Company Registration in Nevis - Business Starting & Setup

Want to set up a firm in Nevis? We can assist you in starting a business or in buying a shelf company in Nevis with a full package of necessary documents, legal advice and follow-up support. Incorporation of a firm in Nevis includes provision of a registered office (for at least 1 year in any of our service plans), an apostilled set of constitutional documents, secretarial services and assistance with compliance fee and pre-approval for opening an account in banks of Nevis. The total price of company formation in Nevis includes all necessary fees and charges for the first year of operation, as well as full one-year nominee service (package Optimum).

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Service packages «Nevis LLC» Service packages «Nevis Corporation» Legislation Tax System Audit Services
Service packages
Express
Standard
Optimum
Company registration
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Legal address per year
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Secretarial services for the first year
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Fees and duties for the first year
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Apostilled bound set of incorporation documents
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Nominee service per year
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Bank Account Pre-approval
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Price
2 650 USD

3 770 USD

4 380 USD

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Corporate information

Legal system

Nevis is sometimes called the “Delaware of the Caribbean”, for its legal system is based both on English Common Law and American Corporate Law.

The island focuses on offshore asset protection and has its own offshore legislation in place. Since the Nevisian offshore legislation is different from that of the Federation, companies in Nevis can choose between Federation and Nevis forms, while St Kitts’s companies are only allowed to use Federation forms.

Types of entity in Nevis

The principal forms of business organization in Nevis are:

  • Nevis Business Corporation (NBCO);
  • Limited Liability Company (NLLCO);
  • International Exempt Trust (NIETO);
  • Multiform Foundations (MFO).

The most common structure is the Nevis Business Corporation.

Registration

Company name

There is a range of requirements to the company name in Nevis:

  • The company’s name must contain words like “corporation”, “incorporated”, “company”, or “limited” or other words to denote limited liability or their abbreviations.
  • It shall not be the same as the name of an existing corporation or company, or a name as similar to any such name as to tend to confuse or deceive.
  • A name that in the opinion of the Registrar is undesirable or suggests an illegal activity is not permitted.
  • A name that may imply government patronage is not acceptable.
  • A name requires consent or a license if it contains the following words or their foreign language equivalents: Bank, Building Society, Savings, Loans, Insurance, Assurance, Fund Management, Investment Fund, Municipal, Chamber of Commerce, and University.
  • Company names may be expressed in any language using the Latin alphabet.
  • Names in Cyrillic alphabet are not allowed.

Procedure of a company incorporation in Nevis

To register a company in Nevis, one must engage a local registered agent/corporate service provider with a registered office (which may further serve as the office of the Company, since the registered office address must be located in Nevis).

The Registered agent shall first reserve the name for a customer’s IBC through the Nevis online registration module or by calling to the registry. Upon that, the articles of incorporation may be filed with the Registrar of Companies. If the documents are in order, the Registrar will issue a certificate of incorporation. The whole procedure of IBC’s formation takes about 24 hours.

The timescale for a new turnkey entity is about 10 days (including document shipping).

Restriction on Activities

Being international, NBCs may conduct business in more than one country, but for tax exemption purposes they are not permitted to do business in Nevis.

No corporation shall be considered to be doing business in Nevis solely because it engages in one or more of the following activities:

  • maintaining bank accounts in Nevis;
  • holding meetings of directors or shareholders in Nevis;
  • maintaining corporate or financial records in Nevis;
  • maintaining an administrative or managerial office in Nevis with respect to assets or activities outside of Nevis;
  • maintaining a registered agent in Nevis; and
  • investing in stocks or entities of Nevis corporations or being a partner in Nevis partnership or a beneficiary of a Nevis trust or estate;
  • acquires real property in a local industrial or tourist facility provided always that such property shall be situated in a project or development approved and authorized by the Nevis Island Administration.

Local registered office

A NBC registered in Nevis is required to maintain a registered agent at all times and a registered office in Nevis. The legislation permits the office of the registered agent to act as the office of the company. A registered agent must be licensed by the Minister of Finance, and may be either a Barrister or Solicitor admitted to practice in St. Kitts and Nevis or a trust company or a local company having a paid-in capital of at least USD 500 000. Additionally, qualified accountants and such other persons as the Minister of Finance prescribes may be allowed to obtain licenses as registered agents.

Seal

There are no statutory requirements to have a company seal.

Redomicile

The redomiciliation of companies to or from Nevis is permitted.

Company structure

Directors

A NBC company is required to have a minimum of three directors. However, if a Nevis company has fewer than 3 shareholders it is allowed to have less than 3 directors, but not fewer than the number of shareholders. Therefore, one person may create a company being as a sole shareholder and director.

