Why: he wanted to decide about his wealth himself
It started with a newspaper report about asset registers.
Over decades, the client had built his financial independence.
Now he began to think about how dependent his wealth was on state rules, on decisions made by banks and on his existing international set-up.
He was not after a short-term tax saving.
He cared about access to his wealth, and about being able to act outside Germany if he ever needed to.
He wanted to be able to keep making decisions even if the rules at home changed.
For someone who had created his financial independence himself, that idea mattered a great deal.
Who: a successful entrepreneur who wanted to enjoy his life's work
German.
Late fifties.
Married.
Two adult children.
No longer running a business.
His wealth came from the sale of his former company.
His home was in southern Germany.
And he wanted to keep it that way.
He had earned his freedom. Now he wanted to secure it for the long term.
When: a little over twelve months for an international structure
From the first consultation to an account that actually worked took a little over twelve months.
The biggest single block of time went into obtaining and legalising the required certificates.
The procedure itself was not the longest part.
For the client, this preparation was a deliberate investment in the future.
At the end stood a working structure that had previously been no more than an idea.
Where: his home stayed in Germany
Nowhere.
That is exactly what made this case special.
The client stayed in southern Germany.
His wife stayed with him.
The structure did not change his tax position.
And yet, afterwards, he had:
- A second citizenship.
- An additional address abroad.
- An international bank account.
- A further residence status.
- A property of his own as a refuge.
He gained international options while the life he knew stayed exactly as it was.
What was built: five steps to greater international independence
- A second passport from Sierra Leone. He acquired it in a joint application with his wife.
- A lawful change of name under English law. As a result, his previous name did not appear in the new document.
- A company and a business account in Georgia. Both were set up under the new lawful identity.
- A residence permit in the Philippines. It provided additional proof of address for the international structure.
- A property in Zanzibar. It was bought as a personal refuge.
Each element served a different purpose.
The second citizenship created an additional national belonging.
The residence permit provided important proof of address.
The company and the account opened up a further international business and banking relationship.
And the property in Zanzibar turned an abstract safeguarding strategy into a real place.
A place the client could travel to, and one that belonged to him.
How much: what does international protection like this cost?
The investment depends on how many family members are included and which additional residence, company and property solutions are wanted.
You will find the current requirements and costs of the second citizenship on the Sierra Leone programme page.
The additional steps are costed individually and explained in a consultation, each with its own costs and basis.
Why this exact combination: every building block had a specific job
- Sierra Leone fitted the company and banking structure he wanted. With this solution, the company and business account were part of the intended overall package. With other citizenship programmes, this part would have had to be built separately, with an uncertain outcome.
- The Philippine residence status provided the decisive proof. The additional address was essential for opening the account. The new passport alone would not have been enough for the bank.
- Zanzibar made the protection tangible. The property was the emotional heart of the whole arrangement. A refuge you have seen and experienced yourself means more than a theoretical option.
The combination of Sierra Leone, Georgia and the Philippines in particular showed that international banking relationships can demand more than an additional passport.
A second citizenship becomes especially valuable when the supporting proof and structures actually work.
The lawful change of name also created a different identity basis for the documents and the Georgian structure. The disclosure, identification and tax obligations that applied in each case were not affected.
What was ruled out: three routes that would not have met his goals
A Caribbean investor passport
For the client, a large part of the price could have gone on visa-free access to Europe that he already had as a German citizen.
On top of that came the political uncertainty created by the European Commission's call for these programmes to be wound down by 2028.
Sierra Leone was therefore a better fit for the overall structure he wanted.
A full move to Dubai
The client expressly did not want to change where he lived.
Tax residence in Dubai that is not actually lived would not have been a sound basis for his goals.
His family, his home and his way of life were to stay as they were.
Giving up his German citizenship
This step would not have met his goals.
Since 2024, Germans can in principle hold more than one citizenship.
For tax purposes too, renouncing would not simply have ended extended limited tax liability.
He could stay German and secure a second citizenship at the same time.
What the plan was made of: four countries and a new dimension of freedom
Sierra Leone
A second citizenship with a supporting company structure
An additional passport for the client and his wife, combined with a solution suited to his banking and company plans.
The Philippines, SRRV
The proof of address that was decisive for the account
The additional residence status laid an important foundation for the international documentation.
Georgia
Another company and a business account that works internationally
The business structure was set up under the new lawful identity.
Zanzibar
A refuge of his own, far from everyday life in Germany
A property that gave the client and his family a real additional place to stay.
What was really gained in the end
Twelve months earlier, the client had a German passport, his home in Germany and the wealth structure that had grown out of his years as an entrepreneur.
Now he had additional options.
He and his wife had become citizens of another country.
There was an additional international banking relationship, a residence status and a property outside Europe.
His life in Germany had stayed the same.
He had won the freedom to act, from now on, from more than one national and geographical base.
For him, that was exactly what mattered most.
You have worked for decades to become financially independent. Now you can make sure your international freedom rests on more than one passport, one country and one bank. Let's talk about how a second citizenship and the right international structure fit your wealth and your family.
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