Updated
BG-CLIENTS
Who we help
When a single task involvesseveral countries
BRIDGES advises entrepreneurs, investors, owners of capital and families who have to resolve connected questions of citizenship, residency, business, banking, tax, real estate and assets.
Citizenship · Family · Business · Capital · Banking · Tax · Real estate · Plan B
That is why we do not start with a programme or a country. First we work through the client situation and establish which decisions have to work together.
A client often arrives with one specific task — to obtain a second passport, arrange residency, open an account, move a business or acquire property. But the right decision depends on where the family lives, where the business sits, how the capital is arranged and what is planned next.
Client situations
What brought you here?
Entrepreneurs
The personal status of the owner and the structure of the business are connected
Relocation of an entrepreneur is rarely limited to obtaining residency.
It has to be established where the owner will live, where the company will remain or appear, through which banks the settlements will run, where tax residency arises and how the new structure will affect the family and the existing assets.
BRIDGES handles
- 01Citizenship and residency of the owner and the family
- 02Registration or relocation of the company
- 03Corporate and personal bank accounts
- 04The tax position of the owner
- 05Relocation of key employees
- 06Real estate and place of residence
- 07The ownership structure of the business and the assets
The relocation of the owner and the change of the business structure have to be considered together.
Investors
An investment is not measured by price and yield alone
Before acquiring an asset abroad it has to be understood who the owner will be, what taxes arise, how reliable the counterparty is, how the transaction is documented, whether the investment gives a right to residency or citizenship and how the eventual exit will be organised.
- Asset
- Due Diligence
- Ownership
- Tax
- Residency / Citizenship
- Exit
- Legacy
BRIDGES considers the investment together with the legal ownership structure, the migration opportunities and the further plans of the client.
A good investment has to be clear not only at entry, but also at the stage of ownership, sale and transfer to the next generation.
Family
The decision has to work for the whole family
Today the main question may be a second citizenship or residency.
In a few years what matters is the education of the children, their coming of age, tax status, real estate, a business of their own or inheritance.
That is why, when choosing a country and a basis, BRIDGES considers not only the main applicant but the consequences of the decision for spouses, children and the next generation.
- 01Now
second citizenship · residency · housing · school · banking
- 02In 3–5 years
university · tax · real estate · first assets of their own
- 03In the long term
citizenship · inheritance · business · transfer of capital
A family decision does not end with a passport or a first residence card.
A status makes sense when it matches the real life and the long-term plans of the family.
Private capital
When assets sit in different countries they cannot be managed as separate decisions
Property may be in France, the company in the UAE, the bank accounts in Switzerland, while the family lives somewhere else.
If every element was created separately, contradictions appear over time between the corporate structure, the tax position, banking compliance, inheritance and the actual place of residence.
BRIDGES helps to connect separate assets and jurisdictions into a structure the client understands and can manage.
Companies · Banking · Real estate · Investments · Residency · Family · Legacy
One structure
The more countries and assets there are, the more important it is to see the whole picture.
Financially independent
When the country of residence does not depend on the place of work
If the main income is not tied to an employer or a business in one country, the place of residence can be chosen with quality of life, tax rules, banking, family status and long-term goals in mind.
BRIDGES helps to compare jurisdictions and to establish which status matches the real structure of the income and assets of the client.
International professionals
When a career runs across several countries
Executives, consultants, specialists and owners of a professional practice may work with clients and companies in different jurisdictions.
In such a situation it is important to establish correctly the migration status, the tax residency, the banking infrastructure and the position of the family. BRIDGES helps to select a lawful basis for residence and to connect it with the real professional activity of the client.
Real estate
Property abroad does not begin with the choice of the object
Before the transaction it has to be established:
- who the owner will be
- whether to buy personally or through a company
- what taxes arise on purchase and on ownership
- how the financing will be arranged
- whether the purchase is connected with residency or citizenship
- what happens on a sale
- how the asset will pass to the heirs
- Select
- Check
- Structure
- Buy
- Own
- Exit / Legacy
The ownership structure can matter no less than the choice of the property itself.
