Latin America does not end with our twelve countries.
23 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and the Guianas belong in the picture. Twelve of them are the countries we advise on. We cover eleven more on purpose, without advice and without a service offer, because honest orientation should not stop where our portfolio stops.
Understand the region. Then build the shortlist.
Whether you look at Latin America from the US, Canada, the UK or Europe, you rarely start with three ready-made favourites. The choice grows out of the question of what your new base has to deliver. That is why the countries we do not advise on belong here too.
Belize and Guyana are English-speaking Commonwealth states, and Suriname is Dutch-speaking. They are included anyway, because geographically they belong to the region and keep coming up in the search for a second residence, a tax base or a new centre of life.
Twelve countries we take through to advice. The other eleven stay free of any service. Their job is a different one: they widen the view, answer the obvious questions and say a clear no when a country does not hold up as a location.
Twelve countries we actually take you through.
In the twelve countries we advise on, we guide the strategy; the local residence procedures run together with our local partners, licensed attorneys in each country. Depending on the case, tax advisers and notaries join in.
Productive farmland and vineyards in your own name, a real-asset hedge far from the world's trouble spots.
✓ Farmland + real assets + optional 2-year passport
A strong Global South passport, reached in around six years on the standard route.
✓ Strong Global South passport
Latin America's economic anchor, with the highest legal certainty in the region.
✓ Strongest passport (US ESTA) + foreign income tax-free for up to 6 years
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%.
✓ Territorial + stability + no army since 1948
A US dollar economy, the lowest costs and a 5-year tax regime for new arrivals.
✓ USD + lowest costs + 5-year tax regime
The underrated retreat for freedom-minded people, with growing international appeal.
✓ Non-CRS + non-CARF + Bitcoin-friendly
A dynamic economy, the Coffee Axis and a high quality of life at low cost.
✓ Best value for money + Coffee Region lifestyle
Mature infrastructure and tax residence based on where your life is centred, not on a day count.
✓ RESICO + residence through proof of solvency
The gold standard: 0% territorial tax, a US dollar economy, one day of presence every 2 years.
✓ Territorial 0% + USD + pensionado privileges
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.
✓ 0% tax on foreign income + residence with minimal presence + no CRS exchange yet
One of the fastest passports in Latin America: naturalisation after 2 years today, after 5 once the new law takes effect.
✓ Passport after 2 years today, 5 in future + no wealth tax
The Switzerland of South America: an 11-year tax holiday on foreign capital, strong USD banks, the highest stability.
✓ 11-year tax holiday + USD banks + highest stability
Eleven more countries. Nothing to sell.
For these eleven countries we deliberately offer no advice and no implementation. They remain part of our coverage of the region all the same, with the same clear assessment of the issues that decide, and with open notes wherever the sources are thin or a location simply does not convince.
For Haiti and Venezuela the right answer may be precisely not to choose the location. For Guyana and Suriname some points stay open where reliable data is missing. Here, completeness matters more than one more service button.
English-speaking, taxed territorially and with a retirement programme from age 40 that fully exempts foreign income. The catch is in the same law.
✓ Territorial + QRP from age 40, but a CRS participant since 2018
A genuine territorial system and the fastest passport in the Andes, paid for with strict presence rules.
✓ Territorial + non-CRS + passport after 3 years
Two years to a passport for retirees, rentistas and investors and no wealth tax, but foreign investment income becomes taxable from year three.
✓ Passport 2 years after direct permanent residence + no wealth tax
Territorial taxation and low costs, but any absence of more than a year needs approval.
✓ Territorial + non-CRS + rentista from USD 1,250 a month
An English-speaking common law state in an oil boom, non-CRS, and a tax law that reaches your worldwide income.
✓ Non-CRS and English-speaking, but worldwide income and oil boom prices
The UK advises against all travel to the country. Not a location, a clear no.
✓ An honest assessment instead of a location pitch
Territorial taxation, tax-exempt pensions, and a level of violence that overshadows everything else.
✓ Territorial + pensions tax-exempt + non-CRS
Permanent residence means tax on worldwide income, and Visa and Mastercard are no longer accepted in the country.
