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	Cayman Islands Central America & Caribbean	Cyprus Europe
Overview	The Cayman Islands is an established offshore financial centre and a long-standing jurisdiction for fund, family-office, and holding structures. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Caymanian partners.	Cyprus is an EU member state with established routes for residency, company setup, and family relocation. Bordercase coordinates with regulated Cypriot lawyers and corporate-services providers for filings and ongoing compliance.
Best for	Funds Holding structures HNW English admin	Founders Holding structures EU access English admin
Currency	KYD	EUR
Language	English	Greek / English
Time zone	UTC-5	UTC+2
EU member	No	Yes
Schengen	No	No
Residency	Cayman Islands residency routes: Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means - qualifying investment Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) - operating a qualifying business Work permits for employer-sponsored roles Family routes	Cyprus residency routes: Permanent residency by investment (Cat F / Cat 6.2) Digital Nomad Visa Employment routes (including the international headquartering route) Family reunification The investor citizenship programme is closed.
Company setup	Exempted Companies, LLCs, and partnerships are widely used in fund and holding structures. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities.	Cyprus Limited companies are widely used by international groups for IP, holding, and trading structures. Substance, local director, and accounting requirements have tightened in recent years and must be planned at setup.
Banking	Banking is mature but selective. Source-of-funds documentation is central. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.	Cypriot banks have strict KYC and source-of-funds processes following past compliance episodes. EMIs are widely used as supplements. Personal and corporate banking introductions go through vetted partners.
Family	Family inclusion is supported on most residency routes. International schools are concentrated on Grand Cayman.	Family reunification is available on most routes. English-language schools (public and private) and healthcare options are widely accessible to legal residents.
Risks	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Cayman Islands: Economic substance reporting and audit Reputational handling around offshore structures KYC tightening across the industry	Common pitfalls in Cyprus cases: Post-reform substance requirements underestimated Banking timelines longer than expected Permanent residency confused with citizenship (different programmes) Some sectors face additional KYC scrutiny
Documents	Typical Cayman documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents Family certificates for dependents	Typical document pack for Cyprus residency: Passport Criminal record certificate (apostilled) Proof of income / investment Health insurance valid in Cyprus Accommodation evidence Education certificates (for relevant routes) Marriage / birth certificates for family routes For company formation: business plan, ownership-chain documents, and KYC for all ultimate beneficial owners.

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