Business relocation and residence for entrepreneurs

Business relocation and residence: choose a country

Nine countries where our clients most often move their business; each card links to the company page for that country, and the text shows the residence route for the owner.

In total we work in 50+ jurisdictions, including Cyprus, the Czech Republic and Portugal. For a move to North America, see our separate guides on immigration to Canada and immigration to the USA.

Your situation

Six situations clients most often bring to us, and the route we usually suggest.

What our business relocation service includes

Business relocation from start to finish brings the company, bank account, residence permit and taxes together in one project with one plan, so that documents for the bank, the immigration service and the tax office are consistent with each other.

• Country and route. We compare grounds for a residence permit through business or investment against your clients, income, family and current status in the EU.
• Company. We register a company or sole proprietorship in the destination country, record the beneficial owner and arrange the address. More on this: international company formation.
• Moving contracts and team. We transfer client contracts to the new company, set up agreements with the Ukrainian company and arrange employment for staff who move with you.
• Bank. We choose a bank that fits the business profile and prepare the KYC package and source-of-funds explanation. For many routes a company bank statement is part of the residence permit file.
• Residence permit file. Business plan, financial documents, translations and apostilles. Filing and representation before the immigration service are handled by our partners, licensed local lawyers, and we remain responsible to you.
• Tax residence and Ukraine. We determine where you are resident, obtain a tax residence certificate from the new country, and file the tax return and CFC report in Ukraine.
• Accounting and renewal. We keep the new company's books, see accounting for a foreign company, and make sure income, headcount and reporting meet the conditions by the time the permit is renewed.

What we do and what local partners do

Rules on representation before immigration authorities differ in each country, so we handle the immigration part together with long-standing partners, licensed local lawyers. You have one contract, and we remain responsible to you.

• We handle: route selection, company, bank account, business plan and financial documents, tax residence, CFC and reporting in Ukraine, accounting, deadline control and coordination of the whole project.
• Local partners handle: filing the application with the immigration service, on-site representation, answers to procedural queries.

Business relocation and residence permit timelines

Usually, in our experience, business relocation takes 3–9 months from signing the contract to the first residence document. Timing depends on the case, its details, the authorities and force majeure.

• Company and bank account. Usually 2–6 weeks, longer if the bank asks for additional source-of-funds documents.
• Residence permit file. Usually 2–4 weeks; the pace is set by apostilles, criminal record certificates and sworn translations.
• Review. Follows each country's rules. In Italy the law gives the consulate up to 120 days for a self-employment visa. In Poland business-based residence cases take longer than usual because the voivode analyses the company's finances. In the UAE the investor visa stages usually move faster than in the EU.

The authority's official timeline applies only to a complete application and covers just part of the work. If your moving date or the end of your current status matters, tell us at the start: we will plan backwards from that date.

After the first document comes the second part of the work: renewal. By that date the company needs turnover, reporting, paid taxes and contributions, and in countries with a job requirement, employees on staff. We keep the calendar and tell you in advance which figures are missing.

What business relocation costs depend on

We quote the cost of business relocation per project; it depends on the country, the residence route and how many parts of the business are moving.

• Country and grounds for residence: the volume of documents and the immigration service's requirements vary widely.
• How many family members receive residence permits with you.
• Business structure: one company or a group, whether the Ukrainian company stays, how many owners.
• Whether employees move and need work permits.
• How ready the documents are: apostilles, financial statements, income history.
• Whether you need accounting, tax support and CFC reports after the move.

Government fees, translations and local partner fees are named in advance as a separate line. We give an estimate within one business day after a short description of the task.

Company relocation: how we work

Company relocation goes step by step: first the company and bank account, then the residence permit, then taxes and renewal.

