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Countries

	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	British Virgin Islands Central America & Caribbean	Malta Europe	Saint Lucia Central America & Caribbean
Overview	The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.	The British Virgin Islands is a long-standing jurisdiction for BVI Business Companies used in international structures. Substance and reporting have tightened materially. Bordercase coordinates with licensed BVI partners.	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.	Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.
Best for	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Holding structures International funds English admin	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin	Second passport English admin Caribbean residency
Currency	BSD	USD	EUR	XCD
Language	English	English	English / Maltese	English
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC-4	UTC+1	UTC-4
EU member	No	No	Yes	No
Schengen	No	No	Yes	No
Residency	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	BVI presence options: Work permits - employer-sponsored Residency for HNW under specific programmes Limited tourist / business visit arrangements	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.	Saint Lucia routes: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment Standard work permits Family routes
Company setup	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	BVI Business Companies (BVI BC) are the standard structure. Economic substance applies to relevant activities; UBO reporting is mandatory.	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.	Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.
Banking	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Banking access has tightened materially; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.	Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.	Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family inclusion follows the main route. International schools are limited.	Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.	CBI can include qualifying dependents.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Risks Bordercase watches for in the BVI: Economic substance reporting UBO disclosure and beneficial ownership reform Reputational handling around offshore structures	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 Saint Lucia: Programme parameters change Due diligence has tightened Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented
Documents	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Typical BVI documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence KYC for all UBOs Apostilled foreign documents	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 CBI documents: Passport Due diligence questionnaires Source-of-funds evidence (extensive) Family certificates with apostille and translation

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

British Virgin Islands

Central America & Caribbean

Malta

Europe

Saint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

Overview

The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.

The British Virgin Islands is a long-standing jurisdiction for BVI Business Companies used in international structures. Substance and reporting have tightened materially. Bordercase coordinates with licensed BVI partners.

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.

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

Best for

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Holding structures
International funds
English admin

Founders
Holding structures
EU access
English admin

Second passport
English admin
Caribbean residency

Currency

BSD

USD

EUR

XCD

Language

English

English / Maltese

English

Time zone

UTC-5

UTC-4

UTC+1

UTC-4

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Yes

Residency

Bahamian residency routes:

Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment
Annual residence permits for HNW
Work permits - employer-sponsored
Family routes

BVI presence options:

Work permits - employer-sponsored
Residency for HNW under specific programmes
Limited tourist / business visit arrangements

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.

Saint Lucia routes:

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

Company setup

IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.

BVI Business Companies (BVI BC) are the standard structure. Economic substance applies to relevant activities; UBO reporting is mandatory.

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.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

Banking

Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Banking access has tightened materially; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

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

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

Family

Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.

Family inclusion follows the main route. International schools are limited.

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

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in the BVI:

Economic substance reporting
UBO disclosure and beneficial ownership reform
Reputational handling around offshore structures

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 Saint Lucia:

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

Documents

Typical Bahamian documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
Health and police clearances
Apostilled foreign documents

Typical BVI documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
KYC for all UBOs
Apostilled foreign documents

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 CBI documents:

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