Seychelles Offshore Company Incorporation
and Offshore Bank account

We make it SIMPLE for you to incorporate an offshore company and open an offshore bank account in Seychelles, in matter of days.

We also keep ready-made companies in Seychelles, for immediate delivery.

Services available from Seychelles:
Offshore companies: New or ready-made companies available.
Bank Accounts
Seychelles Special License Company (CSL)
Call Service Center
Bank Nominee signatories
Complete List of Optional Services

Seychelles offshore company incorporation provides the following  benefits:

• Low incorporation and annual fees.
• Very fast incorporation times: The company will usually be registered on the same day.
• Notarial and apostille certifications usually take one day.
• There is no public register of directors and shareholders. However, this information must be kept up-to-date and on file by the Registered Agent, being us.
• Access to a world-renowned international bank: Barclays Bank in Seychelles. The best bank account for your offshore company.

Seychelles Offshore Companies
Fees summary:
Incorporation Fee: $299
We always deliver full package:
Seychelles IBC registration. Preparation and filing of all necessary paperwork to register the company, provision of initial Subscriber, obtaining of the original Certificate of Incorporation. The documents will include Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association, Resolution for appointment of Director and allocation of shares, Share Certificate(s), transfer Forms.
Registered Office/Agent: $300 p.a. 
Government Licence: $100 p.a.
Total: $699

 

Optional Services:
Apostille: $150   (required for bank acc)
Obtaining Notarial certification on a full set of certified copies: $150
Nominee Director: $300 p.a. (corporate)
Nominee Director: $600 p.a. (private individual)
Nominee Shareholder: $300 p.a. corporate or $600 p.a. private individual.
Legalized Power Of Attorney: $150 (only if you have selected a nominee service)
Other Legalization: $150
DHL/FedEx Courier: $100 
Bank Account at Barclays Bank (Seychelles): $500

Annual maintenance fees after first year:
  Registered Office/Agent: $300 p.a. 
  Government Licence: $100 p.a.
Total: $400     
(plus fees for nominee directors and shareholders if supplied by us)

Check our Ready-made companies list.

Order here your Seychelles Package

Bank Account at Barclays Bank (Seychelles)

Alternatively we can also offer bank accounts at other banks in the region such as SEAB, or even in Cyprus.

A natural choice for a Seychelles International Business Company would normally be to bank with a first-rate international bank, also located in Seychelles.

Such option is certainly available. In Seychelles, we have a good working relationship and recommend Barclays Bank Seychelles – a branch of the world-renowned international banking group of Barclays. While there are several other banks operating in Seychelles, none has quite the name, the expertise and the global reach of Barclays.
See here complete list of bank fees for Barclays Seychelles.

Barclays Bank in Seychelles has a dedicated offshore banking department, specialized in international banking services and accounts for offshore companies. A state-of-the-art internet banking facility is also available to international customers.

You can check more information about Barclays Bank Seychelles directly on their website:
http://www.barclays.com/africa/seychelles/barclays_in.htm

As an approved intermediary, we can introduce new clients to the bank, provided that the client companies are incorporated and administered by us.
 

Please refer below for the documents required in opening a corporate account:

1. Certified copy of passport. The certification must state "HAVING SEEN THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT AT THE SAME TIME I CERTIFY THIS IS A TRUE COPY AND THE PHOTOGRAPH A REASONABLE LIKENESS". Appropriate certifiers would include lawyers, bankers and officials from embassies or consulates.

2. Certified copy of Driver's license and/or ID card. The certification should contain the same statement as the passport copy as mentioned above.

3. Proof of residential address through either an original bank statement and/or credit card statement.
(NB: The bank do not accept utility bills)

We will be submitting other documents such as Certified Certificate of Incorporation, Agent's introductory letter, Memorandum and Articles of Association and Board Resolution for the Bank.

 

Credit Cards, called "Deferred Debit Cards"(embossed) are offered. Depending on the limit of the account (eg: USD 5000) a cash security one and a half the amount of the account limitation must be deposited before it can be issued. The money used for transactions from the account will be debited at the end of the month. Client needs to first place funds in his account prior to the credit card being activated. The initial deposit required for the debit card will be ~$1000.

In instances whereby the money used has gone over the limit, and the client cannot pay, the bank will take off any monies due from the cash security and will limit the spending amount of the account. Alternatively, the client must provide proof that monies are being transferred into the account so as to avoid the reduction of the spending limit.

