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Bordercase

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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.

 HK flagHong Kong

Asia

BS flagBahamas

Central America & Caribbean

DE flagGermany

Europe

OverviewHong 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.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.Germany is the largest EU economy and a strong destination for skilled professionals, founders, and remote workers (under specific routes). Bordercase coordinates with licensed German partners for filings.
Best for
  • Founders
  • Banking
  • Holding structures
  • English admin
  • HNW
  • Funds
  • Family offices
  • English admin
  • Founders
  • Skilled workers
  • EU access
  • Families
CurrencyHKDBSDEUR
LanguageCantonese / EnglishEnglishGerman
Time zoneUTC+8UTC-5UTC+1
EU memberNoNoYes
SchengenNoNoYes
Residency

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

Bahamian residency routes:

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

German residency routes:

  • Blue Card - high-skilled employees
  • Freiberufler / Selbständig - freelancer / self-employed
  • Employer-sponsored work permits
  • Entrepreneur visa
  • Family reunification

Permanent residence typically after 5 years (faster on Blue Card).

Company setup

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.

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

GmbH and UG (haftungsbeschränkt) are common structures. Notary involvement is required for formation. Tax registration, trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung), and German GAAP / tax accounting standards apply.

Banking

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.

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

Personal banking for residents is well established; certain non-resident structures take longer. SCHUFA history is relevant for residents. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Family

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

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

Family reunification is well supported. Schools (public, private, bilingual, and international) are widely available; international schools are concentrated in major cities.

Risks

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

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

  • Economic substance reporting
  • Property due diligence
  • Reputational handling around offshore structures

Risks Bordercase watches for in Germany:

  • Tax residency triggers (183 days + centre of interests)
  • Late VAT registration on cross-border services
  • Language and bureaucratic friction in some Länder
  • Freiberufler vs Gewerbe classification disputes
Documents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical Bahamian documents:

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

Typical German residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Recognised qualifications (where required)
  • Contract or business plan
  • Accommodation evidence (Anmeldung)
  • Health insurance
  • Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to German.

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