Dubai property after the Iran war: a buying window?
Prices have eased 5% to 15% since the end of 2025 and sales are down sharply, while the very top of the market keeps trading. A look at what the data shows, and the risks on both sides.
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What is changing in the countries we work in. Residency and citizenship rules, and the economies, industries and opportunities behind them.
United Arab Emirates · Economy
Paraguay · Economy
Paraguay’s power play: cheap hydro and the AI race
Paraguay produces far more clean electricity than it uses. Bitcoin miners found it first. Now the AI industry is arriving, and the government wants a seat at the table.
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Global · Economy
The Revolut outage: why you need a backup bank
A power fault at a Google Cloud data centre left millions of UK customers unable to pay or withdraw cash for much of Tuesday. The case for a second bank in a second country has rarely been clearer.
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Panama · Tax
The EU takes Panama off its list of non cooperative tax jurisdictions
After more than six years on the EU’s tax blacklist, Panama moved to the lighter “state of play” annex on October 9. What the list is, why Panama was on it and what changes for companies, banks and residents.
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Argentina · Citizenship
Argentina puts a price on citizenship: US$350,000
Unveiled in Paris on October 2, Argentina’s citizenship by investment program will take a US$350,000 Treasury contribution or an US$800,000 bond, with applications expected before the end of 2026.
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Turkey · Economy
Turkish inflation falls below 30 percent for the first time since 2021
Annual inflation eased to 29.73 percent in September, better than forecast and the lowest reading since November 2021. For property buyers and citizenship investors, slower price growth makes costs and rents easier to plan.
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Panama · Residency
Panama raises the investor visa property minimum to US$500,000 for resales
A new decree in force from September 16 lifts the Qualified Investor real estate threshold to US$500,000 for resale homes, keeps US$300,000 for new first sale property and adds a cheaper deposit option.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Travel
St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda sign visa waivers with Azerbaijan
Both Caribbean states signed agreements in New York covering every passport type, including the ordinary passports held by citizens by investment.
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Panama · Residency
Panama’s Friendly Nations visa explained
Citizens of around 50 countries can reach Panamanian residency through a job, a US$200,000 property or a US$200,000 deposit. Who qualifies, what changed in 2021 and the path to permanent residency and citizenship.
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St Kitts and Nevis · Economy
St Kitts passes one million cruise passengers for the first time since 2020
The island counted 1,002,282 cruise visitors by August 20, and from November 2027 P&O Cruises plans to start and end Caribbean voyages in Basseterre, backed by a new terminal now under construction.
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Turkey · Citizenship
Turkey cancels 6,134 investment citizenships after fraud review
Turkey’s Interior Ministry says 6,134 people, mostly family members of 1,413 investors, have lost citizenship obtained through investment, chiefly over inflated valuations and sham property sales.
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Global · Policy
FinCEN makes the US company reporting exemption permanent and deletes old filings
A final rule confirms that companies formed in the United States never have to report their owners to FinCEN, and orders deletion of data already filed about US persons.
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United Arab Emirates · Tax
UAE extends small business relief to the end of 2029
Companies with revenue up to AED 3 million can keep electing to pay no UAE corporate tax for three more years. The relief was due to end with tax periods closing on 31 December 2026.
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Argentina · Economy
Moody’s lifts Argentina to B3, bringing all three agencies into line
Moody’s raised Argentina by one notch on July 21 and turned its outlook positive. After Fitch in May and S&P in June, the three major agencies now agree on Argentina’s rating for the first time in over a decade.
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Paraguay · Economy
Paraguay and Brazil join the two halves of the Bioceanic bridge
The final concrete segment of the bridge between Carmelo Peralta and Porto Murtinho was poured on July 15, closing the last gap in a road meant to link Brazil’s farm belt to Chile’s Pacific ports through the Paraguayan Chaco.
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Paraguay · Residency
Paraguay now asks permanent residency applicants to show real means of support
From July 6, 2026, Resolution 407 requires anyone converting temporary residency to permanent in Paraguay to prove lawful, active means of support under one of twelve categories. Temporary residency is unchanged.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Policy
The EU asks Caribbean states to phase out citizenship by investment by June 2028
A June 25 letter from the EU’s migration commissioner asks Antigua and Barbuda to end its program by June 1, 2028, with tighter vetting by September. Antigua says it will not phase out unilaterally.
