Countries
Countries
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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.
Pick countries to compare (3/4)
Mauritius
Singapore
Hong Kong
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Antigua and Barbuda
Dominica
Grenada
Saint Lucia
Cayman Islands
British Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Barbados
Portugal
Spain
Italy
Greece
Cyprus
Malta
Germany
Switzerland
Estonia
Poland
Slovakia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Romania
Serbia
Montenegro
Georgia
Armenia
Türkiye
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Paraguay
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
United Arab Emirates
Mexico United KingdomEurope | CyprusEurope | GermanyEurope | |
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| Overview | 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. | Cyprus is an EU member state with established routes for residency, company setup, and family relocation. Bordercase coordinates with regulated Cypriot lawyers and corporate-services providers for filings and ongoing compliance. | Germany is the largest EU economy and a strong destination for skilled professionals, founders, and remote workers (under specific routes). Bordercase coordinates with licensed German partners for filings. |
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| Currency | GBP | EUR | EUR |
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| Language | English | Greek / English | German |
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| Time zone | UTC+0 | UTC+2 | UTC+1 |
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| EU member | No | Yes | Yes |
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| Schengen | No | No | Yes |
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| Residency | UK residency routes:
| Cyprus residency routes:
The investor citizenship programme is closed. | German residency routes:
Permanent residence typically after 5 years (faster on Blue Card). |
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| Company setup | UK Limited companies are widely used internationally. HMRC corporation tax, VAT thresholds, and PSC (people with significant control) reporting apply. Substance expectations have tightened. | Cyprus Limited companies are widely used by international groups for IP, holding, and trading structures. Substance, local director, and accounting requirements have tightened in recent years and must be planned at setup. | GmbH and UG (haftungsbeschränkt) are common structures. Notary involvement is required for formation. Tax registration, trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung), and German GAAP / tax accounting standards apply. |
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| Banking | 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. | Cypriot banks have strict KYC and source-of-funds processes following past compliance episodes. EMIs are widely used as supplements. Personal and corporate banking introductions go through vetted partners. | Personal banking for residents is well established; certain non-resident structures take longer. SCHUFA history is relevant for residents. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases. |
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| Family | Family reunification is supported. Schools (state, private, international) are widely available; competition for top schools is real. | Family reunification is available on most routes. English-language schools (public and private) and healthcare options are widely accessible to legal residents. | Family reunification is well supported. Schools (public, private, bilingual, and international) are widely available; international schools are concentrated in major cities. |
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| Risks | Risks Bordercase watches for in the UK:
| Common pitfalls in Cyprus cases:
| Risks Bordercase watches for in Germany:
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| Documents | Typical UK documents:
| Typical document pack for Cyprus residency:
For company formation: business plan, ownership-chain documents, and KYC for all ultimate beneficial owners. | Typical German residency documents:
Apostilled and translated to German. |
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Country pages stay the authoritative source. This view is a side-by-side; nothing here promises a particular outcome.