Company registration · Cayman Islands
Company registration in the Cayman Islands the jurisdiction of funds and venture capital
- Support
- from $4 500
- Registration time
- No direct taxes
No direct corporate taxes, English law and a fund industry recognised worldwide.
The standard choice for venture structures and raising institutional capital.
Registration
from $4 500
Turnkey work by BRIDGES. Government fees and duties appear as a separate line in the estimate at actual rates.
See packagesNo direct taxes
Neither on profit nor on capital gains
3-7 days
Incorporation with the registry
The venture standard
A form international investors expect
Who it suitsCayman Islands
Who the Cayman Islands suit
Working on the company structure- 01Venture and investment funds
- 02Start-ups raising capital from international investors
- 03Holdings above operating companies in several countries
- 04Joint ownership structures
- 05Projects preparing for a transaction or a listing
Does not suit
- Operating trade: a different instrument is needed
- You are counting on anonymity: beneficial ownership data is maintained
- Minimum budget: upkeep and administration are expensive
- Working with retail customers in Europe
Company forms4
Which company to open
The jurisdiction offers a set of forms recognised by the investment industry.
- 01Exempted Company · the main form
Holdings, venture structures, asset ownership.
Fast incorporation and no capital requirements.
A registered office and agent are required.
- 02Segregated Portfolio Company · company with segregated portfolios
Funds with several strategies, insurance.
Risk separation without creating new companies.
More complex administration and accounting.
- 03Exempted Limited Partnership · partnership
Fund managers and investors.
Transparent for tax at partner level and familiar to investors.
Requires a general partner and an administrator.
- 04Foundation Company · foundation company
Asset ownership and decentralised project structures.
Flexibility in governance and distribution of benefits.
Requires carefully drafted constitutional documents.
Packagesfrom $4 500
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios, from a holding to a fund with investors.
01 · 1-2 weeks
Company
from $4 500
A holding or ownership structure
- Name check and preparation of the constitution
- Incorporation through a licensed agent
- Registered office and agent for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Assessment of the economic substance requirements
02 · 6-12 weeks
Company and account
from $8 500
A structure with real settlements
- Everything in the Company package
- Bank file and submission to suitable institutions
- Certificates and apostille for the bank
- Substantiation of the origin of capital
- Support with bank correspondence
03 · from 6 weeks
Fund structure
by project
Raising capital from investors
- Everything in the Company and account package
- Choice of form: partnership, portfolios or company
- Registration with the supervisory authority
- Selection of an administrator and auditor
- Documentation for investors
Registry fees, supervisory fees and agent fees appear as separate lines in the quote.
TaxesCayman Islands
Taxes in Cayman
There are no direct corporate taxes, but there are reporting obligations.
Taxes in Cayman
Cayman Islands
- No direct taxes
- Neither on profit nor on capital gains
- from $4 500
- BRIDGES fee
- 3-7 days
- Incorporation with the registry
- The venture standard
- A form international investors expect
- Corporate income tax
- Not levied.
- Capital gains and dividend tax
- Not levied.
- VAT
- None; import duties apply to goods.
- Economic substance
- For a range of activities, management and resources on the islands are required.
- Information exchange
- Structures register and report under international standards.
- Tax at home
- Controlled foreign company rules in the beneficiary’s country of residence apply in full.
Annual upkeep
- Annual registry fee
- Registered office and agent
- Annual confirmation of details
- Economic substance report
- Information exchange reporting
- Fund audit
- Administrator fees
- Bank compliance
Registry fees, supervisory fees and agent fees appear as separate lines in the quote.
Bank
The bank account after incorporation
Accounts for Cayman structures are, as a rule, opened outside the islands.
- 01What the bank looks at
The economic purpose of the structure, the investor base, the origin of capital and the expected flows.
- 02Which documents are needed
The corporate set with certificates, beneficiary profiles and investment documentation.
- 03Where the account is opened
In the United States, Singapore, Switzerland and with payment institutions that work with funds.
- 04What we do
We prepare the file, choose the institution and run the submission through to the result.
This is the hardest part of the project. An empty Cayman company with no content and no clear capital will not open an account.
Stages1-2 weeks
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
- 01Consultation and structure
Task, investors, form, substance, banking.
One meeting - 02Quote and contract
We fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 days - 03Agent compliance
Verification of beneficiaries and collection of the set.
3-10 days - 04Incorporation
Filing with the registry and issue of the documents.
3-7 days - 05Fund registration
Filing the documents with the supervisory authority.
from 4 weeks - 06Account and launch
Bank file, submission and account opening.
The bank sets the timing
Result: The outcome is a structure familiar to international investors: a company or fund, an account and reporting in place.
ComparisonCayman Islands
Cayman or the British Virgin Islands
| Cayman | BVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Direct taxes | none | none |
| Funds and venture capital | the global standard | used less often |
| Upkeep cost | higher | lower |
| Investor perception | the familiar fund form | the familiar holding form |
| Economic substance | requirements apply | requirements apply |
| Opening an account | difficult, content required | difficult |
| Who it suits better | raising capital | simple ownership of shares |
If the task is to attract a fund or an investor, Cayman is the usual choice. If it is simply to hold shares, the BVI is cheaper.
TeamBRIDGES
Company team
Questions
Registration questions
Is it true that Cayman has no taxes?+
There are no direct corporate taxes: none on profit, capital gains or dividends. Reporting obligations remain.
Why do venture funds choose Cayman?+
The partnership and company forms here are familiar to international investors and the documentation is standardised across the industry.
How long does incorporation take?+
Three to seven days with the registry after agent compliance. Fund registration takes four weeks or more.
What are the economic substance requirements?+
For a range of activities the company must have management, personnel and expenditure on the islands, evidenced by a report.
How hard is it to open a bank account?+
It is the hardest part. Accounts are usually opened outside the islands and only with a clear capital structure.
Is the owner visible?+
Beneficial ownership data is maintained and available to the competent authorities. There is no public register.
Is an audit required?+
For registered funds, yes. For an ordinary company, no.
Do I have to declare the company at home?+
Yes. Controlled foreign company rules in your country of residence apply in full.
Can the company operate on the islands themselves?+
An exempted company is intended for activity outside them; operating locally requires separate permission.
What does upkeep cost?+
Registry fees, the agent, reporting and, for funds, an administrator and audit. We set it out three years ahead.
How does Cayman differ from the BVI?+
Cayman is the standard for funds and raising capital; the BVI is a cheaper form for holding shares.
Is the structure suitable for a deal with an investor?+
Yes, it is one of the most common forms in venture transactions, but the structure has to be prepared in advance.
A company for your task
Tell us what the company will do: we will check whether the country fits and show the launch and upkeep budget before the contract.
- Other jurisdictionsA comparison of countries for company registration.
- A company in the BVIA simpler form for holding shares.
- Corporate accountsHow an account is opened and what the bank checks.
- BelizeRegistration: 3-7 days · from $950
- BVIRegistration: 3-7 days · from $1 900
- GibraltarRegistration: 5-10 days · from $2 400
Company registration
Want a company in the Cayman Islands?
Write to us, we will set it up. We will choose the form, calculate the launch and the annual upkeep, register the company and help open the account.