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Vanuatu · Policy
Vanuatu and Australia sign the Nakamal Agreement, with a promise of easier travel
A treaty signed in Canberra commits Australia to enhanced mobility arrangements for Vanuatu visitors. It does not grant visa free entry, and it still needs domestic approval in both countries before it takes effect.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Economy
IMF says Antigua and Barbuda has cut public debt from 101% to 68% of GDP
The Fund’s yearly review finds 3% growth in 2025, inflation down to 1.4% and a stronger budget, helped in part by citizenship by investment inflows.
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United Arab Emirates · Residency
Dubai drops the minimum property value for its two year investor visa
A sole owner of completed property in Dubai can now apply for the two year property investor visa whatever the property is worth. The old AED 750,000 floor is gone; joint owners need AED 400,000 each.
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Uruguay · Tax
Uruguay sets the rules for taxing residents’ foreign investment income
Decree 95/026, signed on May 6, explains how Uruguay’s 12% tax on foreign dividends, interest, rent and capital gains will work: how gains are measured, how foreign companies are looked through, and how the tax is collected.
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United Arab Emirates · Economy
Dubai Metro Blue Line tunnelling begins: the districts to watch before 2029
Work has started on the tunnels for the AED 20.5 billion Blue Line, a 30 km, 14 station metro due to open on 9 September 2029. Which districts it serves, how transit tends to move property values, and what to check before buying.
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Paraguay · Economy
The EU and Mercosur trade deal takes effect: what it opens for Paraguay
From May 1, 2026, the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur applies provisionally, ending tariffs on most goods between the two blocs. What Mercosur is, and what the deal opens for Paraguay.
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Paraguay · Economy
Buying off plan in Asunción: how to check a developer before you pay
Paraguay’s chamber of real estate developers has warned about new foreign developers without solvency after complaints over unfinished towers. A practical guide to vetting a project before paying a deposit.
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Paraguay · Residency
Paraguay’s Investor Pass: direct permanent residency for investors from US$70,000
Resolution 0283 of April 2026 sets four investment routes to permanent residency, from a US$70,000 productive business to US$200,000 in property or securities, with the investor certificate issued in five business days.
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São Tomé and Príncipe · Citizenship
São Tomé allows remote passport issuance and pauses applicants with three nationalities
New citizens no longer need to travel for fingerprints, thanks to video verification. But applications from people already holding three foreign nationalities are on hold, as are passports for adult children.
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United Arab Emirates · Residency
What the Iran war means for UAE residency
Two weeks into the conflict, UAE residence rules are unchanged. The government has waived overstay fines for people unable to fly and lets residents stranded abroad return on expired permits until March 31.
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Global · Policy
Revolut becomes a full UK bank: what changes, and what does not
After nearly 20 months of restrictions, Revolut’s UK arm can now hold protected deposits and, in time, lend. For people outside the UK, and for anyone using it as their only account, the picture is more nuanced.
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Georgia · Travel
The EU suspends visa free travel for Georgian officials
In the first use of its revised visa suspension mechanism, the EU now requires visas from holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports. It can widen this to all Georgians. Foreign residents are unaffected.
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St Kitts and Nevis · Travel
St Kitts and Nevis and Ghana remove visas for ordinary passport holders
Signed in Accra during Prime Minister Terrance Drew’s visit, the agreement extends a 2018 waiver for officials to every citizen, including those who became citizens through investment.
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Paraguay · Tax
Paraguay’s tax system in plain English
Since the 2019 reform, Law 6380, Paraguay taxes individuals only on income earned in the country, at 8% to 10%. A guide to IRP, IRE, IDU and VAT, and what each acronym means.
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Georgia · Residency
Georgia raises the property threshold for residence permits to US$150,000
From March 1, 2026, foreigners who want a Georgian residence permit through property must own real estate worth at least US$150,000 at market value, up from US$100,000. Existing holders keep their rights.
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Argentina · Economy
Argentina passes Milei’s labour reform
The Senate gave final approval on February 27 to the labour modernisation law, changing severance, trial periods, working hours and collective bargaining in one of Argentina’s largest labour overhauls in decades.