A director may be of any residence or nationality, either corporate or a natural person. There are no restrictions on how often or where directors’ meetings should be held.

Secretary

The presence of a secretary is not required.

Shareholders

All Nevisian companies must have at least one shareholder.

The shareholder may be of any residence or nationality, either corporate or a natural person.

All companies must every year hold an annual general meeting. The place of the meeting may be anywhere in the world.

Shareholders' information do not appear on public profile.

Beneficiary

Under the AMLR and ATR and FSIISR, all regulated entities, businesses or persons are required to obtain and maintain information establishing the ownership, control and structure of the legal person and arrangement and identify the beneficial owner(s) prior to establishing a business relationship with that legal person or arrangement.

The beneficial owners are subject to ongoing monitoring procedures to ensure that identity information is up to date.

Share capital and shares

There are no minimum requirements for share capital of NBC.

There is no time limit on the issuance of all shares of authorized capital. A company may issue only one share to one shareholder, and may issue the rest of the shares or part of them afterwards or not at all.

All shares issued must be paid for by the shareholders.

Non-bearer shares are not completely prohibited, but are limited. Their issuance requires the approval of the Registrar. The registered agent is required to keep a certificate of bearer shares on behalf of the beneficiary and a register for each bearer share.

Frequently Asked Questions about Company Registration in Nevis

Is Nevis an offshore?
Yes, Nevis is considered an offshore jurisdiction. It offers various tax and legal benefits for businesses, including low or no taxes, confidentiality and privacy, and a favorable business environment. However, Nevis and other offshore jurisdictions have faced increased scrutiny from governments and international organizations in recent years, so it's important to consider the potential risks and benefits carefully before registering a company there.
How long does it take to set up a company in Nevis?
The process of setting up a new company in Belgium, from applying for registration to receiving a set of documents, is 10 days.
Can I open a bank account in Nevis?
Yes, it is possible for foreigners to open a bank account in Nevis. However, the requirements and procedures for opening a bank account in Nevis may vary depending on the bank and the individual's circumstances. Some common requirements for opening a bank account in Nevis include providing proof of identity, proof of address, and information about the purpose of the account. It may also be necessary to provide references or to make a deposit to the account.
What is the difference between Nevis IBC and LLC?
A Nevis IBC is a type of offshore company that is incorporated in Nevis. It offers many of the benefits of an offshore company, such as low or no taxes, confidentiality and privacy, and a favorable business environment. A Nevis LLC is a type of hybrid legal entity that combines the limited liability protection of a corporation with the flexible management structure and pass-through taxation of a partnership. This type of company is becoming increasingly popular in Nevis and other offshore jurisdictions, as it offers many of the benefits of an offshore company while also providing the benefits of a limited liability company.

Core Services and fees for the formation of a company in Nevis

— Incorporation

Price2 650 USD

including the preparation and provision of the originals of the company's founding documents and apostilled copies of such documents, documents formalizing the issue of shares, as well as the company's seal, not including the Compliance fee

— Annual government fees

Priceuncluded

— Corporate legal services

Price1 720 USD

including the provision of legal address, not including the Compliance fee

—Delivery of documents by courier mail

Price250 USD

DHL or TNT, at cost of a Courier Service

— Apostilled document

Pricefrom 700 USD

Basic set of documents for setup of a company in Nevis

Appostilled Certificate of Incorporation

Articles of Incorporation

Endorsement Certificate

By-Laws

Certificate of Formation

Minutes of the first meeting of Incorporator and Subscriber

Minutes of the Organizational Meeting of the Organizer

Transfer of subscription rights

Share Certificates

Page with Apostille

Compare Jurisdictions

    Nominee Director

    Price640 USD

    Paid-up “nominee director” set includes the following documents

    Resolution effecting the issuing the Power of Attorney

    Consent Letter

    Director Resignation Letter

    Nominee Director’s Declaration

    Resolution effecting the change of Director

    Nominee Shareholder

    Price480 USD

    Paid-up “nominee shareholder” set includes the following documents

    Deed of Trust

    Instrument of Transfer

    Compliance fee in Nevis

    Compliance fee is payable in the cases of: incorporation of a company, renewal of a company, liquidation of a company, transfer out of a company, issue of a power of attorney to a new attorney, change of director / shareholder / BO (except the change to a nominee director / shareholder), signing of documents

    Basic

    Price250 USD

    simple company structure with only 1 physical person

    For legal entity in structure under GSL administration

    Price150 USD

    additional compliance fee for legal entity in structure under GSL administration (per 1 entity)

    For legal entity in structure not under GSL administration

    Price200 USD

    additional compliance fee for legal entity in structure NOT under GSL administration (per 1 entity)

    For client with high risk Status

    Price350 USD

    Signing of documents

    Price100 USD

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