Contingency Routes: How to design Plan A/B/C jurisdictions without betting your life on one government

In 2026, a “one-country plan” is a fragile plan.

Many high-earning professionals and founders build their life around one government decision:

• one tax regime,
• one visa route,
• one banking setup,
• one property market.

And then the rules change.

Sometimes the door closes. Sometimes the price jumps. Sometimes the headlines change the reputation of a place—and banks react overnight.

This is why contingency routes matter. Not as a luxury. As infrastructure.

If you have cross-border income, assets, or a globally mobile family, the goal is not to find the “cheapest route.” The goal is to build a jurisdiction stack that can survive policy turns and reputation shocks

The 2024–2026 reminder: doors close, and prices go up

Here are three real examples that show why Plan B thinking is now basic risk management:

• Spain moved to scrap the real-estate “golden visa” path as housing politics heated up.
• The EU’s top court ruled that Malta’s “golden passport” scheme breaks EU law—an explicit signal that transactional EU citizenship is politically toxic.
• Italy has repeatedly repriced its “neo-resident” flat-tax regime: it doubled from €100k to €200k for new arrivals (2024), and Reuters reported plans to lift it again to €300k for newcomers as part of the 2026–2028 budget plan.

Simple lesson: regime risk is real. You can do everything right—and still get caught by a policy shift.

What Plan A / Plan B / Plan C really mean (simple definitions)

Think of this like backup systems. You don’t want three plans that all fail for the same reason.

Plan A: Your Base

This is where you can live a good life and run your life:

• predictable day-to-day rules,
• realistic tax treatment (for your facts),
• stable banking,
• family continuity (school, healthcare).

Plan B: Your Continuity Option

This is your “activate fast” backup:

• residence rights you can use quickly,
• another bankable setup,
• the ability to move your family or business without chaos.

Good Plan B is about time-to-activate (often 30–90 days), not “maybe in 18 months.”

Plan C: Your Escape Hatch

This is your “movement layer”:

• status or documentation that reduces dependence on one country,
• buys time during shocks,
• keeps travel options open.

Important: for I-Invest readers, Plan C is not only about travel—it’s about not being cornered.

Key point: Plans must be designed around bankability and compliance, not just visas.

Why this matters right now (2026 drivers)

1) Europe is repricing investment migration

Spain’s move against golden visas shows how fast routes can close when housing becomes a political crisis.

And Malta’s court loss shows an EU-level message: citizenship-for-sale models face heavy resistance.

2) Tax regime volatility is increasing

The UK ended the old non-dom system and replaced it with a new 4-year foreign income and gains regime starting in the 2025–26 tax year, with detailed eligibility rules published by the UK government.

Italy has also been shifting pricing for its flat-tax regime for new residents, reminding people that “famous tax destinations” can get re-priced.

3) “List risk” can hit banking and transfers

Two list systems matter a lot:

• FATF grey list: In October 2025, FATF removed Nigeria and South Africa (plus Mozambique and Burkina Faso) from increased monitoring, which can improve how banks and investors view a country.
• EU high-risk third-country list: In June 2025, the European Commission added Monaco and removed the UAE (and others). This can change how EU-linked banks score risk.

Even if you are personally “clean,” your corridor can become slow if the place you bank, invest, or route through gets re-labeled.

4) “CBI credibility” is under pressure, so programs are standardizing

Eastern Caribbean jurisdictions signed a Memorandum of Agreement to standardize and tighten CBI practices, including a $200,000 minimum price starting July 1, 2024, plus shared standards and oversight.

Translation: the market is moving from “cheap deals” toward “credibility and compliance.”

The Jurisdiction Stack: 5 principles that make Plan A/B/C resilient

Principle 1: Diversify the failure modes

Don’t pick three plans that fail for the same reason.

Example:
If all your options depend on the same political story (like housing anger), they can all tighten together.

Principle 2: Separate your bases

You may need three different “bases”:

• Lifestyle base (where you live well),
• Banking base (where money moves smoothly),
• Travel base (where you keep mobility).

Trying to force one place to do everything often creates hidden risk.

Principle 3: Bankability beats brochure benefits

If you cannot pass onboarding, KYC refresh, and “source of funds” checks, your plan is not a plan. It’s marketing.

Principle 4: Substance beats paper

“Paper residency” with no real life footprint tends to break under:

• tax questions,
• bank questions,
• renewal questions.

Principle 5: Time-to-activate matters

Your Plan B should be usable inside a real shock window (30–90 days). If it takes years, it’s a long project—not a contingency plan.

