Compare

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.

Start your assessment All countries

Pick countries to compare (4/4)

Countries

	Argentina Latin America	Saint Lucia Central America & Caribbean	Malta Europe	Brazil Latin America
Overview	Argentina is a major South American economy with structured residency routes and a competitive cost of living for international founders and families. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Argentine partners for filings.	Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.	Malta is an EU member state with established residency, company, and family relocation routes. English is widely spoken and regulatory processes are well documented. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Maltese partners for filings.	Brazil is the largest Latin American economy with structured residency routes and growing remote-worker visa pathways. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Brazilian partners for filings.
Best for	Latin America hub Cost of living Founders Families	Second passport English admin Caribbean residency	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin	Latin America hub Founders Families Digital nomads
Currency	ARS	XCD	EUR	BRL
Language	Spanish	English	English / Maltese	Portuguese
Time zone	UTC-3	UTC-4	UTC+1	UTC-3
EU member	No	No	Yes	No
Schengen	No	No	Yes	No
Residency	Argentine residency routes: Rentista visa - passive income / pension Investor visa - qualifying investment in an Argentine business Worker visa - employer-sponsored Family routes - spouse, children, parents MERCOSUR fast-track for nationals of member states	Saint Lucia routes: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment Standard work permits Family routes	Maltese residency routes: Nomad Residence Permit - eligible remote workers Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) - investor route Employment routes Family reunification The citizenship-by-naturalisation-for-exceptional-services programme is closed to new applicants.	Brazilian residency routes: Investor visa (VIPER / VITEM) - qualifying investment in a Brazilian business Digital nomad visa - remote workers Retirement visa - qualifying pension income Family reunification Employer-sponsored work permits
Company setup	SA (Sociedad Anónima) and SRL (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) are the standard structures. CUIT, IGJ registration, and AFIP tax registration follow.	Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.	Maltese companies are commonly used for trading, IP holding, and gaming / fintech structures. Substance, accounting, and tax-refund mechanisms are well established but require careful structuring.	Ltda and SA are the standard structures. CNPJ registration, state registrations, and Receita Federal tax registration follow. The MEI regime suits micro-entrepreneurs.
Banking	Residency unlocks personal banking. Forex controls and currency volatility are part of the landscape; multi-jurisdiction structuring is common.	Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.	Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.	Residency unlocks personal and corporate banking. Pix has changed everyday payments; SWIFT for international flows still requires careful KYC.
Family	Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are widely available in Buenos Aires.	CBI can include qualifying dependents.	Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.	Family reunification is supported on most routes. International schools (English, German, French, Japanese) are concentrated in São Paulo, Rio, and Brasília.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in Argentina: Currency / forex controls Tax residency triggers Document apostille + Spanish translation requirements	Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia: Programme parameters change Due diligence has tightened Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented	Risks Bordercase watches for in Malta: Substance requirements (real operations, real director time) Tax classification disputes Banking timelines - EU-wide AML pressure EU anti-abuse rules tighten ongoing	Risks Bordercase watches for in Brazil: Tax residency rules and worldwide-income reporting Real-estate restrictions in certain border regions Document apostille + Portuguese translation
Documents	Typical Argentine documents: Passport Criminal record certificate (apostilled) Marriage / birth certificates for family Proof of income or investment Health insurance	Typical CBI documents: Passport Due diligence questionnaires Source-of-funds evidence (extensive) Family certificates with apostille and translation	Standard EU residency document pack for Malta: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of income Health insurance Accommodation evidence Marriage / birth certificates for family routes Apostille or legalisation where required.	Typical Brazilian documents: Passport Apostilled foreign documents Proof of income or investment Photographs to specification Brazilian consular application abroad for most routes

Argentina

Latin America

Saint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

Malta

Europe

Brazil

Latin America

Overview

Argentina is a major South American economy with structured residency routes and a competitive cost of living for international founders and families. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Argentine partners for filings.

Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.

Malta is an EU member state with established residency, company, and family relocation routes. English is widely spoken and regulatory processes are well documented. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Maltese partners for filings.

Brazil is the largest Latin American economy with structured residency routes and growing remote-worker visa pathways. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Brazilian partners for filings.

Best for

Latin America hub
Cost of living
Founders
Families

Second passport
English admin
Caribbean residency

Founders
Holding structures
EU access
English admin

Latin America hub
Founders
Families
Digital nomads

Currency

ARS

XCD

EUR

BRL

Language

Spanish

English

English / Maltese

Portuguese

Time zone

UTC-3

UTC-4

UTC+1

UTC-3

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Yes

Residency

Argentine residency routes:

Rentista visa - passive income / pension
Investor visa - qualifying investment in an Argentine business
Worker visa - employer-sponsored
Family routes - spouse, children, parents
MERCOSUR fast-track for nationals of member states

Saint Lucia routes:

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
Standard work permits
Family routes

Maltese residency routes:

Nomad Residence Permit - eligible remote workers
Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) - investor route
Employment routes
Family reunification

The citizenship-by-naturalisation-for-exceptional-services programme is closed to new applicants.

Brazilian residency routes:

Investor visa (VIPER / VITEM) - qualifying investment in a Brazilian business
Digital nomad visa - remote workers
Retirement visa - qualifying pension income
Family reunification
Employer-sponsored work permits

Company setup

SA (Sociedad Anónima) and SRL (Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada) are the standard structures. CUIT, IGJ registration, and AFIP tax registration follow.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

Maltese companies are commonly used for trading, IP holding, and gaming / fintech structures. Substance, accounting, and tax-refund mechanisms are well established but require careful structuring.

Ltda and SA are the standard structures. CNPJ registration, state registrations, and Receita Federal tax registration follow. The MEI regime suits micro-entrepreneurs.

Banking

Residency unlocks personal banking. Forex controls and currency volatility are part of the landscape; multi-jurisdiction structuring is common.

Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.

Residency unlocks personal and corporate banking. Pix has changed everyday payments; SWIFT for international flows still requires careful KYC.

Family

Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are widely available in Buenos Aires.

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. International schools (English, German, French, Japanese) are concentrated in São Paulo, Rio, and Brasília.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Argentina:

Currency / forex controls
Tax residency triggers
Document apostille + Spanish translation requirements

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia:

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

Risks Bordercase watches for in Malta:

Substance requirements (real operations, real director time)
Tax classification disputes
Banking timelines - EU-wide AML pressure
EU anti-abuse rules tighten ongoing

Risks Bordercase watches for in Brazil:

Tax residency rules and worldwide-income reporting
Real-estate restrictions in certain border regions
Document apostille + Portuguese translation

Documents

Typical Argentine documents:

Passport
Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
Marriage / birth certificates for family
Proof of income or investment
Health insurance

Typical CBI documents:

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

Standard EU residency document pack for Malta:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of income
Health insurance
Accommodation evidence
Marriage / birth certificates for family routes

Apostille or legalisation where required.

Typical Brazilian documents:

Passport
Apostilled foreign documents
Proof of income or investment
Photographs to specification
Brazilian consular application abroad for most routes