Skip to content
Bordercase

Compare

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

CH flagSwitzerland

Europe

RO flagRomania

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.Switzerland is a stable, high-quality jurisdiction with structured residency routes - most of them merit-based, contribution-based, or employer-sponsored. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Swiss partners for filings.Romania is an EU member state with structured residency routes, accessible company formation, and competitive costs for founders and remote professionals. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Romanian partners.
Best for
  • Founders
  • Banking
  • Holding structures
  • English admin
  • HNW
  • Founders
  • Forfait fiscal
  • Stability
  • Founders
  • Digital nomads
  • EU access
  • Cost of living
CurrencyHKDCHFRON
LanguageCantonese / EnglishGerman / French / ItalianRomanian
Time zoneUTC+8UTC+1UTC+2
EU memberNoNoYes
SchengenNoYesYes
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

Swiss residency routes:

  • Work permit - employer-sponsored, quota-controlled for non-EU
  • Lump-sum taxation (forfait fiscal) - HNW individuals in eligible cantons
  • Business / investor routes
  • EU / EFTA routes - under FMP
  • Family reunification

Romanian residency routes:

  • Employment-based residence (including the Blue Card)
  • Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers
  • Business / investor routes
  • Family reunification
  • EU citizen-derivative 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 AG are the standard structures. Cantonal variation in tax, registration, and substance treatment is real. Federal and cantonal compliance is precise.

SRL (limited liability) is the standard structure. Formation involves notary and trade registry. Microcompany tax regime may apply for small businesses with eligible 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.

Swiss banking has tightened materially since the 2010s. Personal accounts require residency or strong nexus; corporate banking requires substance and clear source of funds. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Personal and corporate banking for residents is broadly accessible. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard cross-border structures.

Family

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

Family reunification is supported on most permits. Schools (public, private, and international) are widely available; international schools are well-established but selective.

Family reunification is supported. International schools (English, French, German) are concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj, and Timișoara.

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 Switzerland:

  • Quotas for non-EU work permits
  • Lump-sum taxation eligibility and cantonal variation
  • Banking gatekeeping for non-residents
  • Substance and arm's-length pricing audits

Risks Bordercase watches for in Romania:

  • Tax residency triggers
  • Microcompany regime eligibility
  • Processing variations between counties
  • Schengen entry / exit rules now apply
Documents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical Swiss residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Employment contract or business plan
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of accommodation
  • Health insurance valid in Switzerland
  • Financial evidence

Apostilled and translated where required.

Typical Romanian residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of address
  • Basis for residence
  • Health insurance
  • Family certificates

Apostilled and translated to Romanian.

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