Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · Cyprus
Company registration in Cyprus 12.5%tax inside the European Union
An EU company that banks and counterparties understand: one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the Union, English-language document flow and a wide network of double tax treaties.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Name approval and drafting of the constitution
- 02Incorporation with the registrar
- 03Registered office and secretary for the first year
- 04Full set of corporate documents
- 05Registration with the tax department
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who Cyprus suits
- Holding companies owning shares in European businesses
- IT and services working with EU clients
- Trading companies that need a VAT number
- Groups using the intellectual property regime
- Owners planning to relocate to the island
- You need a company with no reporting at all
- The business is entirely outside Europe and has no EU clients
- There is no budget for an accountant and an audit
- You are counting on anonymity: the beneficial owner register is maintained
Company types
What company you can open in Cyprus
The private limited company covers almost every scenario; the other forms solve narrower tasks.
A company with limited liability, a nominal share capital and a flexible constitution.
- For whom
- Holdings, trading, IT and services.
- Advantage
- Recognised by banks, suitable for both holding and operations.
- Limit
- Requires a secretary, a registered office and annual audited accounts.
A company that may offer shares to the public.
- For whom
- Large groups and companies preparing for a listing.
- Advantage
- Access to public capital.
- Limit
- Higher capital requirements and stricter disclosure.
The presence of a foreign company on the Cypriot register.
- For whom
- An existing business entering the European market.
- Advantage
- No new legal entity is needed.
- Limit
- The parent company carries the liability.
Every company needs a registered office and a secretary on the island. Tax residency is determined by where management and control actually sit.
Comparison
Cyprus or Malta
Two Mediterranean EU jurisdictions with English-language document flow.
| Cyprus | Malta | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 12.5% | 35% with a shareholder refund |
| How the rate works | applies directly | the refund requires the right ownership structure |
| VAT | 19% | 18% |
| Dividends to non-residents | no withholding tax | no withholding tax |
| IP regime | effective rate around 2.5% | a patent box exists |
| Audit | mandatory for every company | mandatory for every company |
| Who it suits better | holdings and operating companies | gaming and refund structures |
Cyprus gives a low rate straight away, Malta gives it back later through the refund. When the ownership structure is simple, Cyprus is more predictable.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in Cyprus
The answers below determine the form, the tax position and the cost of upkeep.
What we check
- Whether the company is a holding or an operating business
- Where management and control will actually sit
- Whether a VAT number is required
- Whether intellectual property is involved
- Who the directors will be and where they are resident
- Which bank is prepared to work with the profile
- Whether staff will be hired on the island
- Whether the owner plans to relocate
- How the source of capital is evidenced
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
A Cypriot company is tax resident where management and control are exercised. A company managed from abroad may lose the benefit of the rate and the treaties.
Licensing
Activities and licences
Most activities need no licence; financial services are the exception.
No licence required; dividends received are usually exempt.
Possible without a licence; VAT registration is normally required.
Licensed by the securities regulator.
Registered and supervised, an administrator and an auditor are required.
Licensed by the supervisory authority.
A tonnage tax regime applies to shipping companies.
What sets the licence
- Whether a licence is required
- Whether a VAT number is needed
- Where management and control sit
- Planned turnover
- Whether staff will be hired
- Which bank will serve the company
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on substance and on whether VAT registration is needed.
from $2 900
A holding or a structure for owning assets
2-3 weeks
Included
- Name approval and drafting of the constitution
- Incorporation with the registrar
- Registered office and secretary for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Registration with the tax department
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Registry fees
- Annual levy
Not included
- VAT registration
- The bank account — handled as a separate stage
from $5 400
An operating business with real settlements
4-8 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- VAT registration where the model requires it
- Bank file and submission to suitable banks
- Accounting set-up and preparation for the audit
- Support with bank correspondence
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
- Registry fees
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the bank decides
by project
The rate and the treaties must hold up
from 6 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company and account package
- Office and resident directors on the island
- Hiring and payroll administration
- Bookkeeping, reporting and the statutory audit
- Tax residency certificate
- Annual support of the structure
Government fees, paid separately
- Office rent
- Audit fees
- Payroll contributions
Registry fees, the annual levy and audit costs appear as separate lines in the quote.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, VAT, substance and banking. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: projects with substance are priced individually.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
Application, obtaining the number and setting up returns.
