Guide
Family: self, homeschool, infra, space
Moving alone is a spreadsheet. Moving a family is a negotiation between freedom axes: Can you educate the way you want (self / homeschool)? Can you access hospitals and schools without trapping yourself in state dependency (infra)? Do you have physical margin, land, air, exit routes (space)? And can you still run a real company without pretending the children do not exist for tax residence?
Liberty Stack Liberty mode scores seven dimensions; four dominate family relocation. This playbook shows how to read them together and align with live + company checklist.
Who this is for
- Parents weighing homeschool vs local school abroad
- Families where healthcare and schools drive country choice more than corp tax
- Entrepreneurs who must sync Business mode with school calendars and ties
- Readers comparing “freedom” vs “services quality” without confusing the two
The four family axes
| Axis | Family question | Score high means | Score low means |
|---|---|---|---|
| self | State control over body, child, conscience | Fewer mandates, homeschool clearer, no conscription | Strong school obligation, vaccine mandates, draft |
| homeschool (within self data) | Can we legally home-educate? | free or light regulated status | restricted, banned, grey |
| infra | Schools & healthcare access/quality | Good access without serfdom | Poor services or total dependence |
| space | Room to breathe physically | Lower density, resilience options | Crowded, import-dependent |
Tax and money still matter for family budgets, cross-read family + business checklist and remote/crypto if one parent earns remotely.
Reading homeschool status (indicative)
Liberty Stack exposes categorical homeschool status per territory (see methodology):
| Code | Meaning | Family planning |
|---|---|---|
free | Recognised, light control | Easiest path for home education |
regulated | Legal with reporting/exams | Plan compliance calendar |
restricted | Permission hard to obtain | Have fallback school plan |
banned | Compulsory institutional schooling | Do not assume exceptions |
grey | Unclear enforcement | Local counsel essential |
unknown | Not yet classified in dataset | Verify independently |
Homeschool status does not replace the full self score, conscription and health mandates also live on self.
Dedicated reference: homeschool appears in dataset data/homeschool.json.
self : beyond homeschool
Raises self score for families
- No conscription or suspended/peaceful posture
- Flexible vaccination / health choice landscape (as scored indicatively)
- Minimal compulsory registration of children with punitive enforcement
Lowers self score
- Mandatory military service
- Aggressive truancy enforcement
- Strong ideological content requirements in all schools with no alternative
Trap: A country with great infra schools but banned homeschool fails a principled homeschool family even if the composite Liberty score looks high.
infra : quality vs freedom
infra measures access and quality of schools and healthcare and how much freedom you retain.
High infra: good hospitals and schools exist; you are not forced into a single broken public monopoly.
Low infra: failing systems or wealthy-only access without safety net.
Trap: Confusing “excellent public healthcare” with “high liberty”, some families want private choice; others want strong public systems. Liberty Stack scores a structured judgement, not your parenting philosophy. Read scores as comparative, then visit.
Practical family checks
- International school seat availability and cost (not in Liberty score, budget separately)
- Pediatric emergency quality in your target city (not only national average)
- Health insurance residency requirements
- Special needs support if relevant
space : why families notice density
space captures territorial resilience: density, imports, “exit hatch” geography.
Why families care
- Outdoor childhood, land affordability, garden food security
- Evacuation options in crisis (personal, not scored as insurance product)
- Lower crowding correlated with different lifestyle (car dependence trade-off)
Trap: High space may mean weak infra in remote areas, national score averages hide capital vs province. Research your city.
Cross-weighting in Liberty Stack Ranking
- Open /app Liberty mode.
- Raise weights on self, infra, space for family persona (or custom sliders).
- Toggle expat tax regimes if considering Portugal NHR/IFICI-style paths, personal tax affects household budget.
- Note top countries, different list than Business mode winners.
- For each shortlist country, open hub page if business also matters: e.g. Portugal, Uruguay, Paraguay, UAE, Georgia.
Aligning family residence with company stack
Families strengthen tax residence arguments in one place, schools, lease, pediatrician, social ties. That helps defensible residence but may trigger CFC home-country rules if not planned (CFC guide).
| Family choice | Business implication |
|---|---|
| Kids enrolled locally | Stronger residence, possible Employer profile later |
| Homeschool + one parent not working | Residence ties + income planning |
| Frequent travel | Residence ambiguity, risky for tax and custody |
| Grandparents remain “home” | Centre of interests may stay old country |
Use Solo vs Employer when hiring tutors or local staff.
Country patterns (illustrative, not recommendations)
Compare live scores in the app, these are questions to ask, not rankings:
- Portugal: EU infra, regulated homeschool landscape; business page for IFICI context
- Uruguay / Paraguay: space and territorial tax narratives often discussed; verify homeschool and infra locally
- UAE (infra modern; self/homeschool rules unlike Western Europe) read
selfand status code - Georgia: moderate costs; family infra outside Tbilisi varies
- Cyprus / Malta: EU infra; island space limits
Always read current dataset, not blog posts.
Family relocation checklist
Education
- [ ] Homeschool status code + local practice verified with lawyer
- [ ] Fallback school identified
- [ ] Diploma recognition if children university-bound
- [ ] Language plan for children
Health
- [ ] Insurance valid for residency visa
- [ ] Pediatric care near housing
- [ ] Prescription / vaccine policy fit (personal choice)
Legal / custody
- [ ] Custody orders recognised across borders if applicable
- [ ] Second parent consent for relocation
- [ ] Marriage / divorce jurisdiction effects
Liberty Stack data
- [ ] self, infra, space scores for target vs origin
- [ ] Business scores if one parent incorporates (reading Business mode)
- [ ] Methodology for homeschool codes
Life logistics
- [ ] Housing near chosen school or homeschool community
- [ ] Budget for international education if needed
- [ ] Time zone fit for remote work
Traps
Choosing country on tax alone: banned homeschool or weak healthcare destroys the project.
Assuming homeschool freedom from expat Facebook groups: enforcement beats statute.
Ignoring spouse’s residence ties: family unit taxed as a unit in many systems.
Space fantasy without infra: land without hospital within reach.
Company in country kids never visit: substance and residence diverge.
Using Liberty Stack
- Liberty Stack Ranking, weight family axes heavily; compare before/after weights to see sensitivity.
- Methodology, homeschool table and self definition.
- Live free + company checklist, integrate business.
- Country pages: portugal, uruguay, uae.
Limits
Liberty Stack does not rank individual schools, hospitals, or neighborhoods. No invented parent testimonials or “best for families” league tables. Homeschool status is indicative, local authorities have discretion.
Consult immigration lawyers, education advisers, and pediatric planning before moving children across borders.