EUR 1m and Irish property over EUR 5m may owe the domicile levy of EUR 200,000 a year. Where you are resident in both countries, the treaty tie-breaker (Article 4) decides.

Sources: Revenue: How to know if you are resident for tax purposes · Revenue Tax and Duty Manual Part 34-00-01 · Revenue: How to know if you are ordinarily resident for tax purposes · Revenue: What is domicile and the domicile levy? · Revenue: Tax and tax credits for non-residents

Exit or departure tax

Ireland has no general exit tax on individuals: the exit tax in sections 627 to 629C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 applies to companies that migrate or move assets offshore. Individuals are caught instead by section 29A, which applies to an Irish-domiciled person who leaves and is outside the Irish tax charge for no more than 5 years of assessment: shareholdings of 5% or more of a company, or worth over EUR 500,000, sold during that period are treated as disposed of on the last day of the final year of residence. Non-residents also remain liable to capital gains tax (31% for most gains) on Irish land, buildings, minerals and related unquoted shares, and the three-year ordinary-residence tail keeps worldwide gains taxable.

Sources: Revenue Tax and Duty Manual Part 20-02-01 Exit Tax Provisions · Revenue Tax and Duty Manual Part 02-03-02 Temporary non-residents (S.29A) · Revenue: Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the disposal of an asset

Leaving properly

Revenue recommends updating your address to a non-Irish one in myAccount or ROS, and your employer ceases the employment with Revenue. Split-year treatment for employment income in the year of departure is claimed in writing (MyEnquiries or your Revenue office) or, for moves after 31 December 2024, by filing an Income Tax Return; a refund claim uses Form P50 with a Form 12 or Form 11 return and a statement that you will not be resident at least for the following tax year. Pensioners must notify the Department of Social Protection of a permanent absence and give a contact address abroad, and occupational pensioners in a treaty country can request a PAYE Exclusion Order.

Sources: Revenue: If you are leaving Ireland · Revenue: Split-year treatment in your year of departure · Revenue: Are you entitled to a refund of tax? · gov.ie (DSP): Operational Guidelines: Payment-related issues

AustraliaCGT event I1 on departure, deferral by choice

When your tax residence ends

Under section 6(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 an individual is an Australian resident if they reside in Australia, or if one of three extensions applies: an Australian domicile (unless the Commissioner is satisfied their permanent place of abode is outside Australia), presence in Australia for more than half the income year (unless their usual place of abode is outside Australia and they do not intend to take up residence), or membership of the Commonwealth superannuation schemes under the Superannuation Act 1990 or 1976 (which also covers a spouse and children under 16). Residence therefore ends only when none of these tests is met; for someone who keeps an Australian domicile, this means establishing a permanent place of abode abroad. The definition contains no day count that ends residence and no extended liability for nationals who leave. A foreign resident is taxed only on Australian-source income (section 6-5 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997), at non-resident rates with no tax-free threshold.

Sources: Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Compilation No. 193 (1 October 2026), Volume 1, s 6(1) · Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Compilation No. 268 (1 October 2026), Volume 1, s 6-5 · Income Tax Rates Act 1986, Compilation No. 66 (1 July 2026)

Exit or departure tax

Australia has a departure CGT rule: CGT event I1 (section 104-160 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997) happens when an individual stops being an Australian resident, and a capital gain or loss is worked out on each CGT asset owned just before then by comparing its market value with its cost base. Taxable Australian property (for example Australian real estate) and assets acquired before 20 September 1985 are excluded. Under section 104-165 an individual can instead choose to disregard the gains and losses on all assets covered by the event; those assets then stay within Australia's CGT net as taxable Australian property until they are disposed of or the person becomes resident again. The choice must be made by the day the income tax return for the departure year is lodged (section 103-25).

Sources: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Compilation No. 268 (1 October 2026), Volume 3, ss 103-25, 104-160, 104-165

Leaving properly

In the income year of departure the period of residence is a part-year residency period and the tax-free threshold is pro-rated (Income Tax Rates Act 1986, sections 18 and 20). The choice to disregard CGT event I1 is made through the income tax return for that year, by its lodgment date. Age Pension recipients must notify changes in circumstances under the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999. The ATO's and Services Australia's own departure checklists and notification forms could not be retrieved and are listed as unverified.