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Georgia · Economy
Georgia’s record year: US$4.3 billion of apartments sold in Tbilisi and Batumi
Colliers counted more than 59,000 apartment sales in Georgia’s two main cities in 2025, with foreign buyers putting most of their money into new projects. What the figures mean for anyone buying with residence in mind.
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Panama · Economy
Panama’s 2025 property data: apartments up, houses and land down
Official figures show apartment transfers rose 11% and apartment mortgages 15.4% in 2025, while deals on houses and land fell. What the split means for anyone who may one day want to resell.
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Paraguay · Economy
Paraguay turns to Etihad Rail for the Asunción commuter train
A roughly US$450 million electric line from Asunción to Luque, later reaching Ypacaraí, is back on the table with UAE backing. Which areas stand to gain, and why the timeline deserves caution.
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Turkey · Economy
Turkey sells a record 1.69 million homes in 2025
Official figures released on January 20 show Turkish home sales up 14.3% to an all time high, with mortgage sales up almost half as inflation and interest rates came down.
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Paraguay · Policy
Paraguay merges its property registry and cadastre into one system
From January 14, 2026, Paraguay’s new Registro Unificado Nacional brings land titles, the cadastre and official surveys under one roof. What it changes for anyone checking title and boundaries.
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St Kitts and Nevis · Citizenship
St Kitts and Nevis plans a residence requirement for new citizens
The world’s oldest citizenship by investment program says future applicants will need a genuine link to the federation, including time spent there, plus biometric checks. The details are not yet published.
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El Salvador · Economy
El Salvador welcomes a record 4.1 million visitors in 2025
Official figures released this week show 4.1 million international visitors in 2025, the best year in the country’s history, led by travellers from Guatemala, the United States and Honduras.
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Global · Tax
Global minimum tax deal exempts US groups: what it means for smaller companies
The 147 members of the OECD Inclusive Framework agreed a side by side package that frees US parented groups from key Pillar Two top up taxes. Small companies remain outside the rules entirely.
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Global · Tax
Crypto reporting begins: what CARF and DAC8 mean for internationally mobile investors
From today, crypto exchanges in the UK, most of the EU and more than twenty other jurisdictions record who their users are, where they pay tax and what they trade. Tax authorities start swapping that data in 2027.
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Turkey · Policy
Turkey caps 2026 property tax values: what owners need to know
Law No. 7566, published on 19 December 2025, limits how far 2026 property tax values can rise after a steep revaluation of land, giving owners a clearer view of holding costs for the next four years.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Travel
United States restricts new visas for Antigua and Barbuda citizens
From January 1, 2026, Antiguan and Barbudan nationals can no longer obtain new US visitor, student or immigrant visas. Washington cited citizenship by investment without residence. Existing visas stay valid.
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Uruguay · Tax
Uruguay resets its tax holiday for new residents
Uruguay’s new budget law, signed on December 16, ends the US$550,000 property route to its 11 year tax holiday. From 2026 it takes about US$2 million in property, a yearly innovation fund contribution or real residence.
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São Tomé and Príncipe · Economy
Starlink switches on in São Tomé as lenders line up behind its port and airport
Satellite internet went live the day São Tomé and Príncipe presented its long term plan to investors in Brussels, where the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and BADEA signalled support for key infrastructure.
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Global · Policy
UK makes identity checks mandatory for company directors and owners
From today, new directors of UK companies must verify their identity before appointment, and existing directors and owners have a 12 month window. Founders abroad can usually verify online with their passport.
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Caribbean · Policy
The EU can now suspend visa free travel over citizenship by investment
The Council of the EU has adopted a tougher visa suspension mechanism that names investor citizenship schemes as a ground for removing visa free access. The five Caribbean programs are the obvious focus.
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Panama · Economy
Who is buying property in Panama, and where
Investment through Panama’s Qualified Investor visa reached about US$100 million in the year to July 2025, mostly in real estate. Colombians and Americans lead, and buyers are spreading well beyond the capital.
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Turkey · Economy
Turkey’s 500,000 home social housing plan: what it means for rents and investors
TOKİ, Turkey’s state housing agency, will build half a million social homes, including 100,000 in Istanbul and its first below market rental homes. Why the extra supply matters for rents, yields and the mid market.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Travel
Antigua and Barbuda signs visa waivers with Ghana, Kenya, Benin and the UAE
Four agreements signed in New York during UN General Assembly week point the Antiguan passport towards Africa and the Gulf. Ghana confirms its deal covers ordinary passports.