✓ New foreigners law published in May 2026, in force from November 2026 at the earliest
Territorial taxation and low costs, but the pensionado regime was repealed in 2024 and the passport requires renunciation.
✓ Territorial + non-CRS, but passport only with renunciation
Dutch-speaking, non-CRS and very affordable. And a tax law from 1922 that takes 38% of your worldwide income from a very low threshold.
✓ Non-CRS and affordable, but 38% on worldwide income
Tax on worldwide income, UK advice against all but essential travel and ten years to a passport. Closed as a location.
✓ An honest assessment instead of a location pitch
23 countries. Six questions. A fuller picture.
Tax system, naturalisation timeline, presence requirement, CRS status, currency and cost make the differences visible. The decisive seventh question stays personal: which country fits the life you actually want to lead?
| Details | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | Worldwide income 😟 | 2 yearsfrom the first temporary residence, with no departures (rule disputed) | Residence: lost after 6 months' absence (temporary) or 1 year (permanent) · Naturalisation: 2 years without leaving | ✓ CRS participant | ARS (peso) | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇧🇿 Belize | Territorial 😃 | 6 years1 yr legal stay + 5 yrs as Permanent Resident | PR year: max. 14 days' absence · then max. 30 consecutive days and 3 months per 12 months · QRP: 30 days/year | ✓ CRS participant | BZD (pegged 2:1 to the USD) | Medium | No advice | Details → |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | Territorial 😃 | 3 yearsfrom residence | Temporary: max. 90 days' absence/year · PD: max. 2 consecutive years | ✗ Non-CRS | BOB (boliviano) | Low | No advice | Details → |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Worldwide income 😟 | 6 yearsup to 2 yrs fixed-term + 4 yrs indefinite (4 yrs with indefinite residence from the start) | Residence: lost after more than 2 years' absence · Naturalisation: trips abroad max. 12 months in 4 years | ✓ CRS participant | BRL (real) | Medium | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | Hybrid 😐 | 5 yearsfrom the first temporary residence (around 2 yrs until the Definitiva) | Temporary: more than 2 months' absence lengthens the path to the Definitiva · Definitiva: lost after more than 2 consecutive years' absence | ✓ CRS participant | CLP (peso) | Medium | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | Worldwide income 😟 | 10 years5 yrs M visa + 5 yrs from the R visa | M visa: lost after 180 consecutive days' absence · R visa: after 2 years' absence | ✓ CRS participant | COP (peso) | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | Territorial 😃 | 7 yearsfrom the first residence, temporary counts (5 yrs for Ibero-Americans, Spaniards) | Low: at least 1 entry per year (administrative practice) · Naturalisation: no departure of more than 3 months | ✓ CRS participant | CRC (colón) | High | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇨🇺 Cuba | Worldwide income 😟 | 6 yearsup to 1 yr provisional + 5 yrs permanent; law in force 1 November 2026 at the earliest | Effective residence: more than 180 days in the previous year (new law, in force 1 November 2026 at the earliest) | ✗ Non-CRS | CUP (peso) | Medium | No advice | Details → |
| 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | Hybrid 😐 | 7 years5 yrs temporary + 2 yrs permanent (2 yrs with direct PR as a retiree, Rentista, investor) | No minimum days for residence · Residence card: 1 year, then 4 years · tax resident from 183 days | ✗ Non-CRS | DOP (peso) | Medium | No advice | Details → |
| 🇪🇨 Ecuador | Hybrid 😐 | 5 years21 months temporary + 3 yrs permanent | Temporary: max. 90 days' absence in total until PR · PR: max. 180 days/year in the first 2 years · Naturalisation: max. 180 days/year | ✓ CRS participant | USD ✓ | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇸🇻 El Salvador | Territorial 😃 | 5 yearstemporary and definitive residence combined | Temporary: at least 90 days/year · Rentista/Pensionado: max. 6 months' absence/year · Definitive: up to 2 years' absence | ✗ Non-CRS | USD ✓ | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇬🇹 Guatemala | Territorial 😃 | 5 yearsfrom residence (temporary or permanent) | Residence: absence of 1 year or more only with permission · Naturalisation: max. 6 consecutive months, under 1 year in total | ✗ Non-CRS | GTQ (quetzal) | Low | No advice | Details → |