Sources: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Compilation No. 268 (1 October 2026), Volume 3, ss 103-25, 104-160, 104-165 · Income Tax Rates Act 1986, Compilation No. 66 (1 July 2026) · Social Security Act 1991, Compilation No. 234 (20 September 2026), Volume 4, Part 4.2 (ss 1211 to 1221)

New ZealandNo general exit tax; FIF interests deemed sold

When your tax residence ends

Under section YD 1 of the Income Tax Act 2007, a New Zealand tax resident becomes non-resident only if they have no permanent place of abode in New Zealand and are absent for more than 325 days in any 12-month period; non-residence is then backdated to the first of those days. The permanent place of abode test overrides the day counts, so keeping a home you habitually return to (owned or not, even if rented out) keeps you resident, and Inland Revenue also weighs family, economic ties and any intention to return. People working abroad for the New Zealand government stay resident. Where a treaty applies, its tie-breaker tests allocate residence for treaty purposes.

Sources: Inland Revenue: Tax residency status for individuals · Inland Revenue: Interpretation statement IS 25/16 Tax residence (16 May 2025) · Inland Revenue: Leaving New Zealand

Exit or departure tax

Inland Revenue lists specific tax consequences of becoming non-resident rather than a general exit charge on all assets. Interests taxed under the foreign investment fund (FIF) rules are treated as sold at market value immediately before the change, for the purpose of calculating FIF income. Parties to financial arrangements may need a final base price adjustment, and a trust whose resident settlor leaves may become a non-complying trust. New Zealand residential property remains subject to the bright-line test (2 years for sales on or after 1 July 2024).

Sources: Inland Revenue: Leaving New Zealand · Inland Revenue: Tax for non-resident taxpayers

Leaving properly

Before or after leaving, file an Individual tax return (IR3) or ask Inland Revenue for an income tax assessment for the part year, and later file a non-resident return (IR3NR) if you keep New Zealand income other than correctly taxed interest, dividends or royalties. Tell your bank and share registries you are a non-resident taxpayer so NRWT is deducted, and tell PIE providers (28% rate). Use form IR886 if your residence status is unclear. Update student loan, KiwiSaver, Working for Families and child support arrangements, and apply to Work and Income at least 6 weeks before leaving to keep NZ Super.

Sources: Inland Revenue: Leaving New Zealand · Inland Revenue: Tax residency status for individuals · Inland Revenue: I am leaving New Zealand · Work and Income: Travelling overseas for more than 26 weeks

Sweden10-year rule on gains from shares

When your tax residence ends

Under chapter 3, section 3 of the Income Tax Act (inkomstskattelagen), you stay fully taxable on worldwide income while you are resident, habitually stay in Sweden, or keep an essential connection (väsentlig anknytning) after moving. For five years after departure, Swedish citizens and anyone who lived in Sweden for at least ten years are presumed to keep that connection unless they prove otherwise (chapter 3, section 7); the factors include a year-round home, family, business activity and significant business holdings in Sweden. After five years the burden shifts to Skatteverket, but close ties can still keep you taxable. Deregistering from the population register does not by itself end tax liability, and residence under a tax treaty decides which country taxes which income.

Sources: Inkomstskattelag (1999:1229), as amended up to SFS 2026:1393 (Sveriges riksdag) · Skatteverket: Har du flyttat från Sverige? · Skatteverket (English): Moving from Sweden

Exit or departure tax

Sweden has no general deemed disposal of all assets when an individual emigrates; instead the ten-year rule in chapter 3, section 19 of the Income Tax Act lets Sweden tax gains on shares and similar equity interests (not fund units) sold in the year of departure or the ten following calendar years, subject to the applicable tax treaty. Foreign shares are caught only if acquired while fully taxable in Sweden. Moving outside the EEA also triggers taxation of a capital gain deferred on an earlier share-for-share exchange (chapter 48 a, section 11), and a treaty does not stop that. A 2022 government directive (Dir. 2022:45) asked an inquiry to consider general exit rules for unrealised gains.