1. Assessment. We review the business, clients, income, family, current status and 3–5 year plans. We propose 1–2 routes with the risks of each.
2. Company. We register the company in the destination country, record the beneficial owner, and transfer contracts with clients and with the Ukrainian company.
3. Bank. We open a corporate account and prepare the explanation of the source of funds and business model in advance.
4. Residence permit file. Business plan, financial documents, translations and apostilles for you and your family. We check the validity and format of every document.
5. Filing and decision. The local partner files the application, and we answer the immigration service's queries until the decision.
6. Taxes and renewal. Tax residence certificate from the new country, tax return and CFC report in Ukraine, company accounting and preparation for renewal.

Documents for a residence permit through business

A residence permit through business requires personal documents, company documents and proof of income or funds; the exact list depends on the country and route.

Personal documents

• International passport; for Poland, scans of all pages.
• Criminal record certificate with apostille and translation.
• Marriage and children's birth certificates with apostille, for the family.
• Health insurance valid in the destination country.
• Proof of accommodation: lease agreement or ownership.

Business documents

• Extract from the company register of the destination country.
• Business plan with a financial model, clients and hiring plan.
• Financial statements, tax returns, certificates of no tax and social security arrears, for operating companies and renewals.
• Bank statements, client contracts, invoices, proof of investment.
• For investment routes, documents on the source of funds.

For family members

• Passports, marriage and birth certificates, consent of the other parent for the child to leave if that parent is not moving.
• Proof that the main applicant's income or funds cover the whole family.

We compile the list for your route, check every document before filing and tell you where an apostille and sworn translation are needed.

Residence permit through business: country comparison

In each country, a residence permit through business rests on its own condition: company income, jobs, investment or an innovative project.

We choose the country by three questions: where your clients will be, whether you are ready to run real operations and hire people in the new country, and how long the family can wait for a decision. For a remote business with clients worldwide the UAE often fits; for work on the EU market with a team, Poland and Bulgaria; for an investment route without an operating business, the UAE Golden visa or the Hungarian guest investor permit.

Country	Basis	Key condition
Poland	Temporary residence based on business activity, application only through MOS	Company income for the previous year of at least 12 average monthly salaries in the voivodeship, or 2 employees throughout the year; a new company shows documents proving the conditions will be met
UAE	Investor or partner visa, Golden visa	Your own company; a 10-year Golden visa, for example with company capital of AED 2 million or more. More on this: UAE residence permit
Hungary	Self-employment residence permit; guest investor residence permit	Company manager: 5+ employees for six months or justified future income, up to 1 year with extension, up to 3 years in total; family after one year. Investor: real estate fund units from EUR 250,000 held for at least 5 years, permit for up to 10 years. More on this: Hungary residence permit
Italy	Visa and residence permit for self-employment	Funds for the project, housing, lawful income above the threshold, within annual quotas. More on this: Italy residence permit
Bulgaria	Long-term residence for commercial activity	At least 10 full-time jobs for Bulgarian citizens for the whole period of residence, separately for each partner and manager
Romania	Long-stay visa for business purposes	Business plan, at least EUR 100,000 in a Romanian bank account, an investment of at least EUR 100,000 and at least 10 new jobs within 12 months, for each shareholder separately
United Kingdom	Innovator Founder visa	A new, innovative, viable and scalable idea endorsed by an endorsing body, English language
Canada	Start-up Visa	The program is paused; we choose the route individually

Conditions change often, so we recheck them against the country's official sources on the date you contact us. For the USA the route depends on citizenship and the investment amount, and we assess it with partner immigration lawyers.

Temporary protection and moving to a regular residence permit

Temporary protection for Ukrainians in the EU has been extended to 4 March 2028 by Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 of 30 July 2026.

