Guide to becoming a Global Citizen
5 things that are tying you down
Most have heard of the coveted global citizenship passport, or World Passport, that promises to grant access to any country in the world. As much as we all wish it existed, there is no one document that will make you a Global Citizen. Even if this fantasy passport did exist, becoming a true Global Citizen requires much more than getting a passport. It requires a specific lifestyle, world outlook and mindset. After all, US passport holders have visa-free entry into over 140 countries, but most still choose to spend their entire lives in one town.
Becoming a Global Citizen means breaking free from the restraints that one government may impose. Here are just some of the benefits of being a Global Citizen:
- Financial freedom
- Greater business opportunities
- Better quality of life
- Cultural exploration
- Increased safety
- Increased global mobility
- Best inheritance/legacy for children
Choosing to live a life as a Global Citizen is a big commitment, and it definitely isn’t for everyone. It is like signing a contract with yourself that you cannot break. To pay for the benefits of being a Global Citizen, you must be flexible and easily adapt to change, invest your time and effort into looking for new opportunities, work to sustain this lifestyle, be open-minded and accepting of other cultures, and learn to let go of physical and emotional attachments to things and places.
If you want to trade in a life of stability and mediocrity for a life of excitement, opportunities, and true freedom, read on for solid tips on becoming a Global Citizen.
1. Give yourself access to any country
From birth, we are assigned one country for living. It is up to every individual to open up other borders for themselves.
If you are a US (or Canadian) citizen, you’re in luck because you already have visa-free entry into 140+ counties with your passport. This means that you can enter with your US/Canadian passport, stay for X days or months, work remotely or start/expand your own business in those countries (depending on regulations of each country).
Getting dual-citizenship (or multiple-citizenship) is the best route for opening up more travel, business, investment, and other opportunities. To be able to live in more than one country for a prolonged period of time, reap the financial and governmental benefits of citizenship, and open up visa-free entries into other nations, look to get a citizenship and passport that would compliment your current citizenship.
Some things to research when looking for a second (or third) citizenship:
- Overlaps. Does the second passport grant visa-free access to countries that your current citizenship doesn’t allow, or is there significant overlap? Look for citizenships with less overlap.
- Dual citizenship policies. Some governments don’t allow their citizens to have another citizenship. This is not a good choice for a Global Citizen.
- Tax policies. Choose a dual citizenship that would complement, or improve your current tax strategy. You do not want to be paying double in taxes.
Important thing to note: Do not let getting a visa deter you from going to a certain country. Getting a visa does not have to be hard. Let me know if you want me to write an in-depth post about getting a second citizenship or a visa into any country!
2. Choose a career that gives you flexibility
You cannot be a Global Citizen working 9 to 5 with two weeks off in a year. If you have all the documents that allow you to live or work anywhere in the world, but your job says “NO”, can you really call yourself a Global Citizen?
If working a corporate job, pick one that is remote or hybrid. You can work remotely in almost any country without needing a work visa. A partially-remote job is more restricting.
The best is to start your own business and learn how to invest and make your money work for you. This path almost necessitates becoming a Global Citizen to grow. But it also provides the greatest flexibility that makes becoming a Global Citizen easier.
3. Choose rent over ownership
Your primary home is not an investment! It is a dead pile of rocks (or in the US — a pile of wood) that weighs you down and ties you to one spot. Yes, real estate appreciates over time. But all that appreciation is likely to be much less than the money, sweat, and tears you put into renovations and maintenance of your home. If you’re not paying with cash and taking out a mortgage, be prepared to pay as much in fees as the value of the home over the lifetime of the mortgage.
Money, in and of itself, does not have value. Economics teaches you that money is a “store of value” and a “medium of exchange”, but a more accurate way to put it is that money is a medium of exchanging value. The paper bills (or the more abstract electronic money) are good for nothing — you can’t eat paper, and one can argue that even wiping your arse with it wouldn’t be very comfortable — unless you exchange it for something that gives you real value. Better yet, learn how to exchange “things” of value repeatedly until you are left with more value or money than you started with.
What I’m trying to get at is — don’t just park your money in your home. Take the money you would’ve spent on a downpayment or renovations and invest it into advancing your business, into deriving more value from it, into advancing yourself.
Think of living in a home like paying for a service that benefits you. Pick a place that is most suitable for you and pay rent. When the location or the home stop benefitting you — move on to the next place. You have way more choices and mobility this way, and less missed opportunity costs.
4. Be apolitical
When you belong to no ideology in particular, you belong everywhere. Being a Global Citizen means being able to pick up your bags and move to a new place for opportunities, safety reasons, or just for the weather. Being partial and strongly opinionated will make you unwelcome in many places. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don’t think I need any more sayings to explain.
Keep in mind, a politician cannot be a Global Citizen. You must remain, or at least appear neutral to be a citizen of the world.
5. Always migrate to where there’s opportunity
Being a Global Citizen entails constant movement. If you look at wealthy people, they are mobile, always on the move, constantly talking about the places where they need to be or want to be. They follow the opportunities, connections, new possibilities. Likewise, Global Citizens are always moving, whether from state to state, or from country to country. The time between each new place can be a month, a year, or a few years (but never 30).
Simply wandering around without a purpose and vacationing from one place to another does not make one a Global Citizen. You must have a purpose in this way of life.
What this lifestyle also means is that you should never attach yourself physically, and emotionally, to one place. The physical part is easier to achieve. A house, cars, belongings, a job should never tie you down. The emotional attachments may be harder to deal with.
Becoming a Global Citizen is not an easy task, and it is a decision that everyone must make for themselves. But it opens up a world of opportunities, experiences, and life paths that are not available to anyone who is stuck to one place.
Migrating from one place to the next in search of a better life has been in our DNA since the times of our hunter-and-gatherer and explorer ancestors. Once you get a taste of what it feels like to live like we were meant to, I promise you will not want to go back.
Ready to become a Global Citizen?
Gypsy is building the next-gen infrastructure to enable remote workers to become global citizens. End your lease and travel the world. Simply sign up and request a callback to book your first trip.
Sign up for Gypsy today!