Sources: Inkomstskattelag (1999:1229), as amended up to SFS 2026:1393 (Sveriges riksdag) · Skatteverket: Bosatt utomlands med fastighet eller kapitalinkomster i Sverige · Kommittédirektiv Dir. 2022:45, En effektiv beskattning när fysiska personer med orealiserade kapitalvinster som upparbetats i Sverige flyttar ut (Regeringen)

Leaving properly

Notify Skatteverket of the move at least one week before leaving if you will live abroad for a year or more, using the e-service or form SKV 7665; for moves outside the Nordic countries you are registered as emigrated from the moving date if you report by then. File a Swedish tax return for your final year in Sweden, and keep filing (under a GD number) if you have Swedish items such as property or share sales caught by the ten-year rule. Notify Försäkringskassan so it can decide whether you remain insured, and apply for a SINK decision so that Swedish pension payers withhold the flat SINK tax instead of preliminary tax. Citizenship and personal identity number are kept.

Sources: Skatteverket: Flytta från Sverige · Skatteverket FAQ: Jag ska flytta utomlands. Ska jag ändra min folkbokföring? · Skatteverket (English): Moving from Sweden · Skatteverket: Bosatt utomlands med fastighet eller kapitalinkomster i Sverige

NorwayExit tax on share gains above NOK 3 million

When your tax residence ends

Norway taxes residents on worldwide income and wealth (skatteloven § 2-1), and a person is resident after more than 183 days in any 12-month period or more than 270 days in any 36-month period. Moving abroad or deregistering in the Population Register does not end residence: someone resident for less than ten years stops being resident for the income year in which they show permanent residence abroad, no more than 61 days in Norway and no dwelling at their own or their close relatives' disposal in Norway. Someone resident for ten years or more stays resident until the end of the third income year after the year of departure, and only if those conditions are met in each of the three years. Tax emigration is claimed in the Norwegian tax return; where a treaty applies, a person can instead claim treaty residence in the other country with a certificate of residence.

Sources: Lovdata, skatteloven kapittel 2 · Skatteetaten, Skattemessig emigrasjon - opphør av skatteplikten · Skatteetaten, Globalskatteplikt · Skatteetaten, Bosted etter skatteavtale · Skatteetaten, Begrenset skatteplikt - når du flytter fra Norge

Exit or departure tax

Under skatteloven § 10-70, an individual who ends Norwegian tax residence under § 2-1(3) or becomes treaty-resident elsewhere is taxed as if shares and similar assets (Norwegian and foreign shares, fund units, share savings accounts, options and other derivatives on such assets, capital insurance) were sold the day before. Only the part of the total net gain above NOK 3 million is taxed on emigration, and only value built up while resident in Norway counts; for moves outside the EEA, losses are not netted. Payment can be deferred for 12 years (annual instalments or one payment at the end with interest), normally against security, and deferral ends on sale, death (unless heirs take over), transfer, and partly on dividends. The tax lapses if the person becomes resident in Norway again within 12 years; these rules apply to emigrations from 20 March 2024.

Sources: Lovdata, skatteloven kapittel 10 (§ 10-70) · Skatteetaten, Utflyttingsskatt – exitskatt

Leaving properly

A move abroad of more than six months must be reported to the Population Register (Folkeregisteret), at the earliest 31 days before the move; this alone does not end tax liability. Pension recipients must also notify Nav and order a new tax deduction card. Tax emigration (or treaty residence) is claimed in the Norwegian tax return, and the tax return for the year before the move must report exit-tax assets; returns covering worldwide income continue until emigration is granted. Holiday pay, bonuses and severance paid after departure are taxed in Norway in the year liability ended.

Sources: Skatteetaten, Flytte fra Norge (Folkeregisteret) · Nav, Bosatt i utlandet: pensjon (updated 11.09.2026) · Skatteetaten, Skattemessig emigrasjon - opphør av skatteplikten · Skatteetaten, Skatt når du flytter ut av Norge · Skatteetaten, Utflyttingsskatt – exitskatt

DenmarkExit tax on shares from DKK 100,000

When your tax residence ends

Under kildeskatteloven (Withholding Tax Act) section 1, a person is fully liable to Danish tax while they have a dwelling (bopæl) in Denmark, or if they stay in Denmark for 6 months or more without one. Full liability ends on departure only when the person no longer has a year-round home at their disposal: in practice the home must be sold, the lease ended, or the home let on a lease that cannot be terminated for at least 3 years; a holiday home used only for holidays does not count. Deregistering from the population register does not by itself end liability. There is no extended or trailing liability for nationals, but a later stay of 6 months or more makes the person fully liable again, and dual residence with a treaty country is settled by the treaty.

