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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.

 PA flagPanama

Central America & Caribbean

IT flagItaly

Europe

BS flagBahamas

Central America & Caribbean

OverviewPanama 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.Italy offers EU residency routes for self-employed, entrepreneurs, retirees, and recently a digital nomad / remote worker route. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Italian partners for filings and tax planning.The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.
Best for
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Families
  • Remote workers
  • EU access
  • Long-term residency
  • HNW
  • Funds
  • Family offices
  • English admin
CurrencyUSDEURBSD
LanguageSpanishItalianEnglish
Time zoneUTC-5UTC+1UTC-5
EU memberNoYesNo
SchengenNoYesNo
Residency

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

Italian residency routes:

  • Elective Residency Visa - passive income, no employment in Italy
  • Self-employment visa (within quota)
  • Entrepreneur visa
  • Investor visa
  • Digital nomad / remote worker - for qualified professionals

Flat-tax regime (Article 24-bis) and impatriate regime may apply.

Bahamian residency routes:

  • Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment
  • Annual residence permits for HNW
  • Work permits - employer-sponsored
  • Family routes
Company setup

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.

SRL (Limited Liability Company) and SRL Semplificata are the standard structures. Italian tax residency triggers worldwide reporting; the flat-tax regime for new residents (article 24-bis) and the impatriate regime may apply to eligible individuals.

IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.

Banking

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

Resident banking is straightforward; corporate banking and certain non-standard structures require coordination. Bordercase introduces banking partners where useful.

Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Family

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

Family reunification is supported. Public and private schools are widely available; international schools are concentrated in major cities.

Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.

Risks

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 Italy:

  • Tax residency triggers
  • Flat-tax regime eligibility and possible revocation
  • Regional administrative variation
  • Language and bureaucratic friction
  • Impatriate regime conditions vary

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

  • Economic substance reporting
  • Property due diligence
  • Reputational handling around offshore structures
Documents

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 Italian residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of income (significant for elective residency)
  • Health insurance valid in Italy
  • Accommodation evidence
  • Codice fiscale (tax number)

Apostille and certified Italian translation where required.

Typical Bahamian documents:

  • Passport
  • Source-of-funds evidence
  • Health and police clearances
  • Apostilled foreign documents

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