Investing from outside of the US

 introduces investment and taxation for US and non-US citizens domiciled outside the US.

Most countries tax you if only you live there (or sometimes, if you are domiciled there). Eritrea and the US are different. Both of these countries tax their citizens no matter where they live.

Domicile is a legal term for being a lawful permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction. You can remain domiciled in a jurisdiction even after leaving it, if you keep enough links with that jurisdiction or do not intend to leave permanently; for example, if you move to a different state or country but have not yet decided to remain there indefinitely.

Most of the Bogleheads investment philosophy is universal, and you can use its ideas if you live outside of the US, although you will have to account for your local situation and tax rules. Please see investing start-up kit for non-US investors for an introduction.

Introduction
The non-US domiciles wiki section concentrates on topics that apply to investors outside the US. (US investors will probably find some of these topics entirely unfamiliar.)

This page explains several of the shorter topics below. Separate pages cover the larger topics. There is also a series of pages that guide you through the maze of investment choices, including fund domiciles and currencies.

As well as generic pages, there are pages with an overview of investing from specific countries. Some of these country pages offer sample portfolios or suggestions for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or other investments for that country. Although you can use these to build an initial portfolio, it is a good idea to post a question on the forum. Every country is different, and recommendations might change over time.

Taxation of your investments
Every country has its own tax legislation. Tax treaties between countries usually control cross-border tax. Depending on your situation, you may be able to optimize your tax. For example, many countries let residents claim local tax credits for taxes paid to other countries, perhaps based on any applicable tax treaties.

Taxation as a US person living abroad
If you are a US taxable person (that is, a US resident, US citizen or US green card holder), begin with with Taxation as a US person living abroad. Your situation is quite different to that of most other people.

Impact of US legislation on investors outside of the US (nonresident alien - NRA)
The US stock market is a large portion of the world equity market. This means that US legislation has an outsized impact on investing from outside of the US. Nonresident alien taxation summarizes how the US taxes a nonresident alien (NRA) who holds US domiciled funds or ETFs. Pay particular attention to US withholding taxes and US estate taxes.

Levels of taxation
If you hold funds you may face multiple levels of tax:
 * Level 1: Taxation by the home country of the security.
 * Level 2: Taxation by the country where the fund is domiciled.
 * Level 3: Taxation by your home country.

Kinds of taxation
You may face many different types of taxes on elements of your investment and returns, for example: tax on dividends received or accumulated; tax on interest; capital gains tax; wealth taxes; transaction taxes; gift, inheritance and estate taxes; and value-added taxes.

You might also be subject to more than one overlapping tax regime. For example national taxes, local or regional taxes, city taxes, and foreign taxes might all apply to you at the same time. You need to find an efficient way through this maze of taxes. This is often not straightforward.

Guidance and decision tables for non-US investors

 * Nonresident alien investors and Ireland domiciled ETFs: This page describes why it is better for a nonresident alien with poor or no US tax treaty coverage to invest in Ireland domiciled exchange-traded funds (ETFs) instead of the popular US domiciled mutual funds discussed often by US-based investors.


 * Non-US investor's guide to navigating US tax traps: US tax laws contain multiple traps for unwary non-US investors. This page contains a guide for non-US investors planning to use index tracker funds or ETFs, with the aim of helping these investors to avoid falling into US tax traps by navigating around, through, or between them.


 * Nonresident alien's ETF domicile decision table: When selecting an index tracking fund, US nonresident alien investors have a broad choice between US domiciled ETFs and non-US domiciled ETFs. This page summarises the recommended ETF domicile that these investors might use, based on their own country of residence and domicile. The goal is to obtain the best tax result.

Investing start-up kit for non-US investors
This kit is for US nonresident aliens, and aims to help you begin or improve your investing journey. Investing is a complex topic and can easily become overwhelming. The start up kit will help you start your investing journey and navigate the steps.

Index funds and ETFs outside of the US
Index funds and ETFs were first created in the US and are now widely available outside of the US.

A fund's domicile may affect how your home country treats your holding, in particular, taxes on dividends or capital gains. The page on Index funds and ETFs outside of the US explains some of the following:
 *  Differences between accumulating (or capitalizing) and distributing ETF share classes
 *  Differences between base currency of the fund, trading currency of the fund, and currency of the underlying assets
 * Securities lending
 * Index tracking strategies: replication or synthetic
 * Net total return and gross total return index
 * Cost and expenses related to UCITS index funds and ETFs

For US citizens and green card holders, any funds or ETFs domiciled outside the US suffer highly unfavourable US tax laws. Because of this, US taxable persons should generally hold only US domiciled funds and ETFs.

Safe withdrawal rates across the globe
There are several studies on safe withdrawal rates across the globe:
 * Wade Pfau: "Does International Diversification Improve Safe Withdrawal Rates?" and "Does The 4% Rule Work Around The World?".
 * Portfolio charts: "Withdrawal Rates FAQ" and "Your Home Country is Inseparable From Your Withdrawal Rate".
 * The "Investing in the World" articles by Siamond on the Bogleheads blog, especially this table.