Sources: Retsinformation, Bekendtgørelse af kildeskatteloven, LBK nr. 460 af 3. maj 2024 (Withholding Tax Act, consolidated; status Valid at retrieval) · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.F.1.2.3 Hvornår ophører skattepligten ved fraflytning? · Skattestyrelsen (skat.dk), Du flytter fra Danmark · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.F.1.2.1 Hvornår er der bopæl i Danmark? · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.F.1.3 6-måneders ophold i Danmark

Exit or departure tax

Denmark has an exit tax: when liability ends for a reason other than death, assets leaving Danish taxation are treated as sold at market value (kildeskatteloven section 10). Shares are taxed under aktieavancebeskatningsloven section 38 if their total market value is DKK 100,000 or more per person and, as a rule, the person was liable to Danish tax for at least 7 of the last 10 years; claims and financial contracts follow the same DKK 100,000 threshold, and crypto-assets are deemed sold on the day of departure. Payment of the share tax can be deferred (henstand) for shares taxed on realisation, provided the departure information and a holding statement are filed on time; for a move to Latin America adequate security must also be given, and the deferred tax falls due as dividends are received and shares are sold where the new country taxes less. Large employer pension contributions in the 5 years before departure can also be taxed after the event (pensionsbeskatningsloven sections 19 A to 19 E).

Sources: Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.F.1.6.4 Fraflytningsbeskatning ved skattepligtens ophør · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.B.2.14.2.6 Hvad skal personer beskattes af ved fraflytning? · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.B.2.14.2.3 Hvem er omfattet af reglerne om fraflytterskat i aktieavancebeskatningsloven? · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.B.2.14.2.5 Hvornår skal personer beskattes ved fraflytning? · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.B.2.14.2.8.1 Henstand med betaling af skatten · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.B.2.14.2.1 Kort om fraflytterskat på aktier

Leaving properly

Report the move to the municipality before leaving through the borger.dk self-service "Anmeld flytning til udlandet" (CPR-loven section 24: any stay abroad over 6 months must be reported as a move abroad). About one week after deregistering and leaving, call Skattestyrelsen on 72 22 28 92 to settle tax liability; form 04.029 on the Danish dwelling is filed only on request, and form 07.058 ends the PAL tax on pension returns. A final tax return covering the period up to the end of liability is due by 1 May (or 1 July) of the following year, and anyone with shares worth DKK 100,000 or more must file the departure information and holding statement on time to get deferral. Keep a NemKonto (a foreign account can be registered) and tell Udbetaling Danmark about the move if a Danish pension is paid.

Sources: Retsinformation, Bekendtgørelse af lov om Det Centrale Personregister (CPR-loven), LBK nr. 1010 af 2023 (status Valid at retrieval) · borger.dk, Guide: Når du flytter til udlandet (Digitaliseringsstyrelsen with KL, ATP/Udbetaling Danmark and Skattestyrelsen; all answers view) · Skattestyrelsen (skat.dk), Du flytter fra Danmark · Skattestyrelsen (skat.dk), Blanket 04.029 Du skal oplyse Skattestyrelsen om bl.a. din bopæl, når du flytter fra Danmark · Skattestyrelsen, Den juridiske vejledning 2026-2, C.F.1.7 Afsluttende ansættelse ved skattepligts ophør · borger.dk (written by Udbetaling Danmark), Vil du have din folke-, førtids- eller seniorpension med til udlandet?

FinlandNarrow: deferred share-swap gains outside the EEA

When your tax residence ends

Under section 11 of the Income Tax Act (tuloverolaki 1535/1992), a person is resident in Finland if their main abode and home is there or they stay continuously for more than six months, and a resident is taxed on income from Finland and abroad. A Finnish citizen who moves abroad stays resident for the year of departure and the three following tax years unless they request non-residence and show that no substantial ties remain (for example a home, a spouse in Finland, real property other than a summer cottage, Finnish social security cover, or business or work in Finland). Ties broken at departure give non-residence from the moving day; ties broken later give non-residence from the next 1 January. After the three years, residence continues only where ties are clearly stronger than in the years after the move, and a non-resident becomes resident again only by moving home back or staying more than six months. Under a treaty, dual residence is settled first by permanent home, then by centre of vital interests.