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Caribbean · Policy
Five Caribbean states sign the agreement creating a shared citizenship regulator
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia have signed the treaty for ECCIRA, a regional authority that will set binding rules for all five citizenship by investment programs.
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São Tomé and Príncipe · Economy
Shell, Galp and Petrobras team up to explore São Tomé’s offshore Block 4
Galp and Petrobras have each taken 27.5 percent of an offshore exploration block operated by Shell. Three major energy companies are now committing money to the same patch of São Tomé’s waters.
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São Tomé and Príncipe · Citizenship
São Tomé and Príncipe launches a US$90,000 citizenship program
A small Portuguese speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea has opened the lowest priced citizenship by investment program on the market. Here is how it works and what to weigh.
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El Salvador · Policy
El Salvador ends presidential term limits and moves to six year terms
In a single evening on July 31, the Legislative Assembly approved and ratified constitutional changes allowing indefinite reelection, abolishing the runoff and bringing the next election forward to 2027.
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Vanuatu · Policy
Vanuatu’s case ends in a unanimous World Court opinion on climate duties
The International Court of Justice has answered the climate questions Vanuatu spent six years bringing before it, and all fifteen judges agreed. It is the biggest diplomatic result in the country’s history.
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United Arab Emirates · Policy
Dubai’s First Time Home Buyer Programme: priority access and better pricing for residents
UAE residents of any nationality who do not yet own freehold property in Dubai can now register for early access to new launches, preferential prices on homes up to AED 5 million and tailored mortgages.
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El Salvador · Economy
The IMF praises El Salvador’s progress and releases US$118 million
Four months into its US$1.4 billion program, El Salvador met its key budget and reserve targets with room to spare. The IMF board signed off on the first review on June 27 and released about US$118 million.
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United Arab Emirates · Residency
The UAE tops the world for millionaire migration again
Henley & Partners expects a net 9,800 millionaires to move to the UAE in 2025, more than any other country, while the United Kingdom faces the largest outflow. Here is what draws them and how residency works.
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Antigua and Barbuda · Travel
Leaked US memo puts four Caribbean citizenship states on a travel ban watch list
An internal State Department cable gives 36 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Vanuatu, 60 days to address US concerns or face possible entry restrictions.
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Argentina · Citizenship
Argentina writes citizenship by investment into law by decree
A sweeping migration decree published on May 29 lets foreigners become Argentine citizens through a “relevant investment” and creates a new agency to run the program. The price and the rules are still to come.
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United Arab Emirates · Policy
Owning a slice of Dubai: how tokenised title deeds work
The Dubai Land Department has issued its first Property Token Ownership Certificates after a tokenised apartment sold out in a day to 224 investors. What a token gives you, what it does not, and what to check first.
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Vanuatu · Citizenship
Vanuatu reopens its paused citizenship route with tighter rules
After a two month freeze, scrutiny of its agents and a string of cancelled passports, Vanuatu has reopened its Capital Investment Immigration Plan with higher prices and stricter oversight.
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St Kitts and Nevis · Travel
Turkey ends visa free entry for St Kitts and Nevis passport holders
From May 1, 2025, holders of ordinary St Kitts and Nevis passports need a visa to enter Turkey. The decision gives no reason, but it lands as scrutiny of citizenship by investment grows.
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Argentina · Economy
Argentina lifts most of its currency controls with a US$20 billion IMF deal
From Monday, Argentines can buy dollars without the old monthly cap and the peso will float inside a band of 1,000 to 1,400 per dollar, backed by a new US$20 billion IMF program.
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Panama · Economy
The Panama Canal, Washington and the ports deal: where things stand
Three months of US pressure over Chinese influence near the canal have produced a planned sale of the Balboa and Cristóbal port operations, a new security memorandum and a firm line from Panama on sovereignty.
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Global · Policy
FinCEN drops beneficial ownership reporting for US companies
A new interim rule exempts every company formed in the United States from reporting its owners to FinCEN. Companies formed abroad and registered to do business in a US state still have to file.
