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 BS flagBahamas

Central America & Caribbean

DE flagGermany

Europe

OverviewThe 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.Germany is the largest EU economy and a strong destination for skilled professionals, founders, and remote workers (under specific routes). Bordercase coordinates with licensed German partners for filings.
Best for
  • HNW
  • Funds
  • Family offices
  • English admin
  • Founders
  • Skilled workers
  • EU access
  • Families
CurrencyBSDEUR
LanguageEnglishGerman
Time zoneUTC-5UTC+1
EU memberNoYes
SchengenNoYes
Residency

Bahamian residency routes:

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

German residency routes:

  • Blue Card - high-skilled employees
  • Freiberufler / Selbständig - freelancer / self-employed
  • Employer-sponsored work permits
  • Entrepreneur visa
  • Family reunification

Permanent residence typically after 5 years (faster on Blue Card).

Company setup

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

GmbH and UG (haftungsbeschränkt) are common structures. Notary involvement is required for formation. Tax registration, trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung), and German GAAP / tax accounting standards apply.

Banking

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

Personal banking for residents is well established; certain non-resident structures take longer. SCHUFA history is relevant for residents. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Family

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

Family reunification is well supported. Schools (public, private, bilingual, and international) are widely available; international schools are concentrated in major cities.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

  • Economic substance reporting
  • Property due diligence
  • Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Germany:

  • Tax residency triggers (183 days + centre of interests)
  • Late VAT registration on cross-border services
  • Language and bureaucratic friction in some Länder
  • Freiberufler vs Gewerbe classification disputes
Documents

Typical Bahamian documents:

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

Typical German residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Recognised qualifications (where required)
  • Contract or business plan
  • Accommodation evidence (Anmeldung)
  • Health insurance
  • Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to German.

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