Sources: Finlex, Tuloverolaki 1535/1992 (Income Tax Act, consolidated), 11 § · Finnish Tax Administration (vero.fi), Finnish citizens and the 3-year rule (page last updated 1/30/2026) · Finnish Tax Administration, detailed guidance: Tax residency, nonresidency and residency in accordance with a tax treaty, natural persons (issued 1/29/2025) · Finnish Tax Administration, detailed guidance: Taxation of income received by nonresidents, natural persons (issued 8/7/2026)

Exit or departure tax

The exit tax provision in the Income Tax Act is headed as applying to entities (yhteisön maastapoistumisverotus). For individuals, the Tax Administration describes one emigration charge under section 52 f of the Act on the taxation of business income: a gain deferred in a tax-neutral share swap becomes taxable in Finland if the person moves to a country outside the EEA (which includes all 12 destinations) within 5 years from the end of the tax year of the swap, even if the shares are kept, and a loss at departure is not deductible. Separately, some treaties, including the one with Brazil, let the former residence state tax later share gains of an emigrant who had been resident there long enough (generally 5 years).

Sources: Finnish Tax Administration, detailed guidance: Capital gains and losses from the sale of assets in cross-border situations, natural persons (issued 4/22/2025) · Finlex, Tuloverolaki 1535/1992 (Income Tax Act, consolidated), 11 §

Leaving properly

Notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) of a permanent move within one week; the Tax Administration receives the data from DVV. Notify Kela in OmaKela or on form Y 38e if you receive Kela benefits or hold a European Health Insurance Card. Request a revised tax card if Finnish income continues (pensioners use Form 6207a), register a foreign bank account for refunds, and check the pre-completed tax return for the year of the move that arrives the following spring. A citizen who wants to be non-resident within the three-year period must request it and show that substantial ties are broken.

Sources: Finnish Tax Administration, Are you moving away from Finland? · Kela, Leaving Finland · Finnish Tax Administration (vero.fi), Finnish citizens and the 3-year rule (page last updated 1/30/2026)

NetherlandsConservatory assessment on pensions and 5%+ stakes

When your tax residence ends

Dutch tax residence has no day count: under article 4 of the General State Taxes Act (AWR) where you live is judged on all the circumstances, and the Belastingdienst treats you as emigrated when you settle permanently in another country, looking at where you spend most time, where your family lives, where you work and where you are insured for medical costs. If you return within one year without having lived in another state in the meantime, you are deemed to have stayed resident throughout (article 2.2 of the Income Tax Act 2001). A tax treaty tie-breaker can also end residence for treaty purposes. For inheritance and gift tax, a Dutch national is deemed resident for ten years after leaving, and anyone is deemed resident for gifts made within one year (article 3 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1956).

Sources: Algemene wet inzake rijksbelastingen, art. 4 · Wet inkomstenbelasting 2001, art. 2.1 · Belastingdienst: Emigreer ik als ik naar het buitenland verhuis? · Successiewet 1956, art. 3

Exit or departure tax

There is no general deemed disposal of all assets, but on emigration the Netherlands issues a conservatory assessment (conserverende aanslag) on pension rights, deducted annuity (lijfrente) premiums and a substantial interest (aanmerkelijk belang, generally 5% or more of a company), taxed at the highest rate (articles 2.8, 3.83, 3.136 and 4.16(1)(h) of the Income Tax Act 2001). It is issued after the return for the emigration year. For pensions and annuities payment is deferred for up to ten years and the remainder can then be remitted, but the tax becomes payable if you breach the rules, for example by commuting the pension (articles 25(5) and 26(2) of the Collection of State Taxes Act 1990). For a substantial interest held by someone who deregistered after 15 September 2015 the deferral is lifelong with no remission, and selling the shares, paying dividends or the company ceasing makes it (partly) payable. Deferral is automatic only for moves within the EU/EEA; moving to a non-EU country means requesting deferral and in some cases (substantial interest, pensions not held by an EU/EEA/Swiss insurer) providing security.

