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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.

 MT flagMalta

Europe

PA flagPanama

Central America & Caribbean

GR flagGreece

Europe

OverviewMalta is an EU member state with established residency, company, and family relocation routes. English is widely spoken and regulatory processes are well documented. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Maltese partners for filings.Panama is a long-established jurisdiction for residency and offshore company structures with a stable USD economy. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Panamanian lawyers and corporate-services partners.Greece offers structured EU residency routes including the Golden Visa investor route, the Digital Nomad Visa, and the Financially Independent Person (FIP) route. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Greek partners for filings and ongoing compliance.
Best for
  • Founders
  • Holding structures
  • EU access
  • English admin
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Families
  • Remote workers
  • EU access
  • Coastal living
CurrencyEURUSDEUR
LanguageEnglish / MalteseSpanishGreek
Time zoneUTC+1UTC-5UTC+2
EU memberYesNoYes
SchengenYesNoYes
Residency

Maltese residency routes:

  • Nomad Residence Permit - eligible remote workers
  • Malta Permanent Residency Programme (MPRP) - investor route
  • Employment routes
  • Family reunification

The citizenship-by-naturalisation-for-exceptional-services programme is closed to new applicants.

Panama residency routes:

  • Friendly Nations Visa - now requires economic tie (employment, real estate, or investment)
  • Qualified Investor Visa - qualifying investment thresholds
  • Pensionado / Retiree Visa - qualifying pension income
  • Family routes

Greek residency routes:

  • Golden Visa - property investment (thresholds vary by region, recently raised)
  • Digital Nomad Visa - remote workers
  • Financially Independent Person (FIP) - passive-income individuals
  • Employment routes

Each route has different residency-day and renewal requirements.

Company setup

Maltese companies are commonly used for trading, IP holding, and gaming / fintech structures. Substance, accounting, and tax-refund mechanisms are well established but require careful structuring.

Panamanian corporations (SA) and Private Interest Foundations are widely used. Beneficial ownership reporting, CRS / FATCA compliance, and substance discussions have become material; planning must reflect current standards.

IKE (Private Company), EPE (LLC), and AE (Joint Stock Company) are common structures. Greek tax residency triggers worldwide income reporting; the non-dom regime may apply to eligible high-net-worth relocators.

Banking

Local banking has tightened; EMIs are common supplements. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through partners with current relationships.

Panamanian banking has tightened KYC and source-of-funds requirements. Non-resident applications take time; Bordercase coordinates introductions through current banking partners.

Personal banking for residents is well established; corporate banking depends on activity. Bordercase coordinates introductions for non-standard structures.

Family

Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schooling and healthcare are accessible to legal residents.

Family reunification is supported on most residency routes. International schools (English-language and Spanish) are available in Panama City.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. Schools (public, private, international, English-language) are available in major cities.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Malta:

  • Substance requirements (real operations, real director time)
  • Tax classification disputes
  • Banking timelines - EU-wide AML pressure
  • EU anti-abuse rules tighten ongoing

Risks Bordercase watches for in Panama:

  • Reputational / de-banking risks for poorly structured offshore-only setups
  • Tax residency analysis for clients with other obligations (CRS / FATCA)
  • Processing delays at Migration
  • UBO reporting is now active

Risks Bordercase watches for in Greece:

  • Property due diligence - especially older buildings
  • Tax residency triggers
  • Non-dom regime conditions
  • Registration timing across municipalities
  • Some routes do not permit employment in Greece without additional permits
Documents

Standard EU residency document pack for Malta:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of income
  • Health insurance
  • Accommodation evidence
  • Marriage / birth certificates for family routes

Apostille or legalisation where required.

Typical Panama documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
  • Proof of economic tie (employment letter, property deed, or investment evidence)
  • Proof of address
  • Marriage / birth certificates for family

All documents apostilled and translated where required.

Typical Greek residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of income / assets
  • Health insurance valid in Greece
  • Accommodation evidence (deed, lease)
  • AFM (tax number)

Apostille and certified Greek translation where required.

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