Kindly note that there are no IBC records of shareholders nor directors for the public eye. The only documents available, if and when a search is made at the Registrar would be the Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum and Articles of Association. Both documents does not provide details of directors, beneficial owners or shareholders; documents which are kept solely at the registered agent and under no circumstances which is to be revealed (exception would be a Court Order issued by the Supreme Court of Seychelles if the company is suspected to be in any way affiliated with illegal operations such as money laundering, drug trafficking and arms dealing).

COMPLETE LIST OF OPTIONAL SERVICES AND FEES

• Provision of a corporate nominee shareholder. US$ 300
• Provision of a private individual shareholder US$ 500
• Provision of a nominee directorship by corporate body. US$ 300
• Provision of a nominee directorship by private individual. US$ 500
• Provision of an account signatory service by nominee. US$ 1000
• Obtaining one Notarial certification on a document or a set of certified copies. $150
• Obtaining Apostille legalization on a Notarized document or on a public document. $150
• Obtaining extract of document from Registrar of Companies. US$ 150
• Obtaining Certificate of Good Standing for a Company. US$ 150
• Issue of a Certificate of Good Standing by the Registered Agent. US$ 150
• Mail Forwarding $600
• Re-domiciliation of a foreign company in Seychelles US$ 900
  (subject to status and name availability). Includes preparation of similar basic documents as described
  under "Company registration".
• Bank introduction (subject to client status). US$ 500
• Amendment of Memorandum or Articles of Association. US$ 150
• Signature by nominee of a specific additional documentation US$ 25
  (resolutions, contracts, forms, etc.) outside the scope of the regular incorporation work.
• Miscellaneous non-standard work in relation to company US$ 60 per hour
  management to be carried out by a qualified member of staff as and when specifically requested by client (perusal, preparation, modification and issue of legal and commercial documents, correspondence, responses to third-party inquiries, and similar).
• Dissolution of Company. US$ 1500
   

Call Service Centre
is one amongst of our many forwarding services which we bring to our international clients, and it is available only for companies we incorporate for you.

The call service centre operates on a 24 hour basis therefore the issue of time difference is not a factor which may affect us. Our policy is to act responsively, notifying you and act accordingly as per your wishes. 

Applicable Fees:

-Pre-payment Fee                                                                             USD 500
-Set-up Fee                                                                                         USD 75
 (Includes a unique Seychelles telephone number which you may supply your clients with

-Monthly Rental Fee                                                                         USD 10
-Operator’s Fee                                                                                 USD 5
   (Answer calls, receive message, Instructions-Fee applied is as per hour)

-Forwarding Fee:
1.         Telephone                                                                               USD 1
(Message to be forwarded by telephone is charged as per minute)
2.         Fax                                                                                          USD 2-5
(Fee varies according to length and complication of message)
3.         Email                                                                                       USD 1-5         
(Fee varies according to length and complication Of email which is to be sent)
4.         Courier                                                                                   USD 80-100
(DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT) (Applicable fee varies according to destination)
5.         Ordinary/Snail Mail                                                               USD 50

Automatical Re-Direct System  (Prepaid Only)
This pre-payment service provided from the Seychelles is intended for international clients who may be able to make calls anywhere in the world that they wish to at an affordable and manageable rate.

The mechanisms of the system is quite simple; clients are supplied with a Seychelles number. Upon making calls, your call is automatically redirected from our system to your intended destination. Receiving calls also operates the same way; incoming calls are automatically redirected to your phone.

-Pre-payment Fee                                                                             USD 500
(Installing and Registration fee)

-Set-up Fee                                                                                         USD 75
(Includes a unique Seychelles telephone number which you may supply your clients with)

-Monthly Rental Fee                                                                         USD 10
-Diversion Fee                                                                                   FREE!!
-Call Cost                                                                                           USD 1 (Per Minute)

Order here your Seychelles company.
For your convenience, we have included a Cost Calculator in the order form:

Incorporation of an IBC
To incorporate an IBC, a Memorandum of Association must be signed by one or more natural or juridical persons, acting as Subscribers, and submitted for filing to the Registry (SIBA). The Articles of Association can be filed either at the same time or within 30 days of incorporation.

The name of an IBC can be in any language, but must be in Latin alphabet and must be accompanied by a translation in English or French. The following suffixes may be used to denote limited liability: Limited, Corporation, Incorporated, Society Anonyme, Sociedad Anonima or Aktiengesellschaft; or their usual abbreviations: Ltd., Corp., Inc., S.A., A.S. or AG.

The following words cannot be used in the names of IBCs: Assurance, Bank, Building Society, Chamber of Commerce, Chartered, Co-operative, Foundation, Government, Imperial, Insurance, Municipal and Trust, or any other words suggesting the patronage of any Government or authority. The name cannot be identical or similar to any existing company name.