Sources: Wet inkomstenbelasting 2001, art. 2.8 · Belastingdienst: Conserverende aanslag bij emigratie · Invorderingswet 1990, arts. 25 and 26

Leaving properly

If you expect to spend at least two thirds of a year abroad (the government checklist says more than 8 months), deregister in writing with your municipality within the 5 days before departure; you are then registered in the Non-Residents Register (RNI) (article 2.43 of the Personal Records Database Act). Arrange a DigiD before deregistering, file the income tax return for the emigration year online or on the paper M (migration) form, after which any conservatory assessment is issued, and tell your health insurer and the SVB about the move yourself. If you are unsure whether you have emigrated for tax purposes, the Belastingdienst invites a letter asking it to assess your situation.

Sources: Wet basisregistratie personen, art. 2.43 · NederlandWereldwijd: Checklist verhuizen naar het buitenland · Belastingdienst: Aangifte doen over het jaar van emigratie of immigratie · Belastingdienst: Conserverende aanslag bij emigratie · SVB: Uw AOW buiten Nederland · Belastingdienst: Emigreer ik als ik naar het buitenland verhuis?

Checked at official sources on 25 October 2026. Rules change and your own facts decide: we confirm your home-country position, together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country, before anything is filed.

Maybe you want to leave tomorrow. Maybe never. Both are fine. The difference is whether you have the choice.

A second residence. An account outside your home country. A company in another jurisdiction. A place where you can land without starting again as a tourist. That is what turns an idea into a real Plan B.

Latin America is not an escape. It is the chance to build your life on more than one country.

Why this continent of all places? Because much of what other regions increasingly have to ration is still plentiful there: land, energy, food, water, young people and space. We have gathered the numbers, the advantages and the uncomfortable sides in nine chapters.

Why Latin America? The honest answer →

🔥 Check my Plan B

Flag Theory

No single state should decide your whole life.

Your residence does not have to be where your money is. Your company does not have to be based where you wake up in the morning. And your long-term passport does not have to come from the country you live in today.

That is the strength of an international structure: when one country changes the rules, your whole life does not change with them.

🏠

Residency in Latin America

Live where the right of residence, quality of life and tax system fit your life.

🏦

Banking outside Latin America

Hold assets where banks, currency and legal system are strong for that purpose.

🏢

A company outside Latin America

Structure your business where the company fits your clients, your income and your tax status.

We structure residence, tax, banking, company and long-term options together with the right specialists for each part.

Flag Theory: residency, banking, company

Twelve countries. Which one is yours?

Paraguay is not Panama. Uruguay is not El Salvador. And what is perfect for an entrepreneur can be the wrong decision for a family. We compare all twelve before we recommend one.

🇦🇷Argentina

Productive farmland and vineyards in your own name, a real-asset hedge far from the world's trouble spots.

Worldwide incomePassport: 2 yrs

✓ Farmland + real assets + optional 2-year passport

Explore Mendoza →

🇧🇷Brazil

A strong Global South passport, reached in around six years on the standard route.

Worldwide incomePassport: 4 to 6 yrs

✓ Strong Global South passport

Explore Florianópolis →

🇨🇱Chile

Latin America's economic anchor, with the highest legal certainty in the region.

HybridPassport: 5 yrs

✓ Strongest passport (US ESTA) + foreign income tax-free for up to 6 years

Explore La Serena →

🇨🇷Costa Rica

Pura vida with a genuine territorial tax system: your foreign income stays tax-free. An honest assessment.

Bill Expediente 25.796 (introduced on 22 September 2026, not yet law) would tax foreign interest, dividends, rent and capital gains of tax residents at 15%.

TerritorialPassport: 5 to 7 yrs

✓ Territorial + stability + no army since 1948

Explore Tamarindo →

🇪🇨Ecuador

A US dollar economy, the lowest costs and a 5-year tax regime for new arrivals.

HybridPassport: about 5 yrs

✓ USD + lowest costs + 5-year tax regime

Explore Cuenca →

🇸🇻El Salvador

The underrated retreat for freedom-minded people, with growing international appeal.

TerritorialNon-CRSPassport: 5 yrs

✓ Non-CRS + non-CARF + Bitcoin-friendly

Explore Santa Ana →

🇨🇴Colombia

A dynamic economy, the Coffee Axis and a high quality of life at low cost.

