Jurisdiction choice
We compare places on what your business actually needs: where you hold licences, where your customers and banks are, substance rules and reporting duties.
Corporate Structuring
The right entity in the right place, set up to stay compliant
Compare where to form a holding or operating company, with our prices and each jurisdiction's rules side by side. We set it up through licensed local agents and keep its annual filings on time.
- Jurisdictions compared
- 8
- Prices
- Reference ranges in USD
- Rules checked
- 28 Oct 2026 · official sources
Who it's for
Businesses licensed abroad
Gaming, payment and crypto operators that need an entity in the licensing jurisdiction or a holding company above it.
Groups expanding across borders
Companies adding a regional holding or trading entity to contract, invoice or hold intellectual property.
Founders restructuring
Owners who need to move an existing company, add shareholders or bring a structure up to current reporting rules.
From choosing a place to the first annual filing
Formation
Name check, constitutional documents and registration, filed through a licensed registered agent or trust company where the law requires one.
Bank and payment accounts
Preparing the documents banks and payment providers ask for when you apply. Approval is always the provider's decision.
Ongoing compliance
Annual fees, returns, beneficial-ownership filings and economic-substance reporting, tracked and filed on time.
Compare jurisdictions
Prices are our reference ranges in US dollars. Rules, tax and reporting come from the registry, regulator or tax authority, linked in each row.
| Jurisdiction | Entity | Our price | Local requirement | Tax | Ownership & reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BelizeCentral AmericaChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Company under the Belize Companies Act 2022. The IBC regime was repealed; the Act has been fully in force since 28 November 2022 Registry: Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry (BCCAR) Registry time: No official processing time published |
| Registered agent in Belize (not needed only for domestic companies without foreign shareholders or directors) | The IBC tax exemption was abolished (transition ended 30 June 2021); companies are taxable under the Income and Business Tax Act. Some entities tax-resident elsewhere can apply for an exemption certificate | Beneficial-owner register kept at the registered office and filed with the Registrar (2023 amendment). Economic-substance rules apply to relevant activities Current income and business tax rates were not confirmed from an official source. |
British Virgin IslandsCaribbeanChecked 28 Oct 2026 | BVI business company under the BVI Business Companies Act (Revised Edition 2020) Registry: BVI Financial Services Commission — Registry of Corporate Affairs Registry time: Within one working day of a complete application (Registry user guide, older guidance) |
| Registered agent and registered office in the BVI at all times; the Act sets no director-residency requirement | Companies are exempt from the Income Tax Ordinance (Act s.242) | Beneficial-ownership information filed with the Registrar within 30 days of incorporation (from 2 January 2025), open since 1 July 2025 to persons with a legitimate interest. Annual financial return to the registered agent within 9 months of year end. Economic-substance rules apply to relevant activities On the EU's Annex II (commitments under review), not the Annex I list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, as of the Council conclusions of 9 October 2026. Sources (8)
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Cayman IslandsCaribbeanChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Exempted company under the Companies Act (2026 Revision), for business carried on mainly outside the Islands Registry: Cayman Islands General Registry Registry time: Regular service 3–5 business days; express within 24 hours for an extra CI$500 (General Registry) |
| Registered office at the address of a company manager licensed by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority; the Act sets no director-residency requirement | No corporation, capital gains, payroll, property or withholding taxes on any company (General Registry) | Beneficial-ownership register kept by the corporate services provider and searchable by competent authorities; legitimate-interest access from 28 February 2025. Economic-substance rules apply to relevant activities |
Hong KongAsiaChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Private company limited by shares under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) Registry: Companies Registry; Inland Revenue Department Registry time: Electronic certificate normally within 1 hour; paper within 4 working days |
| At least one director (non-residents allowed); the company secretary must live in Hong Kong or be a Hong Kong body corporate | Profits tax 8.25% on the first HK$2 million and 16.5% above; profits arising abroad are not taxed (territorial basis) | Significant controllers register (over 25%) kept in Hong Kong and available to law enforcement; a designated representative is required |
Labuan (Malaysia)AsiaChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Labuan company under the Labuan Companies Act 1990, incorporated through a licensed Labuan trust company Registry: Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA) Registry time: Registration: 1 working day (Labuan FSA client charter), after trust-company onboarding |
| At least one director (a resident director is optional) and a resident secretary from a Labuan trust company | 3% of audited net profits from trading activities if substance rules are met (24% if not); non-trading income such as investment holding is not taxed | Register of beneficial owners at the registered office, changes lodged with Labuan FSA within 30 days. Minimum employees and annual spending in Labuan, by activity Government fees were revised from 1 July 2026; the fee regulation is a scanned document, so figures were read from the official image. |
