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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

GB flagUnited Kingdom

Europe

GR flagGreece

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.The United Kingdom is a major global jurisdiction with structured (and competitive) residency, business, and skilled-worker routes. Bordercase coordinates with licensed UK partners for filings.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
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
  • Founders
  • Skilled workers
  • Global hub
  • Banking
  • English admin
  • Families
  • Remote workers
  • EU access
  • Coastal living
CurrencyUSDGBPEUR
LanguageSpanishEnglishGreek
Time zoneUTC-5UTC+0UTC+2
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

UK residency routes:

  • Skilled Worker visa - employer-sponsored
  • Innovator Founder visa - for endorsed founders
  • Global Talent visa - for endorsed experts
  • Self-Sponsorship via own company (with substance)
  • Family routes - spouse / partner / dependents
  • Ancestry visa for eligible Commonwealth nationals

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

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.

UK Limited companies are widely used internationally. HMRC corporation tax, VAT thresholds, and PSC (people with significant control) reporting apply. Substance expectations have tightened.

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

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 mature but onboarding is slow for non-residents. Many international founders use UK EMIs (Revolut, Monzo Business, etc.) alongside high-street accounts. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

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 residency routes. International schools (English-language and Spanish) are available in Panama City.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (state, private, international) are widely available; competition for top schools is real.

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

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 the UK:

  • Tax residency triggers (Statutory Residence Test)
  • Sole-rep / Innovator endorsement standards have tightened
  • Brexit-era operational variation between UK and EU services
  • Sponsorship Compliance for licensed sponsors

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

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 UK documents:

  • Passport
  • Certificate of Sponsorship (for sponsored routes)
  • TB test (for certain nationalities)
  • Maintenance funds evidence
  • Apostilled / certified documents for family routes

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.