In the past months, the world has been turned upside down by COVID-19, the terrifying, sinister disease that has already claimed thousands of lives globally. And although the stats are already high, cases and deaths continue to increase every day.
Aside from being a serious threat to health, this global pandemic has affected various industries and everyone’s way of living. Nearly all businesses have closed, except for the ones providing medical, healthcare, and other basic or essential services. This, in turn, has caused millions of people to lose their jobs or sources of income.
Additionally, the manufacture and transportation of goods have been directly affected, which means there are some shortages of certain products in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other retail shops.
Children are also stuck in their homes due to schools and malls being closed and parents encouraging them to stay indoors. Places that were often packed with people have turned into ghost towns. These include parks, amusement centers, churches, bus and train stations, and airports.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected one of the biggest industries and most popular pastimes of people from different parts of the world: travel.
Second Citizenship in Times of Global Crises
Although traveling becomes a necessity instead of a luxury or hobby during a global pandemic or crisis, getting a second passport through a citizenship by investment program still offers several benefits.
These advantages include:
1. Ease of travel
If you are a frequent traveler, a powerful passport, such as one issued by a Caribbean nation, allows you visa-free or visa-upon-arrival entry to numerous countries. This is something that you can continue to experience even during times of pandemics.
When you have two passports, you can choose which document to use that will permit you faster entry in your choice of country where you can feel safer and more comfortable.
If your home country is beset by the pandemic and you want to leave, you may be able to use your second passport to avoid the hassles that can delay or prevent your travel.
Keep in mind that passports from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis are among the most powerful travel documents in the world. If you have any of these passports, your chances of securing entrance into your choice of country will be higher.
2. Longer stay overseas
Your second passport allows you to stay as long as you want in the country that issued it.
If you have a Caribbean passport, you can live in the country that issued your citizenship and wait for the pandemic to run its course there. Compared to other regions, COVID-19 cases are still not that high in the Caribbean.
As a citizen, you won’t be asked to leave the country even if you won’t work or start a business here. You won’t encounter any problems either if you will only rent a home.
If you obtained your second passport by buying a government-approved property through the citizenship by investment program, take the opportunity to enjoy your long stay in your second home.
3. Relocate with your family
When you acquire a second passport through a Caribbean citizenship by investment program, your spouse and dependents can also obtain their own travel documents.
Because of this, they will enjoy the same benefits as you. This means that they can enter the issuing country when you do and stay for as long as it’s necessary.
Your escape from COVID-19, therefore, can also be a great opportunity for you to bond with your family. Even if your purpose for staying in the Caribbean is for health reasons, you can still have a wonderful time with your loved ones here.
4. Refuge in an island paradise
Whether you are staying by yourself, with your spouse, or your entire family in the Caribbean during the pandemic, you are in one of the best spots in the world to wait it out until things get back to normal.
With the beaches devoid of tourists, you will have large stretches of seashores for yourself and your companions. Because of this, you can still enjoy the outdoors and get some workout as you swim or take a run along the seashore without worrying about social distancing.
Spending some time outdoors allows you to get vitamin D from the sun, which helps boost your immune system. This, in turn, will ensure you stay healthy and avoid getting sick easily.
This is something that you can enjoy doing every day if you have a beachside home or one near to a beach.
With a beautiful home and environment surrounding you, you won’t feel that you are in a community quarantine or lockdown.
5. Preparation for property investment
Finally, one of the possible knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that property rates may go down. If you are looking to invest in your first home in the Caribbean or add one to your portfolio, staying in this area at this time may put you at a great advantage.
Once restrictions are lifted, you can look at properties for sale and shortlist the ones that meet your requirements. Since you will be able to visit these houses and apartments personally, you will see for yourself the best home to purchase.
Your personal inspection of the properties for sale puts you in a better position to negotiate with the seller or realtor too.
These advantages are nothing to scoff at during a global pandemic. If you already have a second passport, now is the time to optimize its use.
It is still not too late to apply for a Caribbean passport. Send us a message and we’ll help you get started.