It is not every single day that you find a country with literally no taxes at all and a citizenship program based on blockchain technology – pretty much like cryptocurrencies.
It sounds like a country of the future, but the truth is Liberland is an exception among all other countries out there. Despite not being recognized by any nations out there, Liberland is pushing to change things.
It all started with a dream. Baby steps moved things closer and closer until Liberland became an actual place on the map, despite still struggling to claim its place.
Despite the lack of recognition, Liberland has gained notoriety among half a million people interested in getting citizenship or starting a business there.
Becoming a Liberland citizen is not as easy as it may seem. Here is everything you need to know about this micronation.
A few words about Liberland
Liberland is officially known as the Free Republic of Liberland. The nation has claimed a small part of the land that no other country has full control over.The uninhabited parcel is relatively small and located between Serbia, Croatia, and the Danube river. The tiny country was proclaimed in the spring of 2015 by Vít Jedlička, a Czech politician.
The country was created to settle an old conflict that started after Yugoslavia split up. This small plot of land was not really claimed by anyone, despite Croatia running it lately.
About the same size as Gibraltar, it only covers 2.7 square miles. Being still in the development stage, there is no infrastructure there.
Soon after being proclaimed, Liberland saw an influx of foreigners looking for a different lifestyle. Since Croatia administered the land, the country kept detaining people crossing the border.
Later on, a court ruled that such procedures were illegal, so they stopped. People from Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the USA, and other countries were in trouble for getting to Liberland back then.
Croatia blocked access to the area years ago, so getting there was considered illegal until courts decided otherwise. Croatia also claimed the establishment of a new country could be a danger.
Serbia, on the other hand, claimed that the establishment of Liberland was not causing any issues at all, yet it never took the new country seriously.
At the moment, there are no official countries recognizing Liberland, yet other bizarre micro nations have shown support – with Somaliland being the most significant one.
A government has been recently suggested, but not established yet – up to 20 members. Members are elected through electronic votes. The self proclaimed president has claimed that he intends to run the country on an open border regulation.
The point of the country is to create an establishment where people can live by different rules, without any taxes or significant regulations. At the moment, the long term goal is to establish a community of 120,000 people – with plans to expand it further on.
Given the size of the country and the potential for little to no taxes, Liberland is seen as a modern solution. It is also supposed to follow Monaco and Liechtenstein in terms of how the local society should grow.
A constitution has also been published on the official website. Overall, Liberland supports property and individual rights, as well as the right to keep arms. There are a bunch of criminal offenses included too, such as polluting the environment.
While still in development, Liberland aims to create its own cryptocurrency for local uses, yet other cryptocurrencies will also be accepted. At the moment, there are no official currencies in the country, since it is mostly uninhabited.
While many see Liberland as a joke, the truth is that Vít Jedlička is trying to get recognition from the UN. With this purpose in mind, he has managed to find more than 70 representatives in over 60 countries within a year, and the list keeps growing.
Benefits of becoming a Liberland citizen
Now that you have a few clues about Liberland, why would you want to become a Liberland citizen? If you think about it, the country is still developing. It has no official recognition, and its passport is not recognized internationally. However, it comes with some benefits.Starting a business
First of all, you could start a remote business in Liberland straight away. The electronic residency program means you do not have to be there physically. You can establish a business in this jurisdiction from the comfort of your living room.
With these thoughts in mind, Liberland is a good choice for self-employed individuals and entrepreneurs who can run businesses remotely – for example, a crypto exchange. Freelancers will also find Liberland to be a good choice.
Gaining access to a free trade zone
Becoming a citizen of Liberland is not all about establishing digital businesses but also about gaining access to a free trade zone. The Apatin free trade zone means you can keep your operating costs to a minimum.
Apatin is actually a small town in Vojvodina, Serbia. Running under Serbia, Vojvodina is actually an autonomous province. There are dozens of ethnic groups and a bunch of official languages. It could be a bit confusing from a legal point of view, though.
Finding a great real estate
This opportunity is a little unusual, but at the end of the day, the local real estate market has some of the best prices in Europe. Sure, Liberland is uninhabited, but different projects are likely to take over anytime now. Being one of the early landowners could be an opportunity in the future.
The government has mentioned the first real estate project in Liberland. Known as the Floating Cabins Project, it is basically a luxurious boat that can accommodate people in amazing suites. Prices begin at about $45,000, and the citizenship will also be given – the cheapest citizenship by investment out there.
