GlobalWealth
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Thank you so much for your help and information :yourock:
I want to become a citizen because everything is cheaper (specially school) and I would have more rights.
So thank you again for your effort answering this question.
Define rights...
This sounds a bit like the 'grass is greener' mentality. Maybe the grass is greener, maybe not. You need to really think about what mean by 'more rights' as that is a very abstract comment. Do you think you will have more rights in Spain than in the US? Are you sure?
As a Spanish citizen, you can easily obtain citizenship in many South American countries like Argentina or Uruguay as well. Have you considered other options?
The big issue I see, especially for foreign students is taxation. Students come there with the idea this is the holy land of opportunity. And at some point you may decide for some reason to move back to Spain, or some other locale. But once you obtain US citizenship, you are liable for US taxes for the remainder of your life no matter where you live.
But not only tax, but also reporting. You will be required to file a tax return, even if you owe no taxes. Failure to file carries very high penalties (read expensive). If you have a bank acount in Spain, you have to file the proper paperwork to let the US tax department know you have a bank account outside of the US. This one reporting requirement carries a $10k penalty plus up to 50% of the account balance in the offshore account.
If you earn enough money, you will still owe US taxes, even if you don't live there. Forever, or at least as long as you remain a US citizen. If you attain a certain amount of wealth, you will owe estate taxes in the US upon your death, even if you haven't lived there for 40 years.
I am not saying don't pursue it, just saying that you do a bit of homework before you make such a major decision. Think beyond what tuition costs and think about the rest of your life.