Tips on How to Open an Offshore Company in Seychelles

Posted by Sterlingoffshore on April 19th, 2016

Though it is enjoying increasing popularity in recent years, Seychelles is still a relatively young jurisdiction when it comes to the offshore company industry. You can use this to your advantage as there is a larger availability of names for your desired company, and pricing is still highly competitive. If you plan on opening your offshore company in Seychelles, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Enlist the help of an advisory firm or a consultant –Professional corporate services providers should be able to assess the key goals and objectives for creating your offshore company. They can give you the relevant guidance on Seychelles regulatory requirements and laws when setting up a company. They can also handle the preparation of necessary formation documents.
• Make sure you have complete documents – having all of the necessary documents in one place can speed up the formation of your offshore company. Some of the documentations you will need include the memorandum and articles of association, initial resolutions of directors, share register, register of directors and share certificates (if necessary).
• Register with the relevant local registrar – offshore companies are registered with the FSA or Seychelles Financial Services Authority. The FSA will check if all application requirements are met. After that, your company documents will be registered either with the FSA or with the Seychelles Register General, Companies Division depending on the type of company. The entire process will usually take one to two business days for an IBC or around ten business days for other types of companies.
• Local facilitator – Seychelles offshore companies must be registered by a local facilitator and representative called a registered agent which in Seychelles must be a licensed international corporate services provider. They will drop off and after registered collect the stamped documents and the Certificate of Incorporation. This process would usually be prohibitively costly for most to fly in and out of the country just to register and collect the documents. A local registered agent can also sort out any problems in Seychelles when needed.
• Don’t celebrate after registering – The registration is just the first part. To be able to have a fully functional offshore company in Seychelles, there are other things you will need to arrange. It is necessary to have and maintain a registered office in Seychelles at all times for all types of Seychelles offshore companies. A Seychelles International Business Company will be further required to have a registered agent at all times while the other forms must have a local company secretary instead. In all cases the registered agent, registered office or local secretary must be provided only by a local licensed corporate services provider. In most cases an offshore company will also need to open an offshore bank account or sometimes an onshore bank account is better suited. Other ongoing requirements may include secretarial services, accounting services, nominee shareholder services, professional director services and company management.

About the Company:

Sterling is a leading licensed and regulated corporate, trust, fiduciary and fund services provider delivering specialised solutions for a global clientele of international corporations, institutional investors, high net worth individuals and families as well as their intermediaries. Whether an end user of our services or an intermediary, Sterling provides an efficient, personalized approach to ensure smooth, efficient delivery of services that meets the requirements of each client.

Sterling establishes, manages and administers offshore companies and international companies, offshore trusts, private foundations and funds utilized in various structures for an international clientele spanning over 80 countries.  These entities combined with Sterling's supporting services allow us to provide a number of different solutions designed to achieve specific objectives of our clients.  These objectives broadly include asset protection, international investment, tax optimization and foreign market entry.