The government of Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. As a result of this political relationship, control of entry and exit from Puerto Rico's territorial borders is held by the federal government of the United States of America.

The Puerto Rico Department of State is responsible for guiding foreigners interested in visiting the island and acting as a liaison with federal authorities to clarify or expedite visa procedures.

People visiting Puerto Rico have the same immigration restrictions and privileges as if they were visiting any other destination in the United States. For immigration purposes, traveling from anywhere in the United States to Puerto Rico does not constitute a departure from the United States, except directly from an interstate to Puerto Rico. Likewise, when travelers arrive in the United States from Puerto Rico, they do not need to go through immigration, as long as the flight is direct from Puerto Rico to an interstate. However, for identification purposes, they must carry some form of identification, such as a driver's license, a license issued by a state or federal agency, or an original birth certificate.

How to obtain residency in Puerto Rico

Foreigners visiting Puerto Rico are also subject to the same immigration laws and regulations as the United States, so they must ensure they meet immigration and visa requirements. Immigrating to Puerto Rico therefore follows the same rules as immigrating to the United States.

In addition to obtaining your residency in Puerto Rico, you will probably be interested in creating a life insurance policy on your tax status by taking up a second tax residence in a country with territorial taxation, such as a Residence in Panama or a Residence in Paraguay.

You might also be tempted to find out what advantages there are to moving to the Mexican economic giant, taking up residence in Mexico

To begin your residency transfer process, contact us at info@studiopanamaitalia.com. Send us a copy of your passport and the exact dates you'd like to begin and take up residency in your preferred country. Alternatively, contact us using the contact form on this website or via WhatsApp.

Citizens and permanent residents of the United States enjoy the right to live in Puerto Rico the same way that Puerto Rican citizens can live in the continental United States. This is because the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. Due to the territory's legal status, moving to Puerto Rico is considered internal migration, not immigration. The key to defining a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico requires three criteria to be met:

“presence” of the individual in Puerto Rico,

have a “tax domicile” in Puerto Rico and

have “closer connections” with the territory than elsewhere.

Presence

First, an individual must be "present" in Puerto Rico for a defined period. To pass this test, an individual must be able to meet one of the following conditions:

Be present in Puerto Rico for a minimum of 183 days in the tax year.
Spend at least 549 days in Puerto Rico during the three-year period of the current tax year and the two preceding years, including at least 60 days in Puerto Rico during each tax year.
Not be present in the United States for more than 90 days during the tax year.
Not earn more than $3,000 in U.S. earned income during the tax year and be present in Puerto Rico for more days than in the United States.
Have no significant connections with the United States during the tax year.

Tax Home 

Second, an individual should not have a “tax home” outside of Puerto Rico.

This means that Puerto Rico must be your primary residence or principal place of business. To benefit from the tax advantages provided by Law 60-2019 (detailed below), an individual must purchase property in Puerto Rico within two years. This property must be the individual's primary residence and not rented out.

Close Ties 

Third, an individual should not have a “closer connection” to the United States or any foreign country than to Puerto Rico.

Various factors, such as the presence of a permanent residence, family, assets, a major bank, and a business in Puerto Rico, as well as the existence of professional, cultural, religious, social, and political affiliations and ties in Puerto Rico, can help demonstrate a closer connection to Puerto Rico than to any other place.