Compare jurisdictions, side by side.

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

UK residency routes:

• Skilled Worker visa - employer-sponsored
• Innovator Founder visa - for endorsed founders
• Global Talent visa - for endorsed experts
• Self-Sponsorship via own company (with substance)
• Family routes - spouse / partner / dependents
• Ancestry visa for eligible Commonwealth nationals

Uruguayan residency routes:

• Standard residency - proof of income / qualifying activity
• Investor route
• Retirement / pensioner route
• MERCOSUR fast-track for member-state nationals
• Family reunification

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

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.

UK Limited companies are widely used internationally. HMRC corporation tax, VAT thresholds, and PSC (people with significant control) reporting apply. Substance expectations have tightened.

SAS and SA are common structures. DGI tax registration and BPS social-security registration follow.

GmbH and AG are the standard structures. Cantonal variation in tax, registration, and substance treatment is real. Federal and cantonal compliance is precise.

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.

Resident banking is mature but onboarding is slow for non-residents. Many international founders use UK EMIs (Revolut, Monzo Business, etc.) alongside high-street accounts. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Residency unlocks personal banking. Uruguay has historically been a HNW banking destination in the region; standards have tightened materially.

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.

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

Family reunification is supported. Schools (state, private, international) are widely available; competition for top schools is real.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, bilingual, international) are concentrated in Montevideo and Punta del Este.

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

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 UK:

• Tax residency triggers (Statutory Residence Test)
• Sole-rep / Innovator endorsement standards have tightened
• Brexit-era operational variation between UK and EU services
• Sponsorship Compliance for licensed sponsors

Risks Bordercase watches for in Uruguay:

• Tax residency triggers (the new-resident tax holiday has conditions)
• Banking documentation and source-of-funds rigor
• Apostille + Spanish translation requirements

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

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical UK documents:

• Passport
• Certificate of Sponsorship (for sponsored routes)
• TB test (for certain nationalities)
• Maintenance funds evidence
• Apostilled / certified documents for family routes

Typical Uruguayan documents:

• Passport
• Apostilled foreign documents
• Proof of income or investment
• Health insurance
• Spanish translations where required

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.