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.

Start your assessment All countries

Pick countries to compare (4/4)

Countries

	Hong Kong Asia	Uruguay Latin America	British Virgin Islands Central America & Caribbean	Switzerland Europe
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.	Uruguay is a stable South American jurisdiction with structured residency routes, strong civil infrastructure, and notable second-residence appeal for HNW relocators. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Uruguayan partners.	The British Virgin Islands is a long-standing jurisdiction for BVI Business Companies used in international structures. Substance and reporting have tightened materially. Bordercase coordinates with licensed BVI 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.
Best for	Founders Banking Holding structures English admin	HNW Stable economy Latin America hub Banking	Holding structures International funds English admin	HNW Founders Forfait fiscal Stability
Currency	HKD	UYU	USD	CHF
Language	Cantonese / English	Spanish	English	German / French / Italian
Time zone	UTC+8	UTC-3	UTC-4	UTC+1
EU member	No	No	No	No
Schengen	No	No	No	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	Uruguayan residency routes: Standard residency - proof of income / qualifying activity Investor route Retirement / pensioner route MERCOSUR fast-track for member-state nationals Family reunification	BVI presence options: Work permits - employer-sponsored Residency for HNW under specific programmes Limited tourist / business visit arrangements	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
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.	SAS and SA are common structures. DGI tax registration and BPS social-security registration follow.	BVI Business Companies (BVI BC) are the standard structure. Economic substance applies to relevant activities; UBO reporting is mandatory.	GmbH and AG are the standard structures. Cantonal variation in tax, registration, and substance treatment is real. Federal and cantonal compliance is precise.
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.	Residency unlocks personal banking. Uruguay has historically been a HNW banking destination in the region; standards have tightened materially.	Banking access has tightened materially; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.	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	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 (public, private, bilingual, international) are concentrated in Montevideo and Punta del Este.	Family inclusion follows the main route. International schools are limited.	Family reunification is supported on most permits. Schools (public, private, and international) are widely available; international schools are well-established but selective.
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 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 the BVI: Economic substance reporting UBO disclosure and beneficial ownership reform Reputational handling around offshore structures	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
Documents	Typical Hong Kong documents: Passport CV Education certificates Employment history Company documents (where applicable) Family certificates with notarisation	Typical Uruguayan documents: Passport Apostilled foreign documents Proof of income or investment Health insurance Spanish translations where required	Typical BVI documents: Passport Source-of-funds evidence KYC for all UBOs Apostilled foreign documents	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.

Hong Kong

Asia

Uruguay

Latin America

British Virgin Islands

Central America & Caribbean

Switzerland

Europe

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.

Uruguay is a stable South American jurisdiction with structured residency routes, strong civil infrastructure, and notable second-residence appeal for HNW relocators. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Uruguayan partners.

The British Virgin Islands is a long-standing jurisdiction for BVI Business Companies used in international structures. Substance and reporting have tightened materially. Bordercase coordinates with licensed BVI 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.

Best for

Founders
Banking
Holding structures
English admin

HNW
Stable economy
Latin America hub
Banking

Holding structures
International funds
English admin

HNW
Founders
Forfait fiscal
Stability

Currency

HKD

UYU

USD

CHF

Language

Cantonese / English

Spanish

English

German / French / Italian

Time zone

UTC+8

UTC-3

UTC-4

UTC+1

EU member

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

Uruguayan residency routes:

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

BVI presence options:

Work permits - employer-sponsored
Residency for HNW under specific programmes
Limited tourist / business visit arrangements

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

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.

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

BVI Business Companies (BVI BC) are the standard structure. Economic substance applies to relevant activities; UBO reporting is mandatory.

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

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.

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

Banking access has tightened materially; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

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

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 (public, private, bilingual, international) are concentrated in Montevideo and Punta del Este.

Family inclusion follows the main route. International schools are limited.

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

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 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 the BVI:

Economic substance reporting
UBO disclosure and beneficial ownership reform
Reputational handling around offshore structures

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

Documents

Typical Hong Kong documents:

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

Typical Uruguayan documents:

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

Typical BVI documents:

Passport
Source-of-funds evidence
KYC for all UBOs
Apostilled foreign documents

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.