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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

PY flagParaguay

Latin America

MT flagMalta

Europe

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.Paraguay offers one of the more accessible residency routes in Latin America for individuals seeking a second residence. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Paraguayan partners for filings.Malta 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.
Best for
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Second residency
  • Low day-count
  • Cost of living
  • Latin America
  • Founders
  • Holding structures
  • EU access
  • English admin
CurrencyUSDPYGEUR
LanguageSpanishSpanish / GuaraníEnglish / Maltese
Time zoneUTC-5UTC-4UTC+1
EU memberNoNoYes
SchengenNoNoYes
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

Paraguay residency routes:

  • Permanent residency via proof of solvency / qualifying income - the standard route
  • Family inclusion on the main application

Physical-presence requirements are relatively low compared to other jurisdictions.

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.

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) and SA (Joint Stock) structures are available; entity setup is well-supported by local partners. Substance and reporting requirements should be confirmed at 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.

Banking

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 accessible. Bordercase coordinates introductions and documentation prep.

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

Family

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

Family inclusion on residency applications is supported. Schools (Spanish-language and limited international) are concentrated in Asunción.

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

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 Paraguay:

  • Residency vs tax residency confusion
  • Document apostille and translation requirements must be tracked carefully
  • Some originating countries are subject to additional scrutiny
  • Real-world banking outside Paraguay may not change because of Paraguayan residency

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
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 Paraguay documents:

  • Passport
  • Criminal record certificate (origin country + any country of residence in last 5 years)
  • Marriage / birth certificates for family
  • Proof of income or solvency (savings / pension / business)

All documents apostilled and translated to Spanish.

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.

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