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Bordercase

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.

 VG flagBritish Virgin Islands

Central America & Caribbean

BR flagBrazil

Latin America

MX flagMexico

North America

OverviewThe British Virgin Islands is a long-standing jurisdiction for BVI Business Companies used in international structures. Substance and reporting have tightened materially. Bordercase coordinates with licensed BVI 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.Mexico is a large North American economy with established routes for residency, growing remote-worker visa programs, and a strong fit for founders building toward Latin American customers. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Mexican partners for filings.
Best for
  • Holding structures
  • International funds
  • English admin
  • Latin America hub
  • Founders
  • Families
  • Digital nomads
  • Founders
  • Families
  • Latin America hub
  • Cost of living
CurrencyUSDBRLMXN
LanguageEnglishPortugueseSpanish
Time zoneUTC-4UTC-3UTC-6
EU memberNoNoNo
SchengenNoNoNo
Residency

BVI presence options:

  • Work permits - employer-sponsored
  • Residency for HNW under specific programmes
  • Limited tourist / business visit arrangements

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

Mexican residency routes:

  • Temporary resident visa - via investment, employment, or qualifying income
  • Permanent resident visa - via qualifying assets, retirement income, or after 4 years of temporary residency
  • Family unity routes - for spouse and dependents of permanent residents / citizens
  • Student visa

Permanent residency unlocks indefinite stay with work authorisation.

Company setup

BVI Business Companies (BVI BC) are the standard structure. Economic substance applies to relevant activities; UBO reporting is mandatory.

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

SA de CV (Sociedad Anónima) and S de RL de CV are the standard private entity types. Formation involves a notary, RFC (tax registration), and IMSS where staff are involved. Mexican tax residency is triggered by primary home and centre of economic interests.

Banking

Banking access has tightened materially; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

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

Resident personal banking is broadly accessible; corporate banking depends on activity and structure. Source of funds and ownership clarity are central. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Family

Family inclusion follows the main route. International schools are limited.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. International schools (English, German, French, Japanese) are concentrated in São Paulo, Rio, and Brasília.

Family reunification is supported on most residency routes. International schools (English, German, French, Japanese) are widely available in major cities; bilingual public and private schools are common.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in the BVI:

  • Economic substance reporting
  • UBO disclosure and beneficial ownership reform
  • Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Brazil:

  • Tax residency rules and worldwide-income reporting
  • Real-estate restrictions in certain border regions
  • Document apostille + Portuguese translation

Risks Bordercase watches for in Mexico:

  • Centre-of-economic-interests test for tax residency
  • Real-estate restrictions in the "restricted zone" (50 km from coast, 100 km from borders) - fideicomiso or Mexican company structure needed
  • Income thresholds for temporary / permanent routes change with minimum wage indexation
  • Late-stage RFC and CURP registrations
Documents

Typical BVI documents:

  • Passport
  • Source-of-funds evidence
  • KYC for all UBOs
  • Apostilled foreign documents

Typical Brazilian documents:

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

Typical Mexican documents:

  • Passport
  • Apostilled foreign documents (birth, marriage, criminal record)
  • Proof of income or qualifying assets
  • Photographs to specification
  • Mexican consular application abroad for most routes

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