Real estate · ownership · structure
Compliance / complex cases
A complicated history does not mean there is no lawful solution
A previous banking refusal, a complex income structure, PEP status, a sanctions context, crypto assets, several citizenships or an international business structure all call for a deeper preliminary assessment.
Such circumstances cannot be hidden or worked around.
- 01We check the starting position
We go through the circumstances and the documents.
- 02We identify the risks
We understand what exactly may raise a question with a bank, a state authority or a counterparty.
- 03We prepare the evidence
We structure the documents and the explanation of the origin of the capital, the business or the particular operation.
- 04We establish the workable options
We compare solutions that can be implemented lawfully and with justification.
A complex situation calls for deeper preparation, not for louder promises.
Plan B
A reserve plan is created before it becomes necessary
A second citizenship or an additional residency are important elements of a Plan B, but a complete reserve plan is not limited to migration status.
It has to answer practical questions:
where the family will be able to move · on what basis to live in another country · where the bank accounts will be held · how the business will continue to operate · where the key documents will be kept · how the ownership of assets will be arranged · what happens if the tax or banking environment changes · which jurisdiction will remain in reserve
What a Plan B may include
- 01Second citizenship
An additional passport for mobility, protection of the family and less dependence on a single state.
- 02Additional residency or permanent residence
A lawful right to live in another country without having to decide on relocation at the last moment.
- 03Reserve bank account
Additional banking infrastructure in another jurisdiction.
- 04A second jurisdiction for the business
A company, banking relationships and the ability to continue operating if conditions in the main country change.
- 05Alternative tax residency
A possibility of changing the tax position on relocation, studied in advance.
- 06A place for the family
A country, housing, education for the children, medicine and everyday infrastructure.
- 07Reserve ownership structure
Additional protection of property, companies and capital from concentration in one jurisdiction.
A Plan B has to be ready before circumstances force decisions to be taken in a hurry.
When the situation changes
Changes in life call for earlier decisions to be revisited
A structure that suited the client a few years ago may stop matching the new circumstances.
The reason may be the sale of a business, the relocation of the family, a change in the law, an inheritance, children coming of age, new assets or a different tax status.
In such periods it is important not to change separate elements at random, but first to understand what consequences the change creates for the whole situation of the client.
After significant capital is received the banking, tax and investment tasks change.
Residency, tax, real estate, school, banking and the status of family members have to be assessed again.
New corporate, banking and migration questions appear.
The ownership structure, the tax consequences and the further management of the assets have to be established.
Statuses that previously depended on the parents may stop working automatically.
Property, a company or an investment may require a different ownership structure.
A migration, tax or banking model may need adjusting.
Marriage, divorce, the birth of children or inheritance affect asset ownership and long-term decisions.
First we establish the consequences of the change. After that we decide what really has to be changed.
BRIDGES stays alongside the client, however the tasks change.
Every client has their own point of entry
One needs a second citizenship.
Another — residency, a company and a bank account.
A third — property or an investment.
A fourth — a new tax status.
A fifth — a reserve plan for the family and the capital.
But when a task involves several countries, the separate decisions have to work together.
That is why BRIDGES starts with the situation of the client, not with a particular product.
One client / one system
Different tasks — one coordination
A single client may at the same time have:
- citizenship of one country
- residency of a second
- a business in a third
- bank accounts in a fourth
- property in several jurisdictions
- a family living between countries
- investment assets
- tax obligations in different states
If every question is resolved separately, a risk of contradictions appears.
BRIDGES
Citizenship · Residency · Family · Business · Banking · Tax · Real estate · Investments · Legacy · Risk
One coordination of the work around a single client.
A decision in one area must not create a problem in another.
Our approach
First we assemble the picture. Then we set the order of actions.
- 01We go through the starting situation
We establish citizenships, current residence statuses, the composition of the family, companies, banking relationships, real estate, investments and other significant circumstances.
