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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

LC flagSaint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

BG flagBulgaria

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.Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.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.
Best for
  • Founders
  • Banking
  • Holding structures
  • English admin
  • Second passport
  • English admin
  • Caribbean residency
  • Founders
  • EU access
  • Cost of living
CurrencyHKDXCDBGN / EUR transition
LanguageCantonese / EnglishEnglishBulgarian
Time zoneUTC+8UTC-4UTC+2
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

Saint Lucia routes:

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

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.

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.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

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.

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. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

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

Family

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

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

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

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 Saint Lucia:

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

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
Documents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical CBI documents:

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

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.

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