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Countries

	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Slovakia Europe	Romania Europe	Malta Europe
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.	Slovakia offers EU residency and corporate structures with a stable regulatory environment and competitive costs. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Slovak partners for filings.	Romania is an EU member state with structured residency routes, accessible company formation, and competitive costs for founders and remote professionals. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Romanian 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.
Best for	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Founders EU access Cost of living	Founders Digital nomads EU access Cost of living	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin
Currency	BSD	EUR	RON	EUR
Language	English	Slovak	Romanian	English / Maltese
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC+1	UTC+2	UTC+1
EU member	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Schengen	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Residency	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	Slovak residency routes: Employment-based residence Start-up visa - innovative businesses Business / self-employment Family reunification EU citizen-derivative routes	Romanian residency routes: Employment-based residence (including the Blue Card) Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers Business / investor routes Family reunification EU citizen-derivative routes	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.
Company setup	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	S.R.O. (private limited) is the standard entity, with relatively low minimum capital and well-established formation processes. VAT registration depends on activity.	SRL (limited liability) is the standard structure. Formation involves notary and trade registry. Microcompany tax regime may apply for small businesses with eligible activities.	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.
Banking	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Resident banking is straightforward; corporate banking varies by activity. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.	Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard cross-border structures.	Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	Family reunification is supported. International schools are available in Bratislava.	Family reunification is supported. International schools (English, French, German) are concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj, and Timișoara.	Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Risks Bordercase watches for in Slovakia: Tax residency triggers VAT registration timing for cross-border services Processing variations between districts	Risks Bordercase watches for in Romania: Tax residency triggers Microcompany regime eligibility Processing variations between counties Schengen entry / exit rules now apply	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
Documents	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Typical Slovak residency documents: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of address Health insurance Employment or business documentation Family certificates with apostille and translation	Typical Romanian residency documents: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of address Basis for residence Health insurance Family certificates Apostilled and translated to Romanian.	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.

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

Slovakia

Europe

Romania

Europe

Malta

Europe

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.

Slovakia offers EU residency and corporate structures with a stable regulatory environment and competitive costs. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Slovak partners for filings.

Romania is an EU member state with structured residency routes, accessible company formation, and competitive costs for founders and remote professionals. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Romanian 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.

Best for

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Founders
EU access
Cost of living

Founders
Digital nomads
EU access
Cost of living

Founders
Holding structures
EU access
English admin

Currency

BSD

EUR

RON

EUR

Language

English

Slovak

Romanian

English / Maltese

Time zone

UTC-5

UTC+1

UTC+2

UTC+1

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

Slovak residency routes:

Employment-based residence
Start-up visa - innovative businesses
Business / self-employment
Family reunification
EU citizen-derivative routes

Romanian residency routes:

Employment-based residence (including the Blue Card)
Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers
Business / investor routes
Family reunification
EU citizen-derivative routes

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.

Company setup

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

S.R.O. (private limited) is the standard entity, with relatively low minimum capital and well-established formation processes. VAT registration depends on activity.

SRL (limited liability) is the standard structure. Formation involves notary and trade registry. Microcompany tax regime may apply for small businesses with eligible activities.

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.

Banking

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

Resident banking is straightforward; corporate banking varies by activity. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard cross-border structures.

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

Family

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

Family reunification is supported. International schools are available in Bratislava.

Family reunification is supported. International schools (English, French, German) are concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj, and Timișoara.

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

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Slovakia:

Tax residency triggers
VAT registration timing for cross-border services
Processing variations between districts

Risks Bordercase watches for in Romania:

Tax residency triggers
Microcompany regime eligibility
Processing variations between counties
Schengen entry / exit rules now apply

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

Documents

Typical Bahamian documents:

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

Typical Slovak residency documents:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of address
Health insurance
Employment or business documentation
Family certificates with apostille and translation

Typical Romanian residency documents:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of address
Basis for residence
Health insurance
Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to Romanian.

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.