A Nevis International Business Corporation (IBC) is governed by the Nevis Business
Corporation Ordinance of 1984 (NBCO) (amended last in 2017). The NBCO allows a
corporation to be formed for the purpose of conducting any lawful business activity. Forming a
new IBC is a very simple and streamlined process. The name of the new IBC must be provided
to the Registered Agent who is a licenced trust and corporate service provider in the jurisdiction,
who would immediately reserve the name of the IBC using the Nevis Online Registration
Module. It is a requirement that every Nevis IBC to be registered must have a company name
different from existing or reserved company names in Nevis Registry system. The Nevis IBC
name must end in one of the following words: “company”, “corporation”, “incorporated”, or
“limited” or, abbreviations of one of the above-mentioned words like: “Corp.”, or “Inc.”, or “Ltd.”.

A Nevis International Business Company (IBC) has these benefits:

• 100% Foreign Ownership: Foreigners can own all of the shares in a Nevis IBC such that local
ownership or residency is not required.

• Limited Liability: A shareholder’s liability is limited to the capital investment.

• Total Privacy: Shareholders, directors and officers names are anonymous and not part of any
public records or registry system. Nominee shareholders, directors, and officers are permitted.
Further, shareholders, officers, and directors may be of any nationality and may reside
anywhere. Additionally, a Managing Director may be appointed to oversee the corporation’s
activities. The Corporate Secretary may be either a corporation or an individual. Corporations
may serve as directors, and alternate or substitute directors may also be appointed. All
shareholders and directors may act with unanimous consent without holding a meeting and are
allowed to issue proxies in writing.

• No Taxes: IBC’s do not pay any taxes in Nevis. No corporate tax for income sourced out of the
border. No estate, inheritance, gift, duty, capital gains taxes, withholding tax, stamp tax, asset
tax, or other taxes and fees levied on assets and income generated beyond St. Kitts and Nevis.
• No exchange control applies on IBCs which are allowed to use and exchange any currency at
the company’s convenience. Besides, the authorized share capital can be performed in any
recognized currency.

• One Shareholder: The minimum number of shareholders is one to form an IBC.

• One Director: The IBC can be managed by only one director for a one shareholder company.

• Fast Registration: It only takes one business day to incorporate an IBC.

• No Accounting or Auditing Requirements: IBC’s are free to establish any accounting standards
or auditing requirements.

• Low Minimum Share Capital: Currently, the required minimum share capital is $1 USD.

• No Required Authorized Capital: There is no required minimum authorized capital.

• Remote access: With support from authorized registered agents or service providers, business
procedures and affairs can be processed remotely such as company registration, bank account
opening, contract signing, and investing.

• English: Since being a former UK colony, English is its official language.

Individuals or businesses wishing to establish a registered corporation in Nevis must do so
through a Registered Agent.

Required documents for Nevis Business Incorporation
After reserving the company name, a Nevis IBC can quickly register by submitting The Articles
of Incorporation to the Registrar of Corporations. If the Articles are in compliance, approval can
be obtained within one business day (generally 24 hrs). The Registered Agent will be able
provide documentation related to generic company memorandum and articles.
To legally start the Nevis business registration procedure, the following documentation must be
met:
 A notarized passport photocopy (valid for at least 6 months)
 Notarized proof of address information (dated within last 6 months)
 Reference letters – bank and professional each
 Profile of each natural person (either curriculum vitae, resume or Linkedin)
The Registered Agent conducts due diligence and, after satisfying all of the conditions imposed
by the NBCO the Registrar will issue a certificate of incorporation and other documentation that
may be requested.

Note that the Registered Agent is given the authority to establish the IBC and sign the formation
paperwork on behalf of the customer, eliminating the need for the client to go to the jurisdiction
physically.

Fees
Basic Incorporation – US$2,000
Annual Renewal – US$1,300