Company registration · Seychelles
Company registration in the Seychelles territorial tax and a fast start
- Support
- from $1 100
- Registration time
- 2-5 days
One of the most affordable international jurisdictions: incorporation within days and a territorial basis of taxation.
The real difficulty is the bank account.
Registration
from $1 100
Turnkey work by BRIDGES. Government fees and duties appear as a separate line in the estimate at actual rates.
See packages2-5 days
Incorporation with the registry
Territorial tax
Only locally sourced income is taxed
English law
The basis of the company legislation
Who it suitsSeychelles
Who the Seychelles suit
Working on the company structure- 01Holding shares in other companies
- 02Owning intellectual property and licences
- 03Ship ownership and maritime activity
- 04Joint projects with foreign partners
- 05Structures where the account sits with a payment institution
Does not suit
- Working with European corporate clients: reputation gets in the way
- You need a VAT number or EU market access
- You are counting on anonymity: the agent holds beneficial ownership data
- You expect an easy bank account
Company forms4
Which company to open
The main form is the international business company, alongside special and foundation structures.
- 01International Business Company · IBC — the main form
Asset ownership, trade outside the islands, licensing.
Fast incorporation and low upkeep cost.
The jurisdiction’s reputation complicates the banking question.
- 02Special Licence Company · CSL — company with a special licence
Structures that need tax resident status.
The ability to apply treaties.
More expensive; requires a licence and reporting.
- 03Foundation · foundation
Family ownership and succession planning.
Separation of assets from personal property.
Tax consequences are checked for the beneficiary.
- 04Limited Partnership · partnership
Joint investment projects.
Transparent for tax at partner level.
Requires a general partner.
Packagesfrom $1 100
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The main question is settlements.
01 · 3-7 days
Company
from $1 100
Owning assets and shares
- Name check and preparation of the constitution
- Incorporation through a licensed agent
- Registered agent and address for the first year
- Full set of corporate documents
- Arrangements for keeping accounting records
02 · 4-10 weeks
Company and settlements
from $2 900
A working structure with real payments
- Everything in the Company package
- Selection of a bank or payment institution for the profile
- Certificates and apostille for the submission
- Preparation of the business description and contracts
- Support with correspondence through to the result
03 · from 6 weeks
Resident structure
by project
Tax resident status is required
- Everything in the Company and settlements package
- Incorporation of a company with a special licence
- Director and office on the islands
- Bookkeeping and filing of reports
- Obtaining a tax residency certificate
Registry fees and agent fees appear as separate lines in the quote. Costs here are low — the real effort goes into settlements.
TaxesSeychelles
Taxes in the Seychelles
A territorial basis applies: income from sources on the islands is taxed.
Taxes in the Seychelles
Seychelles
- 2-5 days
- Incorporation with the registry
- from $1 100
- BRIDGES fee
- Territorial tax
- Only locally sourced income is taxed
- English law
- The basis of the company legislation
- Income from foreign sources
- Not taxed on the islands.
- Income from local sources
- Taxed under the general rules.
- Accounting records
- Mandatory to keep and store with the registered agent.
- Economic substance
- Requirements apply to certain activities.
- Information exchange
- The jurisdiction participates in international exchange of information.
- Tax at home
- Controlled foreign company rules apply in full.
Annual upkeep
- Annual registry fee
- Registered agent and address
- Accounting records
- Economic substance report
- Updating beneficiary details
- Bank compliance
- Renewal of certificates
- Changes to the company
Registry fees and agent fees appear as separate lines in the quote. Costs here are low — the real effort goes into settlements.
Bank
The bank account after incorporation
This is the jurisdiction’s main difficulty, and we discuss it before incorporation.
- 01What the bank looks at
The jurisdiction of the company, the activity, the counterparties, turnover and the origin of capital.
- 02Which documents are needed
The corporate set with apostille, contracts and beneficiary profiles.
- 03Where the account is opened
More often with payment institutions and banks in Asia and the Middle East, rarely with classic banks.
- 04What we do
We assess the odds early, choose the institution and run the submission.
A classic European bank will, as a rule, not take on a Seychelles company. If settlements are critical, another jurisdiction is worth considering — we will say so plainly.
Stages3-7 days
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
- 01Consultation and structure
Activity, counterparties, the account, taxes.
One meeting - 02Quote and contract
We fix the scope of work and the amount.
1 day - 03Agent compliance
Verification of beneficiaries and collection of the set.
2-7 days - 04Incorporation
Filing with the registry and issue of the documents.
2-5 days - 05Preparation for settlements
Apostille, business description, choice of institution.
1-2 weeks - 06Account and launch
Submission and account opening.
The institution sets the timing
Result: The outcome is a working international company with settlements arranged and accounting records properly kept.
ComparisonSeychelles
Seychelles or Belize
| Seychelles | Belize | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | territorial basis | territorial basis |
| Incorporation time | 2-5 days | 2-5 days |
| Cost | low | low |
| Record keeping | with the agent on the islands | with the agent |
| Ship registry | developed | limited |
| Opening an account | difficult | difficult |
| Who it suits better | asset ownership and maritime activity | simple ownership of shares |
The difference between them is small. What matters far more is where you can open an account and how counterparties view the jurisdiction.
TeamBRIDGES
Company team
Questions
Registration questions
Does a Seychelles company pay tax?+
A territorial basis applies: income from foreign sources is not taxed on the islands, while locally sourced income is.
How long does incorporation take?+
Two to five days with the registry after agent compliance.
Do I have to keep accounts?+
Yes. Accounting records are mandatory and are stored with the registered agent on the islands.
How hard is it to open a bank account?+
Very. Classic European banks generally refuse; we work through payment institutions and banks in other regions.
Is the owner visible?+
There is no public register, but beneficial ownership data is held by the agent and passed to the competent authorities on request.
Are there economic substance requirements?+
Yes, they apply to certain activities.
Can I work with European clients?+
Technically yes, but some counterparties will refuse to deal with a Seychelles company under their internal rules.
What is a special licence company?+
A resident form with a reduced rate and access to tax treaties; it is more expensive and requires reporting.
Do I have to declare the company at home?+
Yes. Controlled foreign company rules apply in full.
Can I register a ship?+
Yes, the Seychelles operate a developed maritime registry.
What does upkeep cost?+
Registry fees, the agent and record keeping. This is one of the cheapest jurisdictions to maintain.
Is it worth choosing the Seychelles at all?+
If the task is asset ownership with settlements through payment institutions, yes. If you need European banks and clients, no.
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 UAEAn alternative where opening an account is more realistic.
- Corporate accountsHow an account is opened and what the bank checks.
- BelizeRegistration: 3-7 days · from $950
- BVIRegistration: 3-7 days · from $1 900
- Cayman IslandsRegistration: 1-2 weeks · from $4 500
Company registration
Want a company in the Seychelles?
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.