In Seychelles there is no minimum or maximum capital requirements. Normally IBCs are incorporated with an authorised share capital of US$100,000 divided into 100,000 shares of US$1.00 each. This being the maximum capital for the minimum licence fees. The authorised share capital may be expressed in any currency. IBC can issue registered or bearer shares (not recommended), preference shares, redeemable shares, shares with or without par value and shares with or without voting rights. The minimum issued capital is either one share of no par value or one share of par value.

Registration fees paid to the Seychelles government under the International Business Companies Act are as follows:
1. For the authorised capital of up to US$ 100,000 the licence fee is US$ 100.
2. If the authorised capital exceeds US$ 100,000, the licence fee is US$ 1,000.



Directors
The minimum number of director is one, who may be a natural person or a body/corporate of any nationality. Director may be same person as shareholder but not mandatory to be both. The first directors are appointed by the Subscribers to the Memorandum and Articles of Association. There is no requirement to register initial or ongoing changes in directors and/or officers with the Registrar of companies. No details of directors appear on the public file, although a register of directors must be maintained by the company and details (KYC & DUE DILIGENCE details/documentations) are kept by the agent.

The management of an International Business Company is conducted by the Board of Directors, which can grant a general power of attorney to any third party, without registering the same, in order to act on behalf of the Company. Meetings of directors may be held in any country, at any time, and directors may attend meetings by proxy.

A Seychelles IBC need not appoint a company secretary, although it is customary to do so. The secretary may be a natural person or body corporate of any nationality and need not be resident in the Seychelles.

Only one shareholder is required for a Seychelles IBC. Shareholders may be individuals or bodies/corporate of any nationality and residency. Shareholders may hold their meetings in any country and they may attend such meetings by proxy. Details of shareholders do not appear on the public file, although a register of shareholders must be maintained by the company and details (KYC & DUE DILIGENCE details/documentations) are kept by the agent.

Annual reports and payments
A Seychelles IBC is not required to file any statutory accounting or audit records or reports in the Seychelles, but all companies must keep records to reflect their financial position.
Any company the name of which is on the Register on 31st December in any year shall before the date of the relevant anniversary of its incorporation in the immediately following year pay to the Registrar an annual licence fee as follows:
1. USD 100.00 if its authorised capital does not exceed USD 100,000.00;
2. USD 1,000.00 if its authorised capital exceeds USD 100,000.00; and
If a company fails to pay the amount due as the licence fee by the specified date, the licence fee increases by 10 per cent of that amount. If a company fails to pay the amount due as an increased licence fee 90 days after the date when it becomes due, then the licence fee increases by 50 per cent of the licence fee. The Registry shall strike off the name of a Company if the annual fees have not been paid by the 31st of December.

Winding up and dissolution
To dissolve an IBC it is necessary to issue a Resolution of Dissolution signed by the director(s) of the company. The procedure of dissolution will take from 1,5 to 2 months provided that the company does not have any assets which must be attributed to the shareholders, and no debt obligations or other liabilities.
Thus if an IBC does not have any assets or liabilities, it will have to submit:
1. Bank statements
2. Declaration signed by the directors of the company and confirming that the company does not have any assets or liabilities
3. Resolution of Dissolution signed by the director(s) of the company.
In the case when the company had business transactions and maintained financial records, it will have to provide financial statements, returns, and other documents confirming the financial position of the company at the time of dissolution.
The above documents must be sent to the Registered Agent, who will prepare Articles of Dissolution, publish a note in a local newspaper and then register the winding up with the authorities. After that the Registrar will issue a Certificate of Dissolution.
Restoration of an IBC
If an IBC has been struck off the Registrar of companies, it can be restored by paying the following applicable fee plus all the license fees due by the date of restoration:
(i) $300.00 if application for restoration is made within 6 months immediately following the company being struck off the Register;
(ii) $600.00 if application for restoration is made after 6 months immediately following the company being struck off the Register.
Upon request the Registrar can issue a Certificate of Good Standing for any existing IBC and such certificate will confirm that the company does legally exist.

