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Countries

	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Cyprus Europe	Hong Kong Asia	Brazil Latin America
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.	Cyprus is an EU member state with established routes for residency, company setup, and family relocation. Bordercase coordinates with regulated Cypriot lawyers and corporate-services providers for filings and ongoing compliance.	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.	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	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin	Founders Banking Holding structures English admin	Latin America hub Founders Families Digital nomads
Currency	BSD	EUR	HKD	BRL
Language	English	Greek / English	Cantonese / English	Portuguese
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC+2	UTC+8	UTC-3
EU member	No	Yes	No	No
Schengen	No	No	No	No
Residency	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	Cyprus residency routes: Permanent residency by investment (Cat F / Cat 6.2) Digital Nomad Visa Employment routes (including the international headquartering route) Family reunification The investor citizenship programme is closed.	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	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	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	Cyprus Limited companies are widely used by international groups for IP, holding, and trading structures. Substance, local director, and accounting requirements have tightened in recent years and must be planned at setup.	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.	Ltda and SA are the standard structures. CNPJ registration, state registrations, and Receita Federal tax registration follow. The MEI regime suits micro-entrepreneurs.
Banking	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Cypriot banks have strict KYC and source-of-funds processes following past compliance episodes. EMIs are widely used as supplements. Personal and corporate banking introductions go through vetted 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.	Residency unlocks personal and corporate banking. Pix has changed everyday payments; SWIFT for international flows still requires careful KYC.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family reunification is available on most routes. English-language schools (public and private) and healthcare options are widely accessible to legal residents.	Family relocation is supported on most residency routes. Schools (local, private, ESF, international) are competitive; international school waitlists are real.	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 the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Common pitfalls in Cyprus cases: Post-reform substance requirements underestimated Banking timelines longer than expected Permanent residency confused with citizenship (different programmes) Some sectors face additional KYC scrutiny	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	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 Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Typical document pack for Cyprus residency: Passport Criminal record certificate (apostilled) Proof of income / investment Health insurance valid in Cyprus Accommodation evidence Education certificates (for relevant routes) Marriage / birth certificates for family routes For company formation: business plan, ownership-chain documents, and KYC for all ultimate beneficial owners.	Typical Hong Kong documents: Passport CV Education certificates Employment history Company documents (where applicable) Family certificates with notarisation	Typical Brazilian documents: Passport Apostilled foreign documents Proof of income or investment Photographs to specification Brazilian consular application abroad for most routes

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

Cyprus

Europe

Hong Kong

Asia

Brazil

Latin America

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.

Cyprus is an EU member state with established routes for residency, company setup, and family relocation. Bordercase coordinates with regulated Cypriot lawyers and corporate-services providers for filings and ongoing compliance.

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.

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

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Founders
Holding structures
EU access
English admin

Founders
Banking
Holding structures
English admin

Latin America hub
Founders
Families
Digital nomads

Currency

BSD

EUR

HKD

BRL

Language

English

Greek / English

Cantonese / English

Portuguese

Time zone

UTC-5

UTC+2

UTC+8

UTC-3

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Residency

Bahamian residency routes:

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

Cyprus residency routes:

Permanent residency by investment (Cat F / Cat 6.2)
Digital Nomad Visa
Employment routes (including the international headquartering route)
Family reunification

The investor citizenship programme is closed.

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

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

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

Cyprus Limited companies are widely used by international groups for IP, holding, and trading structures. Substance, local director, and accounting requirements have tightened in recent years and must be planned at setup.

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.

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

Banking

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

Cypriot banks have strict KYC and source-of-funds processes following past compliance episodes. EMIs are widely used as supplements. Personal and corporate banking introductions go through vetted 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.

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

Family

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

Family reunification is available on most routes. English-language schools (public and private) and healthcare options are widely accessible to legal residents.

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

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 the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

Common pitfalls in Cyprus cases:

Post-reform substance requirements underestimated
Banking timelines longer than expected
Permanent residency confused with citizenship (different programmes)
Some sectors face additional KYC scrutiny

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

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 Bahamian documents:

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

Typical document pack for Cyprus residency:

Passport
Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
Proof of income / investment
Health insurance valid in Cyprus
Accommodation evidence
Education certificates (for relevant routes)
Marriage / birth certificates for family routes

For company formation: business plan, ownership-chain documents, and KYC for all ultimate beneficial owners.

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical Brazilian documents:

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