and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis company registration:
Nevis company and Nevis LLC
Planning Saint Kitts and Nevis company registration, or want to set up a Nevis company or Nevis LLC? The most common entities are the Nevis company (often called an IBC), formed under the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance, and the Nevis LLC, formed under the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance. Both must be registered with the Registrar of Companies through a licensed Nevis registered agent and are supervised by the Nevis Branch of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC). Shareholders and directors can be of any nationality and live anywhere, and a company needs only 1 director and an LLC only 1 member.
Under the FSRC fee schedules, the formation fee for a Nevis company or LLC is US$300 each and the annual renewal fee is US$300. The old rule that exempted companies from tax if they did not do business locally was ended by the 2018 amendments no later than June 30, 2021, bearer shares are now prohibited, and companies must keep accounting records for 5 years. NSS Group (戰國策集團) provides a one-stop Saint Kitts and Nevis company registration service, from structure assessment, connecting you with a registered agent and document preparation to bank account opening and annual maintenance, helping companies and individuals set up a compliant Nevis company.
Under section 60 of the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance, a member’s creditor can apply for a charging order, which only reaches distributions the LLC actually makes to that member. The charging order expires after 3 years and cannot be extended.
Changes to beneficial owners, shareholders, directors or officers must be reflected in the registered agent’s records, and accounting records must be available to the registered agent and the FSRC at any time. The company is not fully anonymous.
Under the 2018 amendments, the tax exemption for companies and LLCs ended no later than June 30, 2021. The federal corporate income tax rate has been 25% since 2024.
The Nevis LLC recognizes single-member LLCs, members and managers can be companies, and no initial capital is required at formation.
Saint Kitts and Nevis also has a citizenship by investment program, but it is a separate procedure from company registration. Eligibility and fees follow the notices of the government authority.
company registration?
The features of the Nevis company and the Nevis LLC come mainly from the two ordinances supervised by the FSRC Nevis Branch and the amendments made since 2018:
Set up a Nevis company or LLC
Both the Nevis company and the Nevis LLC must be formed through a licensed Nevis registered agent, and the name can be reserved instantly through the Nevis online registry system.
NSS Group connects you with a Nevis registered agent, prepares the documents for shareholders, directors or members and beneficial owners, and plans annual renewal, accounting records and home-country tax filing after setup, so your Nevis company stays clear and compliant from formation to annual maintenance.
By law, both Nevis companies and LLCs must be formed by a registered agent licensed by the Nevis government, and the registered agent’s office serves as the company’s registered office. A company that does not maintain a registered agent may be dissolved.
The registered agent reserves the name instantly through the Nevis online registry system. Reserving a name for more than 10 days costs US$50. An LLC name must end with LLC, L.L.C. or a similar term, and a name using foreign-language or special characters needs an extra fee and a certified translation.
Give the registered agent passports, proof of address and source of funds explanations for the shareholders, directors or members, managers and beneficial owners. The registered agent obtains and keeps beneficial ownership information under anti-money laundering rules, and later changes must also be updated.
A Nevis company files Articles of Incorporation stating its name, purpose, registered agent and authorized shares. An LLC files Articles of Organisation. An Operating Agreement is not mandatory but is recommended.
The registered agent files with the Registrar of Companies and pays the US$300 fee, and a certificate of incorporation or certificate of endorsement is issued. After that, a US$300 renewal fee is due each year. Late payment is fined US$200 for the first 6 months and US$400 after 6 months.
service
- Company name search and reservation
- Preparation and filing of registration documents
- Drafting of governing documents
- Collection of the registration certificate
- Bank and account options for offshore companies
- Account opening document preparation
- Appointment booking and accompaniment
- Post-opening support
- Registered address
- Company secretary appointment
- Annual filing services
- Document custody and management
- Bookkeeping
- Tax filing and planning
- Financial statement preparation
- Audit arrangement
- Trademark search and assessment
- Trademark application filing
- Trademark maintenance and renewal
- Infringement protection advice
- Company change filings
- Share transfer support
- Company deregistration
- Legal advisory support
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- Nevis company or LLC structure assessment and name reservation
- Connecting you with a licensed Nevis registered agent
- Articles and operating agreement drafting
- KYC and beneficial ownership documents and formation filing
- First-year registered agent and registered office
The government formation fee for a Nevis company or LLC is US$300 each, and the annual renewal fee is US$300. Registered agent and advisory fees are quoted based on the structure and scope of services. See the fee breakdown below. There are no hidden fees.
