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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.

 AE flagUnited Arab Emirates

Middle East

DM flagDominica

Central America & Caribbean

BS flagBahamas

Central America & Caribbean

OverviewThe United Arab Emirates is one of the most active jurisdictions for cross-border founders, remote professionals, and family relocations. It offers a wide menu of residency and company structures - federal mainland, free zone, and offshore - each with different banking, substance, and timeline implications.Dominica is a Caribbean jurisdiction with a long-standing Citizenship by Investment programme. Bordercase coordinates with authorised local agents.The Bahamas is a Caribbean jurisdiction with structured residency routes including the Economic Permanent Residence and an active fund / family-office sector. Bordercase coordinates with licensed Bahamian partners.
Best for
  • Founders
  • Banking
  • Tax planning
  • Families
  • English admin
  • Second passport
  • English admin
  • Caribbean residency
  • HNW
  • Funds
  • Family offices
  • English admin
CurrencyAEDXCDBSD
LanguageArabic / EnglishEnglishEnglish
Time zoneUTC+4UTC-4UTC-5
EU memberNoNoNo
SchengenNoNoNo
Residency

Common UAE residency routes:

  • Investor / property routes via business ownership or qualifying real estate
  • Employment-based residency through a mainland or free-zone company (most common)
  • Freelance and remote-work permits where eligible
  • Golden Visa for qualifying investors, specialists, and outstanding talents
  • Dependant sponsorship for spouse, children, and in some cases parents

Quotas, thresholds, and route definitions are revised frequently and vary by emirate.

Dominica routes:

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

Bahamian residency routes:

  • Economic Permanent Residence - qualifying property investment
  • Annual residence permits for HNW
  • Work permits - employer-sponsored
  • Family routes
Company setup

Mainland LLCs allow trade across the UAE and government contracts; free-zone companies (DMCC, IFZA, RAKEZ, ADGM, DIFC, and others) suit international service businesses; offshore companies are limited to holding structures. Bordercase coordinates with licensed corporate-services partners in each free zone and mainland.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

IBCs (International Business Companies) are widely used; substance and reporting are now real. Funds and family-office structures are common.

Banking

Personal and corporate accounts in the UAE require thorough KYC, substance evidence, and clear source of funds. Bordercase prepares the documentation pack and introduces vetted banks and EMIs; final approval is the bank's discretion.

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

Banking is selective and source-of-funds focused. Bordercase coordinates introductions through current partners.

Family

Dependants - spouse, children, and in some cases parents - can be sponsored under most residency permits. Schooling, dependent insurance, and Emirates ID processes typically follow the main applicant's residency.

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Family inclusion is supported on most routes. International schools are concentrated on New Providence.

Risks

Risks Bordercase watches for in UAE cases:

  • Bank account rejection - unclear source of funds, complex ownership, certain industries
  • Free-zone choice misaligned with the actual business activity
  • Substance requirements underestimated (real office, real operations)
  • Past visa rejections in any country must be disclosed and prepared for
  • Restricted nationalities for certain banking partners

Risks Bordercase watches for in Dominica:

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

Risks Bordercase watches for in the Bahamas:

  • Economic substance reporting
  • Property due diligence
  • Reputational handling around offshore structures
Documents

Typical document pack for UAE residency:

  • Passport copies (6+ months valid)
  • Recent biometric photos
  • Education / qualification certificates (attested)
  • Business plan (for investor / free-zone routes)
  • Source-of-funds evidence
  • Bank statements (6-12 months)
  • Existing company documents where applicable
  • Medical examination + Emirates ID enrolment after entry

Documents from abroad typically require notarisation and legalisation (UAE attestation chain).

Typical CBI documents:

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

Typical Bahamian documents:

  • Passport
  • Source-of-funds evidence
  • Health and police clearances
  • Apostilled foreign documents

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