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Panama · Residency
Panama’s pensionado visa explained
A lifetime pension of US$1,000 a month, or US$750 with a US$100,000 property, brings permanent residency from day one, plus retiree discounts written into Panamanian law. Requirements, family rules and the limits.
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El Salvador · Policy
El Salvador makes bitcoin optional to secure a US$1.4 billion IMF deal
Lawmakers voted 55 to 2 on January 29 to end the rule that businesses must accept bitcoin, meeting a key condition of a planned US$1.4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.
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Turkey · Travel
The Turkish passport climbs six places in the 2025 Henley Passport Index
Turkey has moved from 52nd to 46th in the Henley Passport Index, with access to 116 destinations without a visa in advance. Here is what the ranking measures and what Turkish citizenship does and does not open.
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Vanuatu · Travel
The EU permanently ends visa free travel for Vanuatu
For the first time, the European Union has moved a country off its visa free list. The reason is Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment program, and every Vanuatu passport holder is affected.
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Paraguay · Economy
FIFA confirms Paraguay will host a 2030 World Cup match
FIFA’s member associations approved the 2030 World Cup on December 11: Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host, with three centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Asunción gets its first World Cup game.
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United Arab Emirates · Tax
UAE sets a 15% minimum tax for large multinationals from 2025
Groups with global revenue of EUR 750 million or more will pay at least 15% on UAE profits from 2025. Small companies, free zone start ups and the 9% corporate tax are untouched.
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Georgia · Policy
Georgia pauses its EU membership bid until 2028: what it means for residents
Georgia’s prime minister says EU accession will stay off the agenda until the end of 2028. Residence permits, visa free entry to Georgia and its business rules are set by Georgian law and are not changed by the decision.
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Uruguay · Policy
Orsi wins Uruguay’s presidency: what it means for residents and investors
Yamandú Orsi of the centre left Frente Amplio has won Uruguay’s runoff and takes office on March 1, 2025. A look at what the result means for taxes, the tax holiday and the country’s reputation for stability.
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Paraguay · Economy
How landlocked Paraguay built the world’s third largest barge fleet
Paraguay has no coastline, yet its river fleet is reported to be the third largest in the world after the United States and China, carrying around 80% of the country’s foreign trade down the Paraguay and Paraná rivers.
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Paraguay · Economy
Moody’s raises Paraguay to investment grade for the first time
On July 26 Moody’s lifted Paraguay’s rating to Baa3, the first rung of investment grade, citing steady growth, a more diversified economy and years of institutional reform. Here is what that means in plain terms.
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Paraguay · Economy
Paraguay and Brazil settle the Itaipú tariff until 2026
After months of talks, the two owners of the Itaipú dam agreed a tariff of US$19.28 per kilowatt a month for 2024 to 2026, new rights for Paraguay to sell its power in Brazil, and a deadline to rewrite the dam’s financial rules.
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Caribbean · Citizenship
Caribbean citizenship countries agree a common US$200,000 floor
Four Eastern Caribbean governments have signed an agreement to raise and align the minimum price of citizenship by investment at US$200,000 by June 30, 2024, alongside shared vetting and a regional regulator.
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United Arab Emirates · Residency
Off plan property can now count in full for Dubai’s Golden Visa
Dubai has reportedly dropped the AED 1 million down payment that buyers on mortgages or payment plans needed before applying for a property Golden Visa. The property’s value, at least AED 2 million, is now the test.
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El Salvador · Citizenship
El Salvador launches a US$1 million Freedom Visa paid in bitcoin
El Salvador and Tether have unveiled a program that offers residency and a route to citizenship for US$1 million in bitcoin or USDT, capped at 1,000 people a year.
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Paraguay · Residency
Paraguay’s new migration law explained: how residency works under Law 6984
Law 6984 of 2022 replaces a migration law from 1996. Temporary residency now lasts up to two years, temporary residents can get a Paraguayan identity card, and clear absence rules apply.
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Paraguay · Policy
Paraguay ends the deposit route to immediate permanent residency
Paraguay’s new Migration Law, in force from October 18, 2022, repeals the rules that let foreigners obtain permanent residency with a bank deposit of about US$5,000. Most applicants now start with temporary residency.
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