Saint Kitts and Nevis company formation cost: Nevis company fee breakdown
The total cost of setting up a Nevis company or Nevis LLC is made up of the government fees published by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC Nevis Branch), the registered agent's service fees and ongoing annual maintenance. The government fees are listed below so you can check each line when you compare Saint Kitts and Nevis company quotes.
| Item | Nevis company (NBCO) | Nevis LLC (NLLCO) |
|---|---|---|
| Formation documents (articles) | US$300 (XCD 810) | US$300 (XCD 810) |
| Certificate of incorporation / certificate of endorsement | US$20 each | Certificate of endorsement US$20 |
| Annual renewal fee | US$300 per year | US$300 per year |
| Late annual fee penalty | US$200 for the first 6 months, US$400 after 6 months | US$200 for the first 6 months, US$400 after 6 months |
| Restoration fee | US$300 | US$300 |
| Name reservation (more than 10 days) | US$50 | US$50 |
| Certificate of good standing | US$50 | US$50 |
| Failure to appoint a new registered agent | US$500 | US$500 |
| Registered agent and registered office | Quoted by service scope. By law, the registered agent's office is the company's registered office, so this is a fixed annual maintenance item. | |
| NSS Group advisory fee | Written quote after a free assessment, itemized by shareholder structure, bank account needs and home-country tax planning, with no hidden fees. | |
Government fees are taken from the fee schedules on the FSRC Nevis Branch IBC and LLC pages. The latest official notices prevail.
Saint Kitts and Nevis company tax and compliance: the old tax exemption has ended
Nevis was once known for exempting companies from tax if they did not do business locally, but after the 2018 amendments this exemption ended completely by June 30, 2021. Shareholders should also check their home country's controlled foreign company (CFC) rules.
| Item | Rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Old tax exemption | Ended | Section 136 of the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance (as amended by Ordinance No. 6 of 2018) and section 96 of the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance (as amended by Ordinance No. 7 of 2018) limit the exemption to entities formed before December 31, 2018, and end it no later than June 30, 2021. |
| Corporate income tax | 25% | The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis announced a corporate income tax rate of 25% for federally registered companies from January 1, 2024. Whether a given company is taxed and how tax is calculated must be confirmed under the rules of the Inland Revenue Department. |
| Bearer shares | Prohibited | Under Amendment Ordinance No. 2 of 2023, section 102 now prohibits issuing bearer shares, and existing bearer shares had to be converted within a deadline. |
| Accounting records | Kept for 5 years | According to the FSRC, a company must keep records that correctly explain its transactions, show its financial position at any time and allow financial statements to be prepared. They must be kept for at least 5 years and be available to the registered agent and the FSRC at any time. |
| Beneficial ownership | Held by the registered agent | Changes to beneficial owners, shareholders, directors or officers must be reflected in the records kept by the registered agent, and the FSRC carries out on-site inspections of registered agents. |
| Economic substance | As published by the authority | The FSRC's public pages do not list a specific economic substance law for companies. Ask the registered agent to confirm the current rules for your case. |
| Home-country CFC rules | Apply to controlling shareholders | If a Saint Kitts and Nevis company directly or indirectly controlled by a company or individual is subject to low tax, its profits may have to be included in the shareholder's home-country income under controlled foreign company rules. |
Tax and filing rules are based on the Nevis ordinances (revised to December 31, 2020), later amendment ordinances and government announcements. Ask an accountant to assess your structure.
Nevis company, Nevis LLC, Saint Vincent or BVI: which should you choose?
The Nevis company is often compared with other Caribbean offshore companies. The table below compares four common structures on a few key points.
| Item | Nevis company (NBCO) | Nevis LLC | Saint Vincent business company (BC) | BVI business company (BC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator | FSRC Nevis Branch, Registrar of Companies | FSRC Nevis Branch, Registrar of Companies | Saint Vincent FSA | BVI FSC |
| Government formation fee | US$300 | US$300 | US$125 | From US$450 |
| Government annual fee | US$300 | US$300 | US$100 | From US$450 |
| Governance | At least 1 director, which can be a company | At least 1 member; managed by members or managers | At least 1 director and 1 shareholder | At least 1 director |
| Old tax exemption | Ended by June 30, 2021 | Ended by June 30, 2021 | Regime changed from 2019 | Still tax-exempt (section 242) |
Saint Vincent and BVI figures are taken from the notices of each regulator. Choose based on the shareholders' background, where payments are received and made, and tax planning.
