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Bordercase

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Compare jurisdictions, side by side.

Pick up to 4 countries and see residency, company, banking, family, and risk notes line up. No prices, no marketing packages - just the working notes.

 AG flagAntigua and Barbuda

Central America & Caribbean

PA flagPanama

Central America & Caribbean

BG flagBulgaria

Europe

OverviewAntigua and Barbuda is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a long-standing Citizenship by Investment programme and structured residency / corporate options. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.Panama is a long-established jurisdiction for residency and offshore company structures with a stable USD economy. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Panamanian lawyers and corporate-services partners.Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.
Best for
  • Second passport
  • English admin
  • Caribbean residency
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Founders
  • EU access
  • Cost of living
CurrencyXCDUSDBGN / EUR transition
LanguageEnglishSpanishBulgarian
Time zoneUTC-4UTC-5UTC+2
EU memberNoNoYes
SchengenNoNoYes
Residency

Antigua & Barbuda routes:

  • Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or qualifying real-estate investment
  • Standard work permits
  • Family routes including spouse, dependent children and parents under conditions

Panama residency routes:

  • Friendly Nations Visa - now requires economic tie (employment, real estate, or investment)
  • Qualified Investor Visa - qualifying investment thresholds
  • Pensionado / Retiree Visa - qualifying pension income
  • Family routes

Bulgarian residency routes:

  • Employment-based residence
  • Business / self-employment routes
  • Retirement / pensioner residency
  • Family reunification
  • EU citizen-derivative routes

Permanent residence typically after 5 years.

Company setup

IBCs are common in international structures. Reporting and substance frameworks have tightened.

Panamanian corporations (SA) and Private Interest Foundations are widely used. Beneficial ownership reporting, CRS / FATCA compliance, and substance discussions have become material; planning must reflect current standards.

OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.

Banking

Banking is selective. KYC and source-of-funds documentation are central. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.

Panamanian banking has tightened KYC and source-of-funds requirements. Non-resident applications take time; Bordercase coordinates introductions through current banking partners.

Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.

Family

CBI applications can include qualifying dependents under conditions.

Family reunification is supported on most residency routes. International schools (English-language and Spanish) are available in Panama City.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for:

  • Programme parameters change
  • Due diligence has tightened
  • Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented

Risks Bordercase watches for in Panama:

  • Reputational / de-banking risks for poorly structured offshore-only setups
  • Tax residency analysis for clients with other obligations (CRS / FATCA)
  • Processing delays at Migration
  • UBO reporting is now active

Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria:

  • Tax residency triggers
  • VAT classification on cross-border services
  • Processing variations between regions
  • Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed
Documents

Typical CBI documents:

  • Passport
  • Due diligence questionnaires
  • Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
  • Family certificates with apostille and translation

Typical Panama documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
  • Proof of economic tie (employment letter, property deed, or investment evidence)
  • Proof of address
  • Marriage / birth certificates for family

All documents apostilled and translated where required.

Typical Bulgarian residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of address
  • Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.)
  • Health insurance
  • Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.

Country pages stay the authoritative source. This view is a side-by-side; nothing here promises a particular outcome.