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 PA flagPanama

Central America & Caribbean

LC flagSaint Lucia

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.Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.
Best for
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Second passport
  • English admin
  • Caribbean residency
CurrencyUSDXCD
LanguageSpanishEnglish
Time zoneUTC-5UTC-4
EU memberNoNo
SchengenNoNo
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

Saint Lucia routes:

  • Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
  • Standard work permits
  • 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.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

Banking

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

Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

Family

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

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

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 Saint Lucia:

  • Programme parameters change
  • Due diligence has tightened
  • Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented
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 CBI documents:

  • Passport
  • Due diligence questionnaires
  • Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
  • Family certificates with apostille and translation

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