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

	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Panama 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.	Panama is a long-established jurisdiction for residency and offshore company structures with a stable USD economy. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Panamanian lawyers and corporate-services partners.
Best for	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Second residency USD economy Asset planning Holding structures
Currency	BSD	USD
Language	English	Spanish
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC-5
EU member	No	No
Schengen	No	No
Residency	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	Panama residency routes: Friendly Nations Visa - now requires economic tie (employment, real estate, or investment) Qualified Investor Visa - qualifying investment thresholds Pensionado / Retiree Visa - qualifying pension income Family routes
Company setup	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	Panamanian corporations (SA) and Private Interest Foundations are widely used. Beneficial ownership reporting, CRS / FATCA compliance, and substance discussions have become material; planning must reflect current standards.
Banking	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Panamanian banking has tightened KYC and source-of-funds requirements. Non-resident applications take time; Bordercase coordinates introductions through current banking partners.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family reunification is supported on most residency routes. International schools (English-language and Spanish) are available in Panama City.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Risks Bordercase watches for in Panama: Reputational / de-banking risks for poorly structured offshore-only setups Tax residency analysis for clients with other obligations (CRS / FATCA) Processing delays at Migration UBO reporting is now active
Documents	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Typical Panama documents: Passport Criminal record certificate (apostilled) Proof of economic tie (employment letter, property deed, or investment evidence) Proof of address Marriage / birth certificates for family All documents apostilled and translated where required.

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