Management and control on the island for the tax position.
Premises and hiring for real substance.
Accounting, reporting and the mandatory annual audit.
Issued annually for applying the treaties.
Selection of a bank or a payment institution.
Director, shareholder and capital changes.
Proper closure of the company.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
Cypriot banks work with international clients but ask detailed questions.
The activity, the counterparties, expected turnover, the source of funds and the connection to the island.
The corporate set, beneficiary profiles, contracts and evidence of the source of funds.
With local banks, elsewhere in the EU and with payment institutions for operating settlements.
We prepare the file, choose the institution and run the submission through to the result.
A company with no connection to the island and no substance will face questions. We assess this before incorporation, not after.
Tax
Taxes in Cyprus
A low rate plus exemptions that matter for holding structures.
A flat rate of 12.5% on taxable profit.
Usually exempt from corporate tax under the participation rules.
No withholding tax on payments to non-residents.
Qualifying IP income may be taxed at an effective rate of around 2.5%.
The standard rate is 19%; reduced rates apply to certain supplies.
Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: eligibility for the exemptions is assessed case by case.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected remotely; documents are in English.
- 01Passport with a certified copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Bank or professional reference
- 04Description of the activity and source of income
- 05Evidence of the source of funds
The service provider runs its own compliance before incorporation; a complete set of documents shortens the process considerably.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Upkeep in Cyprus is predictable, but the audit is not optional.
Paid to the registrar within the set deadline.
Mandatory requirements, renewed annually.
Prepared under international standards.
Mandatory for every company regardless of turnover.
Filed after the end of the financial year.
Filed regularly where the company is VAT registered.
Renewed annually for treaty purposes.
Periodic requests from the bank.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Annual levy
- Registered office and secretary
- Financial statements
- Statutory audit
- Tax return
- VAT returns
- Tax residency certificate
- Bank compliance
- Annual levy
- Registered office and secretary
- Financial statements
- Statutory audit
- Tax return
- VAT returns
- Tax residency certificate
- Bank compliance
- Annual levy
- Registered office and secretary
- Financial statements
- Statutory audit
- Tax return
- VAT returns
- Tax residency certificate
- Bank compliance
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, tax position, VAT, substance, banking.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
1-2 daysVerification, collection of the set, translations and certifications.
3-10 daysFiling with the registrar and issue of the documents.
7-14 daysApplication and issue of the number where required.
2-4 weeksBank file, submission and account opening.
The bank sets the timingThe outcome is an EU company with a defensible tax position: full corporate documents, a VAT number where needed, a bank account and accounting in place.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessClients and customers outside the country of registration, payment under contracts.
DirectionAn operating company with real management and reporting.
BankingThe bank looks at contracts, clients and turnover.
BusinessDevelopment, subscriptions and software licensing.
DirectionAn operating company that owns the product with a clear revenue chain.
BankingPayment providers and platform agreements are required.
BusinessSupplies between countries, settlements in several currencies.
DirectionA trading company with working banking infrastructure.
BankingCounterparties, routes and the origin of funds are checked.
BusinessHolding shares in subsidiaries and distributing profit.
DirectionA holding company set up with double tax treaties in mind.
BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
Management and control decide whether the rate and the treaties apply. We check this first.
Every Cypriot company is audited. That line is in the budget from day one.
We evaluate the profile before incorporation and do not promise the impossible.
Secretary, accounting, audit and levies — three years ahead.
Reporting, renewals and changes stay with us.
The beneficial owner register is maintained and the bank knows the owner.
FAQ
Questions and answers
12.5% on taxable profit — one of the lowest rates in the European Union.
Yes. Every Cypriot company files audited financial statements, regardless of turnover.
7-14 days with the registrar once compliance is complete.
Not formally, but tax residency depends on management and control being exercised on the island.
No withholding tax is charged on dividends paid to non-residents.
Yes, where the business model requires it. Registration takes a further two to four weeks.
It is realistic with a clear business and a connection to the island; a shell company will face refusals.
A beneficial owner register is maintained and is available to the competent authorities.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do and where its clients are. We will test the tax position, decide whether VAT and substance are needed and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.