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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

CH flagSwitzerland

Europe

HK flagHong Kong

Asia

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.Switzerland is a stable, high-quality jurisdiction with structured residency routes - most of them merit-based, contribution-based, or employer-sponsored. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Swiss partners for filings.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.
Best for
  • Holding structures
  • International funds
  • English admin
  • HNW
  • Founders
  • Forfait fiscal
  • Stability
  • Founders
  • Banking
  • Holding structures
  • English admin
CurrencyUSDCHFHKD
LanguageEnglishGerman / French / ItalianCantonese / English
Time zoneUTC-4UTC+1UTC+8
EU memberNoNoNo
SchengenNoYesNo
Residency

BVI presence options:

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

Swiss residency routes:

  • Work permit - employer-sponsored, quota-controlled for non-EU
  • Lump-sum taxation (forfait fiscal) - HNW individuals in eligible cantons
  • Business / investor routes
  • EU / EFTA routes - under FMP
  • Family reunification

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
Company setup

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

GmbH and AG are the standard structures. Cantonal variation in tax, registration, and substance treatment is real. Federal and cantonal compliance is precise.

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.

Banking

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

Swiss banking has tightened materially since the 2010s. Personal accounts require residency or strong nexus; corporate banking requires substance and clear source of funds. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current 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.

Family

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

Family reunification is supported on most permits. Schools (public, private, and international) are widely available; international schools are well-established but selective.

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

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 Switzerland:

  • Quotas for non-EU work permits
  • Lump-sum taxation eligibility and cantonal variation
  • Banking gatekeeping for non-residents
  • Substance and arm's-length pricing audits

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
Documents

Typical BVI documents:

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

Typical Swiss residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Employment contract or business plan
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of accommodation
  • Health insurance valid in Switzerland
  • Financial evidence

Apostilled and translated where required.

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

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