Worldwide incomePassport: 10 yrs

✓ Best value for money + Coffee Region lifestyle

Explore Pereira →

🇲🇽Mexico

Mature infrastructure and tax residence based on where your life is centred, not on a day count.

Worldwide incomePassport: 2 to 5 yrs

✓ RESICO + residence through proof of solvency

Explore Playa del Carmen →

🇵🇦Panama

The gold standard: 0% territorial tax, a US dollar economy, one day of presence every 2 years.

TerritorialPassport: 5 to 7 yrs

✓ Territorial 0% + USD + pensionado privileges

Explore Boquete →

🇵🇾Paraguay

The most affordable, most flexible Plan B location: 0% tax on foreign income, residence with minimal presence and, so far, no automatic exchange of account data.

TerritorialNon-CRSPassport: 3 to 5 yrs

✓ 0% tax on foreign income + residence with minimal presence + no CRS exchange yet

Explore Encarnación →

🇵🇪Peru

One of the fastest passports in Latin America: naturalisation after 2 years today, after 5 once the new law takes effect.

Worldwide incomePassport: 2 yrs, later 5 yrs

✓ Passport after 2 years today, 5 in future + no wealth tax

Explore Arequipa →

🇺🇾Uruguay

The Switzerland of South America: an 11-year tax holiday on foreign capital, strong USD banks, the highest stability.

HybridPassport: 5 yrs

✓ 11-year tax holiday + USD banks + highest stability

Explore Colonia del Sacramento →

Compare all 12 countries →

You do not need a favourite country. You need a plan.

That is why we do not start by selling you a residence permit. We start with your situation and work backwards from there.

Free assessment

You tell us where you stand today and what you want to achieve. We check which countries make sense for you at all, and which ones you can safely skip.

Start now →

Personal consultation

We go into depth: family, assets, companies, tax, where you want to live and your time frame. Afterwards you know which route is realistic.

Book a consultation →

Your setup

If you want to go ahead, we put the structure in place with you: residency, tax registration and a real base, with banking and a company where they belong.

See residence and visa services →

Why your Plan B belongs in Latin America

🌍

Real geopolitical distance

If your part of the world becomes the problem, a Plan B a short flight away and exposed to the same risks will not help you.

🏡

Ownership that still feels like ownership

In many countries of the region, foreigners can buy property directly and hold it in their own name. Only Mexico's coastal and border zones have special rules.

💰

Territorial tax systems

In selected countries, genuine foreign income stays outside local taxation. Structured properly, that can change your life fundamentally.

📄

Residency without the golden visa price tag

A right of residence does not automatically mean a six- or seven-figure investment.

🛂

A second passport can turn a Plan B into a plan for life

Several countries open a realistic path to naturalisation after a comparatively short time.

🌱

Young societies

Where families, children and growth are part of everyday street life, the future feels different.

💵

US dollars in daily life

Panama, Ecuador and El Salvador take the classic local currency risk off many of your expenses.

🔒

More distance between you and the system

Some jurisdictions still offer a degree of financial and administrative distance that has become rare almost everywhere else.

💰

More life for your money

A house, help at home, food, leisure and space can cost far less in parts of the region than in North America or Western Europe.

Maybe you have been looking for your next life for a while.

Do not just picture the application. Picture the morning after. More space. More sun. A house that does not swallow everything you own. People out on the streets. Families in restaurants. Days that feel less like admin and more like living.

Latin America is not perfect. Neither is home. But it can give you things you may have written off long ago: ownership, open space, warmth, community and the feeling that something still lies ahead of you.

Find my Latin America →

Who is behind it

Not an expat blog. Lived experience.

VidaLibrePlan is the Latin America practice of STM Corporate Group and works on Latin America only. When a strategy becomes a concrete residence application, the work is done together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country.

Harley Bieder leads the Latin America region. As an entrepreneur and investor, he has travelled the region, analysed it and tested it with his own projects.

So you do not get a brochure. You get an assessment from people who know what really happens after you arrive.

Consultation with Harley →

You do not have to emigrate today.

But today you can make sure you have the choice tomorrow.

Start with the free assessment. We look at your situation and show you which countries, and which combination, really make sense for your Plan B.

🔥 Free Assessment Book a consultation