• New condition. Since 31 July 2026, protection is granted only to those who comply with their military obligations to Ukraine, and this is confirmed when needed: a lawful border crossing or exit stamp, or, if lawful exit cannot be shown, an official document, for example from Reserv+. The condition does not apply to people who had protection in an EU country on 30 July 2026 and keep it there continuously; after moving to another EU country it does apply.
• Transition. On 16 September 2025 the EU Council adopted a recommendation on transition to other statuses, and Decision 2026/1912 names its measures a priority.
• Poland. The CUKR card is a 3-year temporary residence permit for those whose UKR status has been valid continuously for at least 365 days and was in place on 4 June 2025. Applications are filed only through MOS until 4 March 2027. According to UdSC, UKR status in Poland currently remains valid until 4 March 2027. The card allows you to work and run a business on the same terms as Polish citizens.

For a business owner, residence through their own company is often more reliable: the basis is clear, renewal depends on your own figures, and the family usually receives residence permits as family members, although on some routes, such as Hungarian self-employment, only after one year. We plan the transition so there is no gap between statuses.

Why residence permits through business are refused

Most often a business residence permit is refused because of insufficient income, an implausible business plan or no real company activity.

• Income or funds. Income is below the country's threshold or cannot be proven. We calculate the threshold including the family and collect evidence in advance.
• Business plan. Figures without clients, contracts and expenses raise questions. We build the plan on real business data.
• No activity. A company with no turnover, office or staff fails at renewal. We plan the figures for the renewal date.
• Documents. A criminal record certificate without an apostille or out of date, a translation by someone other than a sworn translator, incomplete passport scans.
• Deadlines and filing method. In Poland residence applications are accepted only through MOS and no later than the last day of legal stay; paper applications will not be reviewed. We track the end date of your current status.
• Insurance. The policy does not cover the whole period or does not meet the service's requirements.
• Bank and KYC. Without an account some routes are closed. We clear the source-of-funds explanation and sanctions and PEP checks before filing.

The residence decision is made by the immigration service, and the account decision by the bank. We are responsible for the quality of the file and resolve comments at no extra charge until the decision.

Tax residence after business relocation

Tax residence is determined under the laws of both countries and the double tax treaty; a residence permit alone does not change it.

Under subclause 14.1.213 of the Tax Code of Ukraine, an individual with a place of residence in Ukraine is a Ukrainian tax resident. If there is also a home abroad, the tests are applied in turn: permanent home, centre of vital interests, presence of 183 days or more in a year, and citizenship. A family's permanent home or registration as an entrepreneur in Ukraine is sufficient grounds to place the centre of interests in Ukraine.

• CFC. While you are a Ukrainian tax resident, a foreign company you control is a CFC. The CFC report is filed with the annual tax return, and the notice of acquiring or ending control within 60 days. More on this: controlled foreign companies.
• Tax residence certificate. A certificate from the new country is needed to apply the treaty and avoid paying tax twice.
• Transition year. In the year of the move you can be resident in both countries. We decide how to declare income so the tax is not doubled.

If the company in Ukraine stays

Often the Ukrainian company or sole proprietorship keeps working while the owner already lives abroad. In that case we set up the contract between the companies, service prices and payments to the owner so that income is taxed in one country under the double tax treaty and the bank understands where payments come from and why. We plan dividends and the owner's salary a year ahead together with the date of the change in residence.

How to start

Describe your business, the country you want to move to, your family and the target date, and within one business day we will propose a residence route and a work plan. The first 10-minute call is free.

Other services

Sources

EUR-Lex: Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912, extension of temporary protection to 4.03.2028; Urząd Wojewódzki w Poznaniu: Business activity, temporary residence based on business activity, MOS; Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców: karta pobytu CUKR, procedura; ICP: UAE Golden Residency; OIF: vendég-önfoglalkoztatás célú tartózkodási engedély (self-employment residence permit); OIF: vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély (guest investor residence permit); Normattiva: D.Lgs. 286/1998, art. 26, lavoro autonomo; GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visa; IRCC: Start-up Visa Program; OUG 194/2002, Article 43 — long-stay visa for commercial activities (Romania); Tax Code of Ukraine (Podatkovyi kodeks Ukrainy), subclause 14.1.213, Article 39-2. Checked: 27.09.2026.