SeychellesIndian OceanChecked 28 Oct 2026 | International business company (IBC) under the International Business Companies Act 2016 Registry: Financial Services Authority (Seychelles); Seychelles Revenue Commission (tax) Registry time: FSA service standard: 1–2 hours to incorporate (published 2016) |
| Registered agent in Seychelles, with the registered office at the agent's address; no director-residency requirement found | Within the territorial Business Tax Act: Seychelles-source income taxed at 15% on the first SCR 1 million and 25% above. Since 16 September 2021, foreign passive income of covered companies is taxed unless they meet the substance test | Beneficial-ownership register kept through the registered agent and submitted to the national database held by the Financial Intelligence Unit; not public The fees come from the FSA's consolidated Act (which the FSA marks as unofficial) and its 2022 fee schedule, which agree. Whether the substance test now covers more than large companies was not confirmed. |
SingaporeAsiaChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Private company limited by shares (Pte Ltd) under the Companies Act 1967 Registry: ACRA (registration); IRAS (tax) Registry time: Most approved soon after payment; up to 15 working days if complex |
| At least one director ordinarily resident in Singapore; a company secretary within six months; foreigners register through a corporate service provider | Flat 17% on chargeable income, with partial and start-up exemptions | Register of registrable controllers, also filed with ACRA's central register (not public); nominee directors and shareholders must be declared |
United Arab Emirates (Dubai Development Authority free zone)Middle EastChecked 28 Oct 2026 | Free-zone limited liability company (FZ-LLC) licensed by the Dubai Development Authority (DDA; named Dubai Creative Clusters Authority, DCCA, until 2019) for Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and its other business districts Registry: Dubai Development Authority (DDA); UAE Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Authority (tax) Registry time: Provisional approval 10 working days, then registration 2 working days (DDA); a corporate shareholder's documents must first be notarised and attested |
| Registered office in the zone with a lease (Ejari); at least one director and a general manager, both individuals; minimum paid-up capital AED 10,000 (more for some segments); audited accounts within six months of year end | DDA zones are qualifying free zones. Corporate tax 0% up to AED 375,000 of taxable income, 9% above; a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% only on qualifying income and must keep adequate substance in the UAE | Beneficial-owner register (25% or more) kept at the registered office and submitted through the DDA's axs portal, naming a contact person resident in the UAE. Economic-substance reporting cancelled for financial years ending after 31 December 2022 Fees come from the DDA's 2017 fee decision and 2021 licence-categories decision, which it still lists as current. Workspace rent is set by the landlord and not published. The 50-year tax exemption in the 2014 law no longer reflects federal corporate tax. Sources (14)
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The exact quote depends on share capital, structure and the services you need; we confirm it before you commit. Rules checked on 28 October 2026. Registry times exclude agent due diligence and bank account opening.
How it works
Brief
Your business, where it is licensed, where it will bank and who the owners are.
Recommendation
One or two jurisdictions that fit, with the official fees, ongoing duties and our fee.
Due diligence and formation
Identity and ownership checks required by law, then registration through a licensed local agent.
Ongoing
Bank applications, annual filings and changes, handled for as long as you need them.
Common questions
Are offshore companies legal?
Yes. Forming a company in another jurisdiction is lawful. What matters is that it is used for real business, its owners are declared to the authorities that require it, and it meets the tax and reporting rules where it is formed and where its owners live.
Is an offshore company tax-free?
Not automatically. Several places have abolished their old exemptions (Belize) or tax foreign income without economic substance (Seychelles), and the UAE taxes free-zone companies on non-qualifying income. Your home country may also tax the company's profits. We set out the rules for each option; for advice on your own tax position, ask a tax adviser where you live.
Can the owners stay anonymous?
No. Every jurisdiction in the table requires the beneficial owners to be identified and recorded, and most file that information with the registry or a government database. Access is usually limited to authorities and people with a legitimate interest, but the owners are always known.
What do the prices in the table cover?
They are our reference ranges for forming the company and keeping it in good standing each year. The exact figure depends on share capital, structure and the services you need, so we confirm a full quote before you commit.
Can you guarantee a bank account?
No one can. Banks and payment providers make their own decisions. We prepare a complete application and suggest providers that work with your business type and jurisdiction.
Related guides
Planning a structure?
Tell us what the business does, where it is licensed and where it will bank. We will suggest where to form it and what it will take to keep it compliant.
Email contact@whyfirm.com