Seychelles Register of Ships
The registration of ships in the Seychelles is governed by the Merchant Shipping Act 1992, which provides that the property in a ship be divided into 64 shares and not more than 64 qualified persons be entitled to be registered at the same time as owners of a ship. A qualified person may be a person who is a citizen of Seychelles, or a body corporate incorporated under the Companies Act.
An application for registration must be lodged with the Registrar of Ships by the owners of a ship together with the following:
1. Invoice for the vessel
2. The Builder’s Certificate
3. Declaration of Conformity
4. Certificate of Conformity
5. Bill of Sale
6. Corporate Certificate
7. Maritime Assurance Certificate
8. ICCN Certificate (verification certificate issued by one of the following authorised societies: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), USA, Bureau Veritas (BV), France, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK), Japan, Det Norseke Veritas (DNV), Norway. In case the vessel does not appear in the Seychelles this certificate is one of the most important documents required for the registration. If the ship is in the Seychelles, the verification can be conducted by the Seychelles authorities).
Seychelles-registered ships are exempt from business tax on their profits. Since there is no personal income tax in the Seychelles, personnel working on board a Seychelles ship do not pay any tax.

Seychelles and the OECD
In February 2001 the Government of the Republic of Seychelles reached an arrangement with the OECD and issued a letter committing itself to the principles of transparency and effective exchange of information in tax matters. In particular the Seychelles committed to the following:
1. by 31 December 2002 the Republic of Seychelles ensures that its regulatory or tax authorities have access to information regarding beneficial owners of companies and other entities organised in its jurisdiction.
2. By 31 December 2003 the Republic of Seychelles will allow information to be provided to the tax authorities of the OECD countries upon request for investigation and prosecution of criminal tax matters. The information eligible for exchange will include bank and financial information as well as information on beneficial ownership.
 

For your convenience, we have included a Cost Calculator in the order form:

Seychelles International Business Company (IBC)

The most versatile type of all offshore corporate entities available in Seychelles is the International Business Company, known as the IBC. It is very similar to the other widely known offshore corporate vehicles, notably the British Virgin Islands IBC. There are currently over 12,000 IBC registered in Seychelles.

The formation, taxation and structure of a Seychelles IBC is regulated by the Seychelles International Business Companies Act 1994. You can download the full text of the Seychelles IBC Act 1994 from our Downloads section.

 

Free of tax

A Seychelles IBC is, by definition of the law, not subject to any tax or duty on income or profits. It is also exempt from stamp duties on transfer of property and any exchange controls.

Essentially, a Seychelles IBC is a completely tax-free corporation, insofar as it complies with a few simple rules of operation. The law provides that all exemptions for a Seychelles IBC shall remain in force for a period of twenty years from the date of incorporation of an IBC.

In order to qualify as an IBC, a company must simply satisfy the following criteria:

1. It may not carry on business in Seychelles.

2. It may not own real estate in Seychelles.

3. It may not operate banking, insurance and registered agent business (these are subject to special laws and licensing).

However, a Seychelles IBC may still do the following:

1. Maintain a Seychelles-based bank accounts and deposits.

2. Maintain books and records within Seychelles.

3. Maintain professional contacts in Seychelles with attorneys, accountants, trust and management companies, investment advisers or other similar persons.

4. Hold meetings of its directors in Seychelles.

5. Lease a property in Seychelles to use as office from which to communicate with members and where books and records can be kept.

6. Hold shares, debt obligations or other securities in another Seychelles IBC or in a Seychelles domestic company.

7. Own a vessel or and aircraft registered in Seychelles.

8. Shares in a Seychelles IBC may also be held by a person resident in Seychelles.

Fast incorporation

The incorporation of a Seychelles IBC can be done within a day.

It is one of the fastest in the world.

Secrecy

Confidentiality is one of the key features as details of the company beneficial owners, directors and shareholders are NOT part of public record. This information is kept only at the offices of the Registered Agent in complete confidentiality.

Low maintenance costs

In Seychelles there is no minimum or maximum capital requirements. Normally IBCs are incorporated with an authorised share capital of US$100,000 divided into 100,000 shares of US$1.00 each. This being the maximum capital for the minimum licence fees. The authorised share capital may be expressed in any currency. IBC can issue registered or bearer shares (not recommended), preference shares, redeemable shares, shares with or without par value and shares with or without voting rights. The minimum issued capital is either one share of no par value or one share of par value.

Registration fees paid to the Seychelles government under the International Business Companies Act are as follows:
1. For the authorised capital of up to US$ 100,000 the licence fee is US$ 100.
2.  If the authorised capital exceeds US$ 100,000, the licence fee is US$ 1,000.
 

Flexible structure

A Seychelles IBC needs only have one Director, who may be either a physical person or a corporate body. It also needs only one shareholder. Local residents may act as directors or shareholders of a Seychelles IBC, including in a nominee capacity. Meetings of directors or shareholders may be kept anywhere in the world. Local bank accounts in Seychelles may be maintained. The management structure of a Seychelles IBC may be designed in accordance with the widest variety of requirements.