- 02We fix the result
We understand what exactly the client wants to obtain now and which long-term tasks have to be taken into account.
- 03We identify the connections
We establish how a new decision may affect tax, banking, business, family and existing assets.
- 04We check the constraints
We assess legal, banking, sanctions, migration and other material risks.
- 05We compare the options
If a solution can be implemented in several ways, we compare the grounds, the timing, the costs and the consequences.
- 06We set the order of work
We build the sequence of actions and bring in the necessary specialists.
- 07We accompany
BRIDGES coordinates the work until the agreed task is complete and keeps the context for the next requests of the client.
The complexity stays inside the team. The client has to understand what is happening now and what comes next.
When one question is not enough
International Position Review
A full assessment of the current international position of the client and the family.
An International Position Review is needed where it is not possible to recommend a second passport, residency, a country to move to, a tax residency, a bank or an ownership structure without analysing the whole starting situation.
What we look at
Which passports and statuses already exist, where the client actually lives and which opportunities are available next.
Spouses, children, dependants, education and long-term plans.
The current tax position, the possible consequences of relocation and the connection with international structures.
Shareholdings, operating jurisdictions, owners and corporate infrastructure.
Personal and corporate accounts, compliance history and the financial institutions in use.
Properties, ownership structure, countries and possible tax or inheritance consequences.
Financial assets, investment structures and the origin of the capital.
How the capital was formed and how the origin of funds for particular operations is confirmed.
Sanctions, country, banking, corporate and reputational circumstances.
The result
- 01Current position
A clear map of the current international position of the client.
- 02Weak points
Risks, contradictions and elements that require attention.
- 03Available options
Options that can be considered given the real situation.
- 04Priorities
What has to be done first and what can wait.
- 05Roadmap
The sequence of the next actions.
An International Position Review is not there to produce a large report. Its purpose is to help take the right decisions before separate actions begin.
Who benefits most
And you need to understand how they are connected.
But do not want to solve the migration question at the price of new tax or banking problems.
And the further ownership structure and banking infrastructure have to be established.
And different family members hold different statuses.
And the new structure has to be built around the existing constraints.
Because the choice depends on several connected circumstances.
The BRIDGES approach
We are not prepared to accept every task
Complexity in itself is not a reason to refuse.
BRIDGES works with complex international situations where they can be resolved lawfully, consistently and with the necessary professional team.
But we do not take on work where the adviser is expected to work around requirements, to conceal material information or to guarantee a decision taken by an independent authority.
BRIDGES does not work on requests to
- 01Conceal the origin of capital
We can help to explain and document the origin of funds, but not to create a fictitious history.
- 02Circumvent AML / KYC
Banking and compliance requirements have to be met, not avoided.
- 03Set up fictitious companies and structures
A corporate structure has to have a lawful purpose and to meet the applicable requirements.
- 04Arrange residence on paper only
If a status requires real compliance with the conditions, that has to be taken into account.
- 05Obtain a passport or residency without checks
State procedures and due diligence cannot lawfully be excluded.
- 06Guarantee a state decision
A decision on citizenship, residency, a bank or another regulated matter is taken by the relevant independent authority.
A complex task calls for the right structure and a strong team, not for a promise of the impossible.
Why BRIDGES
One team for the connected tasks of the client
The client does not have to assemble a new team for every following question.
We bring in specialists and solutions in the jurisdictions that actually relate to the task of the client.
Experience with citizenship, residency, banking, real estate, business and private capital allows us to see the connections between separate decisions.
Before significant actions begin we assess the starting position and the known risks.
Lawyers, notaries, tax advisers, banking specialists and real estate experts are brought in where local competence is required.
The client works with BRIDGES, and we organise the interaction between the participants.
Client information and the details of the work are not used publicly without agreement.
After citizenship, residency, an account or a transaction is complete we can continue with the next connected tasks.
Every client has their own situation. Our task is to see the connections between separate decisions.
Citizenship · family · business · banking · real estate · capital
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
