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Countries

	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Bulgaria Europe	Cayman Islands Central America & Caribbean	Hong Kong Asia
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.	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.	The Cayman Islands is an established offshore financial centre and a long-standing jurisdiction for fund, family-office, and holding structures. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Caymanian partners.	Hong Kong remains an active jurisdiction for company formation, banking introductions, and selected residency routes. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Hong Kong company-services and immigration partners.
Best for	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Founders EU access Cost of living	Funds Holding structures HNW English admin	Founders Banking Holding structures English admin
Currency	BSD	BGN / EUR transition	KYD	HKD
Language	English	Bulgarian	English	Cantonese / English
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC+2	UTC-5	UTC+8
EU member	No	Yes	No	No
Schengen	No	Yes	No	No
Residency	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored 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.	Cayman Islands residency routes: Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means - qualifying investment Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) - operating a qualifying business Work permits for employer-sponsored roles Family routes	Hong Kong residency routes: General Employment Policy (GEP) Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS) Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) - recently revived Dependant routes
Company setup	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	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.	Exempted Companies, LLCs, and partnerships are widely used in fund and holding structures. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities.	Hong Kong Limited companies are widely used for trading and holding structures. Annual filings, audited accounts, and a company secretary are required. Substance expectations and BEPS-driven changes affect ongoing planning.
Banking	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.	Banking is mature but selective. Source-of-funds documentation is central. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Local banking has tightened materially; some non-resident structures face long onboarding or rejection. EMIs and Singapore / Dubai banking are common alternatives. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.	Family inclusion is supported on most residency routes. International schools are concentrated on Grand Cayman.	Family relocation is supported on most residency routes. Schools (local, private, ESF, international) are competitive; international school waitlists are real.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	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	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Cayman Islands: Economic substance reporting and audit Reputational handling around offshore structures KYC tightening across the industry	Risks Bordercase watches for in Hong Kong: Company-only setups without substance face banking and audit friction Banking has tightened materially Political / policy shifts must be factored into long-horizon planning Annual audit and filing discipline is real
Documents	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	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.	Typical Cayman documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents Family certificates for dependents	Typical Hong Kong documents: Passport CV Education certificates Employment history Company documents (where applicable) Family certificates with notarisation

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

Bulgaria

Europe

Cayman Islands

Central America & Caribbean

Hong Kong

Asia

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.

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.

The Cayman Islands is an established offshore financial centre and a long-standing jurisdiction for fund, family-office, and holding structures. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Caymanian partners.

Hong Kong remains an active jurisdiction for company formation, banking introductions, and selected residency routes. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Hong Kong company-services and immigration partners.

Best for

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Founders
EU access
Cost of living

Funds
Holding structures
HNW
English admin

Founders
Banking
Holding structures
English admin

Currency

BSD

BGN / EUR transition

KYD

HKD

Language

English

Bulgarian

English

Cantonese / English

Time zone

UTC-5

UTC+2

UTC-5

UTC+8

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

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.

Cayman Islands residency routes:

Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means - qualifying investment
Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) - operating a qualifying business
Work permits for employer-sponsored roles
Family routes

Hong Kong residency routes:

General Employment Policy (GEP)
Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (QMAS)
Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)
Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) - recently revived
Dependant routes

Company setup

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

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.

Exempted Companies, LLCs, and partnerships are widely used in fund and holding structures. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities.

Hong Kong Limited companies are widely used for trading and holding structures. Annual filings, audited accounts, and a company secretary are required. Substance expectations and BEPS-driven changes affect ongoing planning.

Banking

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

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

Banking is mature but selective. Source-of-funds documentation is central. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Local banking has tightened materially; some non-resident structures face long onboarding or rejection. EMIs and Singapore / Dubai banking are common alternatives. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Family

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

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

Family inclusion is supported on most residency routes. International schools are concentrated on Grand Cayman.

Family relocation is supported on most residency routes. Schools (local, private, ESF, international) are competitive; international school waitlists are real.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

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

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Cayman Islands:

Economic substance reporting and audit
Reputational handling around offshore structures
KYC tightening across the industry

Risks Bordercase watches for in Hong Kong:

Company-only setups without substance face banking and audit friction
Banking has tightened materially
Political / policy shifts must be factored into long-horizon planning
Annual audit and filing discipline is real

Documents

Typical Bahamian documents:

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

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.

Typical Cayman documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
Health and police clearances
Apostilled foreign documents
Family certificates for dependents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

Passport
CV
Education certificates
Employment history
Company documents (where applicable)
Family certificates with notarisation