In terms of actual buildings and homes, there is only an old building in Liberland. There are reports of a few chalets in the forests covering the area as well. Those who established the land raised the flag on the building and claimed to have plans to renovate it.
Enjoying an electronic government
At the moment, given the undeveloped status of Liberland, pretty much everything is in a growing stage. Most things are handled electronically. You can open a business over the Internet, as well as deal with governmental issues.
You can become a Liberland citizen online, manage property titles, make donations, run the business, vote in elections, and so on. Everything is doable over your mobile device, so this citizenship may seem like a joke, but it feels like being the future.
Benefiting from the best fiscal policy
Liberland is a free republic and was developed as a free country. It is still an ongoing and developing project, but you never know what the future may have in store for it. The purpose is to enjoy the freedom to its fullest, regardless of your social status, religion, race, or language.
This concept is proven with a fiscal policy of no taxes whatsoever. Citizens and residents can make voluntary donations if they believe in the project, but this is it. There are no financial obligations at all. Liberland is the only jurisdiction out there with such a system.
Enjoying a straightforward process
Whether you want to become a Liberland citizen or just a resident, the process is straightforward and does not require too much time, lots of paperwork, and agents or lawyers. The electronic residency and citizenship program is available through a platform released in 2015.Since then, over half a million applications have been sent over. Most of these applications come from entrepreneurs and investors who are trying to get away from proven failing measures in controlling countries.
Requirements to become a Liberland citizen
If you have considered other citizenship by investment programs before, you probably already know such programs are time consuming and daunting. They require plenty of documentation and a massive investment. Things are different in Liberland.Since the country is not well established yet, the process is exclusively done over the Internet – no visits are required. Considering the world we live in, this is probably the most desired way to get citizenship by investment.
Requirements are often moral, rather than technical and covered in bureaucracy. For example, you must show respect to others and their opinions. There are no differences in terms of religion, sex, race, or orientation.
While there is no private property available in Liberland at the moment, the leadership believes the country is going in the right direction. One of the requirements to get citizenship implies respecting private property.
A negative past could be an issue and will most likely lead to rejection. Those with a communist or Nazi past will be automatically rejected, as well as those with an extremist past. A clean record from the original country is also a must.
Finally, you will need at least 5,000 Liberland merits to apply. Merits are obtained in a few different ways – working through the initiative or donating money to the government. The Liberland community is also working to release a cryptocurrency, which will most likely carry the same name.
Take your time and ensure you meet all the requirements. If you do, your application will enter the second phase. Your information and documentation will be checked to ensure high accuracy and no false claims in the application.
Should you get accepted and become a Liberland citizen, there are a few ways to get the certificate. Most people choose to get it by mail, but you can also get it in person if you are lucky enough to have a Liberland representative office in your area.
How Liberland passports work
In the initial stage, Liberland seems to be ready to take 120,000 residents in the territory, despite only having one building and a few chalets. Further plans might be developed later on. Even though you can apply for citizenship, getting a passport is more difficult.At the moment, passports are reserved for diplomats only. Official representatives may also get passports, but it depends on their role. These representatives can only be appointed by Liberland only, and there are currently no elections.
Passports are made to meet all the international standards out there. However, since the country is not recognized by any official government, the passport is obviously useless in terms of traveling capabilities.
Since Liberland is slowly preparing to take people in and passports are difficult to get, you can opt for the electronic residency instead, which is just as useful if Liberland will ever be recognized by other governments.
The electronic residency allows you to use some form of identification, whether you plan to attend real life events in the future or just online events. You can sign documents in a digital manner but also authenticate them with your electronic residency.
Moreover, this electronic residency card will give you access to a proprietary communication service, which is encrypted and secure. You can manage your business if you do choose Liberland as a jurisdiction, not to mention being able to become a Liberland citizen in the future.
The electronic residency is relatively cheap and will only cost you about $100. It is the cheapest electronic residency option in the world, so lots of entrepreneurs have chosen to buy it. It is an insignificant expense, after all – plus, you never know what the future has in store for this micro nation.
Most people interested in doing business in Liberland have focused on digital services. Some businesses are related to trading and digital coins, while others are based on hosting services – most of them operate online, though.
Given the environment and the current society, Liberland has taken a good bet by allowing new technologies to settle in. Not only are they profitable, but they also help the country develop economically in the long run.
With all these thoughts in mind, despite not being recognized, Liberland has drawn more attention than any other country in the world in terms of citizen investment programs. There is definitely demand there, and chances are it will be met at some point.