| 🇬🇾 Guyana | Worldwide income 😟 | 6 years5 yrs within 7 years + the last 12 months without interruption | Tax resident from 183 days · Naturalisation: the last 12 months continuously in the country | ✗ Non-CRS | GYD (Guyanese dollar) | High | No advice | Details → |
| 🇭🇹 Haiti | Hybrid 😐 | 5 yearsfrom the first Permis de séjour | Permis de séjour from 3 months' stay, renewed annually in the country | ✗ Non-CRS | HTG (gourde) | Medium | No advice | Details → |
| 🇭🇳 Honduras | Territorial 😃 | 3 yearsmore than 3 yrs from the residence decision, with renunciation of the previous nationality | Residence: lost after more than 12 consecutive months' absence · Card up to 5 years | ✗ Non-CRS | HNL (lempira) | Low | No advice | Details → |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | Worldwide income 😟 | 5 yearsfrom the first residence, temporary counts (2 yrs for Latin Americans) | Residence: no minimum, PR even without presence · Naturalisation: max. 6 months' absence in the 2 years before applying | ✓ CRS participant | MXN (peso) | Medium | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | Territorial 😃 | over 7 yearstemporary stage (duration no longer fixed by law, formerly 3 yrs) + 7 yrs from permanent residence, with renunciation | Temporary: lost after more than 6 months' absence · Permanent: after more than 1 year | ✗ Non-CRS | NIO (córdoba) | Low | No advice | Details → |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | Territorial 😃 | 5 yearsfrom permanent residence (Pensionado, Investor directly; Friendly Nations 2 + 5 = 7) | Permanent: may be revoked after more than 2 years' absence (so 1 day every 2 years) | ✓ CRS participant | USD ✓ | Medium | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | Territorial 😃 | 5 years2 yrs temporary + 3 yrs permanent (3 yrs with direct PR) | Residence: temporary at least 1 entry/year, permanent 1 entry in 3 years · Naturalisation: max. 3 months' absence/year | ✗ Non-CRS (commitment: by 2028) | PYG (guaraní) | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | Worldwide income 😟 | 2 years (soon 5)2 yrs from the first residence under Ley 26574; 5 yrs once Ley 32421 is in force | Residence: lost after more than 183 consecutive days' absence (Residente Permanente: 365) | ✓ CRS participant | PEN (sol) | Low | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇸🇷 Suriname | Worldwide income 😟 | 5 years5 yrs of domicile or main residence | Verblijfsvergunning max. 2 years · Naturalisation: 5 years' main residence in the country | ✗ Non-CRS | SRD (Surinamese dollar) | Low | No advice | Details → |
| 🇺🇾 Uruguay | Hybrid 😐 | 5 yearsfrom taking up residence | Residence: permanent residence lapses after more than 3 years' absence · Naturalisation: no departure of more than 6 consecutive months | ✓ CRS participant | UYU (peso) | Medium | We advise here | Details → |
| 🇻🇪 Venezuela | Worldwide income 😟 | 10 years10 yrs uninterrupted (5 yrs for Latin Americans, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians) | Tax resident from 183 days · Naturalisation: uninterrupted stay | ✗ Non-CRS | VES (bolívar) | Medium | No advice | Details → |
Every figure checked against the statute, the authority or the OECD list; sources for each country are on its country page. Naturalisation shows the minimum total time from the first legal residence until you can apply, with the stages below it: where a country only starts counting from permanent residence or from a particular visa, the time before that is included. Shorter routes for certain nationalities are on the country page. Presence describes what keeps the residence alive; stricter rules often apply for naturalisation. CRS status is checked against the OECD's list of commitments and says nothing about your reporting obligations at home.
Out of 23 countries, only a few need to stay on your list.
If your shortlist lands on the twelve countries we advise on, we work out with you which residence fits your life, your assets and your timeline.
🔥 Get your free assessment