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	Hong Kong Asia	Germany Europe	Cayman Islands Central America & Caribbean
Overview	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.	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.	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.
Best for	Founders Banking Holding structures English admin	Founders Skilled workers EU access Families	Funds Holding structures HNW English admin
Currency	HKD	EUR	KYD
Language	Cantonese / English	German	English
Time zone	UTC+8	UTC+1	UTC-5
EU member	No	Yes	No
Schengen	No	Yes	No
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	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).	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
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.	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.	Exempted Companies, LLCs, and partnerships are widely used in fund and holding structures. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities.
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.	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.	Banking is mature but selective. Source-of-funds documentation is central. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.
Family	Family relocation is supported on most residency routes. Schools (local, private, ESF, international) are competitive; international school waitlists are real.	Family reunification is well supported. Schools (public, private, bilingual, and international) are widely available; international schools are concentrated in major cities.	Family inclusion is supported on most residency routes. International schools are concentrated on Grand Cayman.
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 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	Risks Bordercase watches for in the Cayman Islands: Economic substance reporting and audit Reputational handling around offshore structures KYC tightening across the industry
Documents	Typical Hong Kong documents: Passport CV Education certificates Employment history Company documents (where applicable) Family certificates with notarisation	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.	Typical Cayman documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence Health and police clearances Apostilled foreign documents Family certificates for dependents

Hong Kong

Asia

Germany

Europe

Cayman Islands

Central America & Caribbean

Overview

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.

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.

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.

Best for

Founders
Banking
Holding structures
English admin

Founders
Skilled workers
EU access
Families

Funds
Holding structures
HNW
English admin

Currency

HKD

EUR

KYD

Language

Cantonese / English

German

English

Time zone

UTC+8

UTC+1

UTC-5

EU member

Yes

Schengen

Yes

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

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).

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

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.

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.

Exempted Companies, LLCs, and partnerships are widely used in fund and holding structures. Economic substance rules apply to relevant activities.

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.

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.

Banking is mature but selective. Source-of-funds documentation is central. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Family

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

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

Family inclusion is supported on most residency routes. International schools are concentrated on Grand Cayman.

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 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

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Cayman Islands:

Economic substance reporting and audit
Reputational handling around offshore structures
KYC tightening across the industry

Documents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

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.

Typical Cayman documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
Health and police clearances
Apostilled foreign documents
Family certificates for dependents