The 5 stress tests every Plan A/B/C should pass

Use these as a simple checklist.

Learn More

Stress Test 1: Election + policy reversal

Ask: what happens if the government changes or public mood turns?

Spain’s golden visa rollback shows how quickly politics can end a route.

Stress Test 2: Banking de-risking

Ask:

• can you open and keep accounts?
• can you move large sums without constant holds?
• are your entities easy to explain?

List changes and reputation shocks can make banks conservative fast.

Stress Test 3: List shock

Ask: what if your jurisdiction gets re-labeled by FATF or the EU?

FATF’s October 2025 list changes show how status can change—and why it matters.

Stress Test 4: Family continuity

Ask:

• schools,
• healthcare,
• spouse work rights,
• safety,
• housing reality.

If your plan fails this test, it won’t last.

Stress Test 5: Exit liquidity

Ask:

• can you sell assets?
• can you move proceeds?
• can you document source of funds cleanly?

This is where “cheap setups” often fail.

Three example stacks (templates, not prescriptions)

These are simple examples to help you think. They are not advice.

Stack 1: The “UK-exodus operator” (high earner with global income)

What changed: the UK’s new rules pushed many people to re-check residency and tax planning.

Plan A (base): a stable, livable place that fits your work and family
Plan B (continuity): a second residence right in another region (so you can move fast)
Plan C (escape hatch): a mobility backstop where appropriate and credible

What to watch:

• Europe has been tightening routes (Spain).
• EU sentiment on “buying citizenship” is tough (Malta).

Stack 2: The “founder with emerging-market exposure”

Founders need:

• bankability,
• invoicing that doesn’t trigger constant reviews,
• business continuity when regulations shift.

Plan A: where the business can operate cleanly and hire talent
Plan B: a low-friction platform that stays bankable during shocks
Plan C: a movement layer so you’re not stuck waiting for approvals

Key idea: founders should avoid structures that look clever but are hard to explain during due diligence.

Stack 3: The “allocator/family” (assets + structures + heirs)

Families care about:

• long-term rule stability,
• private banking,
• inheritance planning,
• education continuity.

Plan A: rule-of-law + predictable banking
Plan B: alternate domicile options for structures (if scrutiny increases)
Plan C: mobility layer that protects travel and schooling options

Key idea: a family plan should survive 10–20 years, not just “this year’s rules.”

The institutions that can break (or save) a Plan B

These groups move the real world. Knowing them helps you track risk.

• EU courts and institutions: Malta ruling signals the EU stance on citizenship-for-sale.
• National governments: Spain’s golden visa rollback shows national politics can close routes quickly.
• Tax authorities and rule publishers: UK guidance on the FIG regime shows how eligibility rules shape relocation decisions.
• Standards bodies that shape bank behavior: FATF outcomes and list status can change cross-border friction.
• EU AML list machinery: high-risk list updates can affect EU-linked bank risk scoring.
• Caribbean coordination layer: OECS actions show the push toward standardization and minimum pricing for credibility.

A simple “Plan A/B/C worksheet” you can use today

You can do this in one sitting.

Step 1: Write your non-negotiables (5 lines)

• Family needs (school/healthcare)
• Work needs (time zones, travel)
• Tax reality (what you can and can’t claim)
• Banking needs (currencies, jurisdictions)
• Lifestyle needs (climate, safety)

Step 2: Choose a Lifestyle Base (Plan A)

Score it 1–5 on:

• political stability
• policy volatility (how often rules change)
• cost of living
• schooling/healthcare
• day-to-day ease

Step 3: Choose a Continuity Base (Plan B)

Score it 1–5 on:

• time-to-activate (30–90 days?)
• bankability
• ease of renting/buying
• renewal reliability

Step 4: Choose a Travel Base (Plan C)

Score it 1–5 on:

• credibility and compliance reputation
• speed to obtain
• practical travel value
• cost and ongoing obligations

Step 5: Run the 5 stress tests

If any plan fails two stress tests, it’s not strong enough.

The takeaway

In 2026, the edge is not finding a single “perfect” jurisdiction.

The edge is building a jurisdiction stack:

• Plan A: where you can actually live and operate
• Plan B: a backup you can activate fast
• Plan C: a movement layer that buys time

And you build it around:

• bankability,
• compliance credibility,
• and realistic timelines—not hype.

Because governments change. Lists change. Prices change.

Your plan should survive that.