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Bordercase

Compare

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.

 CH flagSwitzerland

Europe

CL flagChile

Latin America

LC flagSaint Lucia

Central America & Caribbean

OverviewSwitzerland is a stable, high-quality jurisdiction with structured residency routes - most of them merit-based, contribution-based, or employer-sponsored. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Swiss partners for filings.Chile is a stable Latin American economy with structured residency routes, strong civil infrastructure, and growing relevance for international founders. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Chilean partners for filings.Saint Lucia is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a Citizenship by Investment programme launched in 2016. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.
Best for
  • HNW
  • Founders
  • Forfait fiscal
  • Stability
  • Latin America hub
  • Stable economy
  • Founders
  • Families
  • Second passport
  • English admin
  • Caribbean residency
CurrencyCHFCLPXCD
LanguageGerman / French / ItalianSpanishEnglish
Time zoneUTC+1UTC-4UTC-4
EU memberNoNoNo
SchengenYesNoNo
Residency

Swiss residency routes:

  • Work permit - employer-sponsored, quota-controlled for non-EU
  • Lump-sum taxation (forfait fiscal) - HNW individuals in eligible cantons
  • Business / investor routes
  • EU / EFTA routes - under FMP
  • Family reunification

Chilean residency routes:

  • Temporary residence - employment, retirement, or qualifying activity
  • Investor / entrepreneur routes
  • Family reunification
  • Permanent residence typically after a qualifying temporary period

Saint Lucia routes:

  • Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
  • Standard work permits
  • Family routes
Company setup

GmbH and AG are the standard structures. Cantonal variation in tax, registration, and substance treatment is real. Federal and cantonal compliance is precise.

SpA (Sociedad por Acciones), Ltda, and SA are standard structures. SII tax registration, RUT, and patent municipal registration follow.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

Banking

Swiss banking has tightened materially since the 2010s. Personal accounts require residency or strong nexus; corporate banking requires substance and clear source of funds. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Residency unlocks personal banking. Corporate banking depends on activity. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

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

Family

Family reunification is supported on most permits. Schools (public, private, and international) are widely available; international schools are well-established but selective.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (public, private, English, German, French) are concentrated in Santiago.

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in Switzerland:

  • Quotas for non-EU work permits
  • Lump-sum taxation eligibility and cantonal variation
  • Banking gatekeeping for non-residents
  • Substance and arm's-length pricing audits

Risks Bordercase watches for in Chile:

  • Tax residency triggers and worldwide-income reporting
  • Processing variations between regions
  • RUT timing for non-residents

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia:

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

Typical Swiss residency documents:

  • Passport
  • Employment contract or business plan
  • Criminal record certificate
  • Proof of accommodation
  • Health insurance valid in Switzerland
  • Financial evidence

Apostilled and translated where required.

Typical Chilean documents:

  • Passport
  • Apostilled foreign documents (birth, marriage, criminal record)
  • Proof of income or investment
  • Health insurance
  • Spanish translations 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.