Bearer shares

A Seychelles IBC can be configured with bearer shares, although certain procedural restrictions towards use of bearer shares are expected to be introduced soon.

No reporting

A Seychelles IBC does not have an obligation to prepare of file accounts.

The general corporate characteristics of the Seychelles International Business Companies

Geography

Seychelles is an island State located in the South-Western Indian Ocean. The total land area of Seychelles is 455.3 square kilometres, consisting of 115 islands. The exclusive economic zone of Seychelles covers an impressive 1.374 million square kilometres of the Indian Ocean.
 

With a land area of 148 square kilometres the island of Mahe, the seat of the government, constitutes about one-third of the total land area. The two other islands of major importance as to size and population are Praslin and La Digue; 33.6 km and 48 km from Mahe, respectively.
The population of Seychelles originates from French and British settlers, African plantation workers and traders from India, China and the Middle East. The population of the Seychelles stood at just over 81,000 at the end of the year 2002. Christianity is the dominant religion, with some 86% of the population Roman Catholic and 7% Anglican.
 

History

The Arab traders were the first to have spotted the islands, the French were the first settlers. Later on during the 16th century the islands were frequented and some were even named by the Portuguese. The French took possession of Seychelles in 1742, they started settlement permanently in 1770 and ruled Seychelles for 40 years. Pierre Poivre started the first plantation industry in Seychelles in 1771 to compete with the Dutch in the European spice trade. From 1794 and for the next thirteen years which followed, the islands changed hands seven times between the French and the British. In 1814 the Treaty of Paris incorporated both Seychelles and Mauritius as part of the British Empire. In 1903 Seychelles formally attained the status of a separate British Crown Colony. Seychelles attained Independence from the British in 1976. In 1992 Seychelles became a true multi-party democracy. A new Constitution was promulgated in June 1993 subsequent to its approval through a national referendum. Seychelles is currently divided into twenty-five political districts, each with a seat at the National Assembly.

 

Economy

The most important sectors of the economy of Seychelles are fisheries and tourism. The export of canned tuna, fresh and frozen fish constitutes about 83% of the value of Seychelles' exports of goods or about 10% of total foreign exchange earnings.

Being among the most beautiful and exclusive holiday destinations in the world, Seychelles derives a considerable part of its income from tourism. At the same time Seychelles has consequently applied a very careful approach in order not to degrade itself into a mass-tourism location and preserve its unique nature and character. Therefore, a holiday in Seychelles may be somewhat expensive - but is very much worth the money.

 

An increasingly important part of the Seychelles economy is the Seychelles International Trade Zone (SITZ), consisting of an increasing number of companies involved in the light manufacturing, processing and re-distribution, light assembly, internet order processing, management service operations and other technology oriented businesses.

The private sector in Seychelles currently employs just under 60% of the country's population.

In spite of the numerous constraints related to its small size, Seychelles is a country that successfully manages its economic and social development in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way.

 

Climate

The islands lie outside the cyclone belt but receive monsoon rains from November to February with the northwest trade winds. This hot (31oC) and humid season (90% relative humidity) gives way to a period of cooler weather from May to September though the temperature rarely falls below 23°C, and rougher seas when the trade winds blow from the southeast. Unlike some other offshore jurisdictions, Seychelles does not get ravaged by often tropical cyclones and tornadoes, thus ensuring a constant operation of its communications and services networks.

 

Air Services

The Seychelles is linked to major European destinations (London, Munich, Paris, Zurich, Rome etc) as well as to the Persian Gulf and India (Dubai and Mumbai respectively), Asia (Singapore) and South Africa (Johannesburg). Air Seychelles, British Airways, Air France, Air Mauritius, Kenya Airways ensure more than one hundred flights per week to and from the Seychelles.

 

Telecommunications

International communications are provided by two international companies: Cable & Wireless and AirTel. The competition ensures an excellent level of communications, as both companies provide fixed line and mobile phone services. There are two leading Internet Service Providers (Atlas and Kokonet) ensuring a rapid development of internet coverage.

 

Financial Services and Transactions

These are offered by numerous banks established in the capital, Victoria, and for many they also offer decentralised services on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, the major islands. Barclays, Nuovobanq and Banque Francaise Commerciale are among the most recognized international names.

The national currency is Seychelles Rupee (SCR) and has relatively stable exchange rates against the major world currencies.
 

For your convenience, we have included a Cost Calculator in the order form: