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 KN flagSaint Kitts and Nevis

Central America & Caribbean

PA flagPanama

Central America & Caribbean

OverviewSaint Kitts and Nevis is a Caribbean jurisdiction with one of the oldest citizenship-by-investment programmes. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents and licensed advisers - citizenship outcomes remain at the discretion of the Citizenship by Investment Unit.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.
Best for
  • Second passport
  • Caribbean residency
  • Asset planning
  • Second residency
  • USD economy
  • Asset planning
  • Holding structures
CurrencyXCD / USDUSD
LanguageEnglishSpanish
Time zoneUTC-4UTC-5
EU memberNoNo
SchengenNoNo
Residency

Saint Kitts and Nevis routes:

  • Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via the Sustainable Growth Fund
  • CBI via approved real-estate investment
  • Standard work / family routes

Citizenship outcomes remain at the discretion of the Citizenship by Investment Unit.

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
Company setup

Nevis IBCs and LLCs are commonly used in international structures. Substance, beneficial ownership disclosure, and AML standards have tightened materially.

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.

Banking

Domestic and offshore banking options exist but have become more selective on KYC and source of funds. Bordercase coordinates banking pack preparation and partner introductions.

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

Family

CBI applications can include qualifying dependants - spouse, children, and in some cases parents - under specific conditions.

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

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Kitts:

  • Programme parameters change
  • Due diligence has tightened materially
  • Rejection rates have risen for incomplete or unclear source-of-funds presentations
  • Visa-revocation and reputational risks if information is misrepresented

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
Documents

Typical CBI documents:

  • Passport
  • Due diligence questionnaires
  • Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
  • Employment / business documentation
  • Family certificates with apostille and certified translation
  • Police clearance certificates for all countries of residence in the prior 10 years

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.

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