Leaving the US: Why He Chose Poland and Portugal’s Golden Visa

By Sebastian Grube | Based on a conversation with Alexander von Maur Tinsman on The Global Advantage | Facts checked 13 October 2026

In short: Alexander von Maur Tinsman, Director of Clients & Partnerships (Europe & Africa) at Vancis Capital, left the United States, lived in nine countries and settled in Poland. He applied for Portugal's Golden Visa as a long-term residency pathway, because its minimum stay of seven days in the first year and fourteen days in each two-year period after that fits a life based elsewhere. When Portugal extended citizenship to ten years for most nationalities in May 2026, the permanent residence status for Golden Visa investors became central to his plan.

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Alexander left the United States to build a life in Europe, a wish that began in childhood. Watching the first Harry Potter film introduced him to a place where people spoke his language but lived among castles, different accents and a different way of life. That curiosity stayed with him.

Years later, it took him through study abroad and then life in Italy, India, Scotland, Hungary, Georgia, Bulgaria, Argentina and Romania, before he settled in Poland.

His reasons changed along the way. At some points, affordability mattered most. At others, he wanted a stronger social life or greater stability. Moving repeatedly taught him something more lasting.

"What really matters is how much you invest into it," he says of making a place home.

He means time, relationships and attention. Belonging develops through what you put into everyday life in a place. For anyone considering leaving the US for Europe, the more useful question is where you would be willing to build a life, including its less convenient parts.

Alexander chose Poland because it combines the experience of living abroad with a sense of familiarity. He describes a connection with his Midwestern upbringing and his time in Chicago, and he appreciates Polish cities, architecture and public transport.

His choice was personal. Someone else would weigh the same qualities differently.

He is also candid about the administrative side. At the time of recording, his Polish residence application had been processing for around a year. Even a country you love comes with paperwork that takes time.

For families and business owners evaluating a move, enjoying a place and being able to organise your life there are two connected questions. Schooling, healthcare, business commitments, language and family ties elsewhere all belong in that assessment.

Alexander pursued Portugal's Golden Visa as a plan B that keeps progressing wherever he lives. He wanted a pathway that would continue whether he stayed in Poland or returned to the United States. His application was still pending at the time of recording, so he was speaking as an applicant.

Portugal's Golden Visa is formally the residence permit for investment activity (ARI). It suits eligible applicants who want Portuguese residence without relocating there full-time. AIMA, Portugal's immigration agency, sets minimum stays of seven days in the first year and fourteen days in each subsequent two-year period.

Residence in Portugal and residence in Poland are separate permissions. A Portuguese Golden Visa allows short visits within the Schengen area. Living or working in another EU country requires its own legal basis, so anyone following a similar approach needs the right status in the country where they actually live.

Alexander chose the fund route, and his main concern was what would happen to the capital. The programme's two main routes are an investment of €500,000 in a qualifying fund, or a cultural donation from €250,000. He wanted to know how the fund would be managed, how long the money would be committed and whether it would be returned.

Those questions deserve an assessment of their own, separate from programme eligibility. For a US-American business owner, executive or family considering a similar commitment, the discussion should cover:

• Capital at risk: what could cause a loss, and how would it affect your wider plans?
• Access to funds: what do the investment documents say about maturity, redemption and extensions?
• Total costs: which fees, professional costs and ongoing expenses sit alongside the qualifying investment?
• Cross-border taxation: which reporting and tax rules apply to your circumstances?
• Changing timelines: would the plan still work if an application or a later change of status took longer than expected?

Alexander's experience is individual. The timing of any investment exit depends on both the immigration milestones and the investment's own terms.

Vancis Capital guides clients through the investment options within each programme, and stays with them through renewals and the move to permanent residence. Whether a particular investment suits you is a question for a qualified investment adviser.

For Golden Visa investors, the ten-year rule makes the five-year move to permanent residence the key milestone. Portugal's Ministry of Justice confirms that changes to the Nationality Law took effect on 19 May 2026. The minimum legal residence period for naturalisation is now ten years for nationals of countries outside the EU and the Portuguese-speaking countries, including US nationals. 

Nationality applications already pending on that date remain under the previous law. A pending Golden Visa application is a separate process. These are minimum periods before an application can be made, and each application is then assessed against the remaining requirements. 

Alexander describes his frustration when the timeline changed after he had committed to the programme. The change brought one part of Portuguese law into focus for him: the permanent residence status designed for Golden Visa investors.

Since 1 October 2018, Golden Visa holders who meet the general requirements for permanent residence can apply for a dedicated permanent residence permit for investment activity. The general requirements, set out in Article 80 of Law 23/2007, include at least five years of temporary residence, basic Portuguese, means of subsistence, accommodation and a clean criminal record. 

The investment-related status is expressly exempt from the rules that can cancel ordinary permanent residence after long absences from Portugal. For an investor based elsewhere, that is significant. After five years it offers a stable status that remains compatible with a life in another country.

Moving to permanent residence requires an application and approval. For a fund investor, the sound sequence is:

1. Permanent residence is granted.
2. The conditions are confirmed with Portuguese counsel.
3. The investment is redeemed under its own terms.

The practical lesson is to treat each milestone separately: permission to reside, eligibility for permanent residence, the investment exit, and eligibility to apply for citizenship.

US citizens remain subject to federal tax on their worldwide income wherever they live. Depending on their circumstances, provisions such as the foreign earned income exclusion or foreign tax credits may apply.

Alexander discusses tax as one factor in his own choice of home. His comments reflect his own situation, and the right comparison for anyone else depends on their income, assets and residence. Before relocating or investing, take coordinated advice on your US position and on the rules in your destination.

Start with the life you want to sustain, then choose the destination and residency programme that support it. Alexander's story suggests five questions to work through first.

What would improve your ordinary week? Be specific about what you want more of: time with family, a walkable neighbourhood, cultural life, access to nature or easier travel.

Where could you build community? Think about how you would meet people and keep relationships going beyond a first visit. Home takes participation.

Which permissions support that life? Identify what allows you to live and work where you intend to be, and what any additional residency would add.

What commitments can you comfortably maintain? Consider capital, ongoing costs, travel, administration and obligations to people or businesses elsewhere.

Would the plan still make sense if it took longer? Allow for processing delays and changes in circumstances. A durable decision holds up beyond the headline timeline.

Alexander recalls flying into Hungary with doubts and giving himself a few months to see how he felt. Two years later, he was still there. Time spent in a possible home teaches you what research alone can't.

For Alexander, home is community. Asked what home means to him now, he says: "It's definitely community."

Legal permissions support a life across borders. The relationships and routines that make it meaningful are built over time. His decision to live in Poland while pursuing Portugal's Golden Visa shows how present needs and future plans can take different forms, depending on the person, their responsibilities and the commitments they are prepared to make.

If you are evaluating your options, the right starting point is a complimentary strategic consultation with our team.