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Countries

	Bulgaria Europe	Bahamas Central America & Caribbean	Saint Lucia Central America & Caribbean	Spain Europe
Overview	Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.	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.	Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.	Spain offers structured EU residency routes for individuals, families, and entrepreneurs, including the digital nomad visa introduced under the Startups Law. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Spanish partners for filings.
Best for	Founders EU access Cost of living	HNW Funds Family offices English admin	Second passport English admin Caribbean residency	Families Remote workers EU access Cost of living
Currency	BGN / EUR transition	BSD	XCD	EUR
Language	Bulgarian	English	English	Spanish
Time zone	UTC+2	UTC-5	UTC-4	UTC+1
EU member	Yes	No	No	Yes
Schengen	Yes	No	No	Yes
Residency	Bulgarian residency routes: Employment-based residence Business / self-employment routes Retirement / pensioner residency Family reunification EU citizen-derivative routes Permanent residence typically after 5 years.	Bahamian residency routes: Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment Annual residence permits for HNW Work permits - employer-sponsored Family routes	Saint Lucia routes: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment Standard work permits Family routes	Spanish residency routes: Non-Lucrative Visa - passive income, no employment in Spain Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers and self-employed (Startups Law) Self-Employed Visa Entrepreneur Visa EU citizen-derivative routes The Golden Visa has been phased out for real estate purchases.
Company setup	OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.	IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.	Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.	SL (Sociedad Limitada) is the standard private company. Registration involves NIE / NIF, notary, mercantile registry, and tax registration. Spanish tax residency triggers worldwide income reporting; the Beckham Law (special tax regime) may apply to eligible relocated workers.
Banking	Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.	Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.	Personal banking for residents is straightforward; corporate banking depends on activity and structure. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard cases.
Family	Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.	Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.	CBI can include qualifying dependents.	Family reunification is supported on most residency routes after a qualifying period. Schools (public, private, international) are widely available; the public system is generally accessible to legal residents.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria: Tax residency triggers VAT classification on cross-border services Processing variations between regions Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas: Economic substance reporting Property due diligence Reputational handling around offshore structures	Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia: Programme parameters change Due diligence has tightened Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented	Risks Bordercase watches for in Spain: Tax residency triggers - 183 days + centre of interests Beckham Law (special regime) eligibility Autonomous-community tax variation Hacienda audits when planning is unclear Past Schengen overstays must be disclosed
Documents	Typical Bulgarian residency documents: Passport Criminal record certificate Proof of address Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.) Health insurance Family certificates Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.	Typical Bahamian documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents	Typical CBI documents: Passport Due diligence questionnaires Source-of-funds evidence (extensive) Family certificates with apostille and translation	Typical Spanish residency documents: Passport NIE (foreigner identification number) Criminal record certificate with apostille Proof of income / assets Health insurance with full cover in Spain Accommodation evidence Marriage / birth certificates for family routes

Bulgaria

Europe

Bahamas

Central America & Caribbean

Saint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

Spain

Europe

Overview

Bulgaria is an EU member state with competitive corporate tax, structured residency routes, and a well-developed digital infrastructure. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bulgarian partners for filings.

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.

Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.

Spain offers structured EU residency routes for individuals, families, and entrepreneurs, including the digital nomad visa introduced under the Startups Law. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Spanish partners for filings.

Best for

Founders
EU access
Cost of living

HNW
Funds
Family offices
English admin

Second passport
English admin
Caribbean residency

Families
Remote workers
EU access
Cost of living

Currency

BGN / EUR transition

BSD

XCD

EUR

Language

Bulgarian

English

Spanish

Time zone

UTC+2

UTC-5

UTC-4

UTC+1

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Yes

Residency

Bulgarian residency routes:

Employment-based residence
Business / self-employment routes
Retirement / pensioner residency
Family reunification
EU citizen-derivative routes

Permanent residence typically after 5 years.

Bahamian residency routes:

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

Saint Lucia routes:

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
Standard work permits
Family routes

Spanish residency routes:

Non-Lucrative Visa - passive income, no employment in Spain
Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers and self-employed (Startups Law)
Self-Employed Visa
Entrepreneur Visa
EU citizen-derivative routes

The Golden Visa has been phased out for real estate purchases.

Company setup

OOD (LLC) and EOOD (single-shareholder LLC) are common structures. Formation is well-documented. Corporate tax is at a flat rate; VAT registration depends on activity.

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

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

SL (Sociedad Limitada) is the standard private company. Registration involves NIE / NIF, notary, mercantile registry, and tax registration. Spanish tax residency triggers worldwide income reporting; the Beckham Law (special tax regime) may apply to eligible relocated workers.

Banking

Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Source-of-funds documentation matters for non-standard cases. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions.

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

Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

Personal banking for residents is straightforward; corporate banking depends on activity and structure. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard cases.

Family

Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.

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

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Family reunification is supported on most residency routes after a qualifying period. Schools (public, private, international) are widely available; the public system is generally accessible to legal residents.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Bulgaria:

Tax residency triggers
VAT classification on cross-border services
Processing variations between regions
Euro adoption is in progress - operational planning needed

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

Economic substance reporting
Property due diligence
Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia:

Programme parameters change
Due diligence has tightened
Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented

Risks Bordercase watches for in Spain:

Tax residency triggers - 183 days + centre of interests
Beckham Law (special regime) eligibility
Autonomous-community tax variation
Hacienda audits when planning is unclear
Past Schengen overstays must be disclosed

Documents

Typical Bulgarian residency documents:

Passport
Criminal record certificate
Proof of address
Basis for residence (employment, business, etc.)
Health insurance
Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to Bulgarian.

Typical Bahamian documents:

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

Typical CBI documents:

Passport
Due diligence questionnaires
Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
Family certificates with apostille and translation

Typical Spanish residency documents:

Passport
NIE (foreigner identification number)
Criminal record certificate with apostille
Proof of income / assets
Health insurance with full cover in Spain
Accommodation evidence
Marriage / birth certificates for family routes