Is it worth becoming a Liberland citizen?
Located between Serbia and Croatia, Liberland aims to be the next best tax haven in the world – a place where free people can truly enjoy freedom. Now, if you live in one of the countries in the eastern part of Europe, you probably know already that no one pays attention to Liberland.The idea is a bit sketchy, and while it makes some interesting news every now and then, the country is never really taken seriously. The president has gained notoriety in the media and has told everyone how badly he wants his country on the map.
The concept is promising – pay tax if you want. Start a business – no problem. Liberland aims to get its own cryptocurrency too, yet other digital coins will also be accepted. Plus, getting residency or becoming a Liberland citizen is fairly simple.
The program is not crystal clear, yet many points are there. You can always get to the official website and keep an eye on it. Feel free to register your interest, too and you will get an email as soon as more information is available.
The excitement towards a new small country is fairly simple to understand. Look at countries like Monaco or Singapore. People know they can keep most of their money there, so they host lots of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and successful business people.
Liberland aims to do exactly what Singapore did. Singapore was not involved in any political conflicts to become such a rich hub. Instead, it appealed to people from all over the world over the free market. It worked for Singaporeans, so Liberland might be just as successful.
Signing up for this program is definitely worth it. While Liberland is in an incipient stage, you never know what might happen. You never know which country might recognize it first and start a trend. There are, however, some concerns.
There are plenty of micro nations and wannabe countries out there. Most of them fail. Even a nation with a solid history in terms of culture will struggle to gain its independence these days – take a look at places like Transnistria or Kosovo. Getting an identity is even harder in Europe.
Now, Liberland is close to Serbia and Croatia. It is close to the European Union, as well as the Schengen zone. Entering some countries will imply a strict passport control, and Liberland would be landlocked – despite having access to the Danube river too, which leads to the Black Sea.
Going against such neighbors could be an issue for Liberland because some new citizens would simply be locked in. But then, Europe’s reaction to a new tax haven on the old continent would definitely be interesting.
On another note, the Liberland passport is worthless right now. It is a fantasy passport. Some people may still have the old school world passport, which is no longer acceptable as a travel document. After all, the war on terror has caused governments to adopt stricter restrictions.
While being a Liberland citizen may not be a bad idea, it depends on how it may affect you globally. The trend is more common among Americans, who would need second citizenship to escape the dramatic taxes in the USA.
Generally speaking, most people from developed countries can enter Serbia or Croatia without applying for a visa. Obviously, plenty of people applying for the Liberland citizenship come from countries that require visas in Europe. Nearby countries have no obligations at all, though, so this could be an issue.
Take a look at other countries, though. Look at San Marino. San Marino has an agreement with China, so citizens can travel freely. But San Marino does not have an airport – Chinese would need to fly to Italy, so they would require a visa to get there.
You get the point – citizenship in a landlocked country may cause unexpected problems if nearby governments decide to go against that country. Since both Serbia and Croatia see Liberland as a joke, such issues may actually become a reality if things go further.
The project behind Liberland is definitely appealing. Besides, the location is great – close to the European Union and the Schengen zone. You could have easy access to nearby countries and actually live in a civilized place.
If you compare Liberland to other similar micro nations, you will notice that some of them fight over uninhabitable areas. You would not want to live on an abandoned platform in British waters – Sealand. You would not find it too suitable in Antarctica either.
Liberland has started out too intensely. The president went all over the world seeking media attention. It sounds like the perfect libertarian jurisdiction out there, which other governments and countries could disagree with.
Starting out like this – basically, claiming that other governments are wrong – could cause Liberland to fail in the long run. But at the same time, keeping an eye on further development is definitely worth it – and if you have the funds for it, residency or citizenship could become something big in the future.
Conclusion
As a short final conclusion, becoming a Liberland citizen seems to be fairly simple. Plenty of people from all over the world has shown interest in Liberland because it promises the world – literally. It aims to be a free place for people to enjoy life without depending on greedy politicians.It is definitely a long way to go, but you never know what could happen. Beneficial agreements for neighboring countries could put Liberland in an excellent position. The program is affordable and inexpensive these days when compared to other similar programs.
If it does go through, chances are its popularity and price will skyrocket. Whether you are interested in a jurisdiction where you can pay as little tax as you want – or none at all – or you want to get rid of corrupt governments, Liberland is worth keeping an eye on.
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