Offshore · Company formation

Company formation in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Foreign founders and holding structures wanting a low-disclosure, creditor-resistant offshore company for business conducted elsewhere, rather than a locally trading or reputation-sensitive operation.

Last verified July 2026

At a glance

Entity
Nevis Business Corporation (NBC, often called a Nevis IBC) under the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance 1984 (amended 2017) - a company limited by shares; the Nevis LLC is the common alternative
Corporate tax
33% headline corporate income tax, but on a territorial basis: only income arising in the federation is taxed, so a Nevis company with exclusively foreign-source income has no local corporate tax as of 2026
Incorporation time
~1-5 business days once the registered agent completes KYC (name reservation is near-instant)
Minimum capital
None - no minimum share capital is prescribed
Resident director
No resident director required; a minimum of one director of any nationality, resident anywhere; corporate directors are permitted
Audit
No statutory audit and no public financial-statement filing for a Nevis BC; accounting records must be kept, and economic-substance rules can apply to relevant activities (e.g. banking, insurance, finance, IP)
Remote set-up
Yes - fully remote. Formation must go through a Nevis-licensed registered agent, who runs beneficial-owner KYC/AML due diligence and files the Articles; no personal visit or local notarisation required
Government fee
USD 300 (XCD 810) government fee to file Articles of Incorporation, with a USD 300 (XCD 810) annual renewal, per the Nevis FSRC fee schedule
Best for
Foreign founders and holding structures wanting a low-disclosure, creditor-resistant offshore company for business conducted elsewhere, rather than a locally trading or reputation-sensitive operation.

The process

  1. Engage a Nevis-licensed registered agent and reserve the company name via the Nevis online registry
  2. Complete the registered agent's KYC/AML and beneficial-ownership due diligence on all directors, shareholders and controllers
  3. File the Articles of Incorporation with the Registrar of Corporations and pay the government fee
  4. Adopt by-laws, appoint directors/officers and issue shares, then maintain a registered office and agent in Nevis
What can go wrong
  • The 33% rate only bites on federation-source income; a company that starts local activity, or is treated as tax-resident, can fall into full 33% corporate tax and Inland Revenue filing - confirm your source-of-income position
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis is a scrutinised offshore centre - banking, EU/OECD listing risk and enhanced KYC mean opening a bank account and satisfying counterparties is often harder than the incorporation itself
  • Nevis is marketed heavily for asset protection; that same reputation can draw extra diligence from banks, payment providers and regulators, so it suits holding/protection uses more than customer-facing trading

Form a company in Saint Kitts and Nevis?

One named person on the file, an honest read on tax and substance, and a fixed quote before you commit.