What foreign founders should know about setting up a Nevis company
- Old claims are out of date: claims often seen online that Nevis is a zero-tax jurisdiction, that shareholders and directors are fully anonymous, or that you only need to give a name to set up a company no longer apply. The tax exemption has ended, and the registered agent must obtain and keep beneficial ownership information.
- Foreigners can own 100%: according to the FSRC, shareholders, directors and officers can be of any nationality and live anywhere. A company needs at least 1 director (section 70), and the director can be a company. An LLC needs at least 1 member.
- A licensed registered agent is required: formation, name reservation, annual renewal and beneficial ownership records are all handled by a licensed Nevis registered agent. A company that does not maintain a registered agent may be dissolved.
- LLC charging order rules: under section 60 of the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance, a member's creditor can apply to the court for a charging order, which only reaches distributions the LLC actually makes to that member. The charging order expires after 3 years and cannot be extended. This is not a guarantee against every claim, so ask a lawyer to assess your case.
- Citizenship by investment is a separate procedure: the Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program is separate from company registration. Eligibility and fees follow the notices of the government authority.
- Home-country CFC rules: if you directly or indirectly control a company in a low-tax jurisdiction, check whether your home country's controlled foreign company rules require you to include its profits in your income.
Further reading
Sources: FSRC Nevis Branch: IBCs (Nevis business corporations), overview and fee schedule; FSRC Nevis Branch: LLCs, overview and fee schedule; Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance, CAP. 7.01(N) (sections 70 and 136); Nevis Business Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance, No. 2 of 2023 (section 102); Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance, CAP. 7.04(N) (sections 60 and 96); FSRC Nevis Branch FAQs (accounting records kept for 5 years); Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis notice: corporate income tax rate of 25% from 2024. The latest official notices prevail. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
How long does it take to set up a company in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
The time to set up a Saint Kitts and Nevis company depends on name reservation, KYC and beneficial ownership documents, preparation of the articles and review by the Registrar of Companies. The name can be reserved instantly through the online system. Regulated businesses such as insurance or banking need a separate license, which extends the timeline. Before we start, we give you the actual process and a timeline for your structure.
What documents do I need to set up a company in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
To set up a Saint Kitts and Nevis company, you usually need to prepare:
- 1. Identity documents for shareholders, directors and ultimate beneficial owners
- 2. Proof of address from the last three months and contact details
- 3. Saint Kitts and Nevis company name, entity type and registered address arrangement
- 4. A description of the business model, main trading regions and source of funds
- 5. Shareholding percentages, director appointments, KYC and required authorization documents
Do I need to travel to Saint Kitts and Nevis to set up a company?
Most of the Saint Kitts and Nevis company formation process can be completed through remote document preparation, signing under authorization and support from a local agent, so you do not necessarily need to attend in person. However, bank account opening, identity verification, special licenses or certain government procedures may require directors, shareholders or authorized persons to attend in person, join a video call or provide extra documents. We confirm the requirements in advance and help you arrange them.
What taxes and filings does a Saint Kitts and Nevis company have after setup?
- 1. The old tax exemption ended by June 30, 2021, so tax is determined under the federal income tax law (corporate income tax rate 25%), and shareholders should also assess their home country's CFC rules
- 2. Annual filings, company registration upkeep, registered agent or secretarial services
- 3. Accounting records, audit, and economic substance or beneficial ownership maintenance
For Saint Kitts and Nevis, the main ongoing items are the US$300 annual renewal fee, renewing the registered agent, keeping accounting records for 5 years, updating beneficial ownership information and assessing home-country CFC rules for shareholders. We can help plan bookkeeping, filings and the annual maintenance calendar for your business model.
What businesses and structures suit a Saint Kitts and Nevis company?
Who can help me register a company in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
NSS Group (go.ai.com.tw) can help. NSS Group provides one-stop support from pre-incorporation assessment to post-incorporation maintenance for your Saint Kitts and Nevis company, reducing the uncertainty of cross-border setup and compliance.
Our main services include:
- 1. Saint Kitts and Nevis entity type and structure assessment
- 2. Company name search, document preparation and registration filing
- 3. Bank account opening, KYC and cross-border payment documents
- 4. Bookkeeping, tax filing and annual compliance
- 5. Changes to shareholders, directors, address, shares and company details
- 6. Trademark registration, contract review and intellectual property planning
- 7. Website build, digital marketing and AI customer service setup
- 8. Ongoing business advisory and cross-border business support
We arrange the setup, maintenance and ongoing support of your Saint Kitts and Nevis company around your industry, customer locations, banking needs and tax planning, so you can focus on market development.