The Strategic Advantage of EU Access
- Jennifer Sontag
- Oct 2
- 5 min read
As a planner, an entrepreneur, and someone who successfully navigated the complex path to Italian citizenship by descent, established residency first in Spain then Italy, purchased a home and started an international business with offices in Italy, Spain, and the US. I can tell you from experience: you’re not looking for an exit strategy.
You're looking for a strategic generational asset that diversifies your family’s opportunities and secures their options against global uncertainty. Think of Europe as Plan B.
The real Return on Investment (ROI) isn't a beautiful view; it's guaranteed, permanent access to the world’s largest economic bloc, superior education, and an unparalleled quality of life.
My team and I intimately understand the need for robust contingency planning. It is why I founded ViaMonde fka Italian Citizenship Concierge and built a committed group of colleagues that have also been through this process and have the credentials to assist our clients everyday. We’ve developed the blueprint—a map we have used to help hundreds of individuals and families —turning complex legal processes into a powerful strategic advantage that protects and enhances your family's future.
Generational Legacy and Opportunity
Securing EU access is the ultimate future-focused investment you can make for your children and grandchildren. The stability of EU membership provides a permanent, secure anchor for a family's legacy, offering certainty while US policies and the global environment continue to shift.
Unlock EU Education
Unlocking EU education delivers an immediate and massive financial advantage for your family’s future. I wish I had this when my children were younger!
Financial Leverage: Your children gain the ability to attend world-class European universities with significantly lower tuition fees— a mere fraction of non-EU or US costs.
Reciprocal Rights: EU status grants reciprocal rights across all 27 member states, opening up a diverse, continent-wide selection of top-tier schools and specialized programs. It’s an immediate, massive expansion of opportunity.
Freedom to Work and Live
Understanding the difference between citizenship and residency is critical to maximizing your strategic advantage.
EU Citizenship (Passport): This is the ultimate career and life mobility tool. It grants the immediate, unfettered right of establishment (to live, work, and study) across all 27 EU nations. It truly is the ultimate 'Plan B' for career, life, and investment.
EU Residency (Visa): This provides crucial Schengen travel access and the right to live, work, or retire in the issuing country. It’s the secure, necessary pathway to eventual permanent residency or citizenship in many cases.
The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit: Residency and Work
For professionals and entrepreneurs, securing EU access is a move that can accelerate your career and optimize your income stream.
The Spanish Advantage
While many originally had their hearts set on Italy, Spain can be the more pragmatic choice: it features modern infrastructure, a milder culture shock, and easier visa financial thresholds. Recent reports in the Financial Times currently position Spain as the fastest-growing major economy in Europe, adding a powerful strategic layer to setting roots there.
If you’re a location-independent income earner, Spain should be your immediate choice. Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) is designed for remote workers earning at least 28,000€/year. It allows you to establish Spanish residency for 3 years from the first successful submission while maintaining your US and international client base, giving you European life access without interrupting your income stream. It is renewable and can lead to permanent residency.
If you are no longer actively working, Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) is a great choice allowing your passive income to be your key to unlocking residency. You must demonstrate approximately €28,800 annually for the main applicant (plus €7,200 per dependent). The initial visa lasts one year and requires you to live in Spain for 183 days per year to renew, which makes you a Spanish tax resident on global income. The visa allows you to sponsor immediate family and leads to permanent residency after five years.
The Italian Residency Path
Italy offers world-class options for higher active and passive earners, which may be the right fit if the citizenship process is too long or you are like me and want to live la dolce vita.
Designed for highly skilled professionals, the Digital Nomad Visa is a one-year, renewable visa that allows remote workers and freelancers to live legally in Italy. For this visa, applicants must be able to provide proof of professional qualification and a minimum annual income of around €28,000, similar to the EU Blue Card. You will be required to become an Italian tax resident on your worldwide earnings, though special tax breaks may apply.
For retired, financially independent individuals who no longer work, the Elective Residency Visa offers the option to live in Italy year round and leads to permanent residency after five years. This visa requires proof of stable passive income (pensions, dividends) of at least €32,000 annually. Family can be sponsored provided you have additional income. Potential access to the 7% flat tax regime on foreign income for 10 years if residing in a small town in Southern Italy.
For non-EU citizens making a qualifying investment (€250k in a startup up to €2M in government bonds), The Italian Golden Visa (Investor Visa) could be your ticket to Italian living. Key benefits include no minimum stay requirement and the right to sponsor a family (spouse, minor children, dependent parents). The initial application takes 3-4 months, and you become eligible for permanent residency after five years. Investors may also opt for a special tax regime: a flat annual tax of €200,000 on all foreign income for up to 15 years.
The Two-Country Lifestyle Comparison
We know that choosing the right country is key:
Spain: Offers modern, connected infrastructure in hubs like Barcelona and Valencia, appealing to the Digital Nomad seeking ease of business setup and international connectivity.
Italy: Favors the long-term investor or retiree with passive income, offering the renowned Mediterranean lifestyle and rich cultural atmosphere.
Our team, including in-house licensed avvocati and an abogado (attorneys), assist with setting up your business, securing housing (rentals and purchases) and partners with top tax and financial services to ensure you are legally and financially positioned for success from day one.
Vetting Your Strategic Team: Financial & Legal
For high-achievers, the complexity of moving assets, navigating worldwide income tax, and managing currency demands expert counsel. We learned this the hard way so you don’t have to.
We define our boundaries with integrity: ViaMonde focuses strictly on legal status, property, and physical relocation. We do not provide financial or tax advice.
The Vetted Network: To guarantee you are protected, we connect you exclusively with our vetted network of cross-border financial specialists (US/EU Tax, Estate Planning, International Accounting). These partners have passed our rigorous, integrity-first standards.
The Vetted Network ROI: Our "Guinea Pig Commitment" extends to these referral partners. This vetting process saves our clients from poor, expensive advice, protecting potentially hundreds of thousands in the long term—I know people who made expensive mistakes by not having this network.
The Ultimate Proof
Our success metrics confirm the strength of our strategic, client-first approach.
100% Success Rate: Our record speaks for itself: zero rejections and documented success in overturning challenging cases previously deemed impossible. This proves our meticulous, integrity-first case building and partner vetting process works.
Integrity Over Commission: I can personally confirm that our selection of legal and property partners is based solely on their demonstrated record of client success and ethical practice—never on financial gain for ViaMonde unlike content creators and some of our competitors.
