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Incorporation
Forming a company or a foundation in a jurisdiction that suits your business, and keeping it in good standing afterwards.
- Companies and foundations
- Set-ups for regulated industries
- Corporate services after formation
Incorporation covers the legal entity your business or assets sit in. We help you choose the type of entity (a private limited company, an LLC, an offshore company, a free zone company, a holding or a foundation) and the jurisdiction, prepare the documents, and handle the registration. Twenty-one jurisdictions are set out on the Company formation page, with capital, officers, tax and fees from their registries.
For forex, crypto, gaming and payment businesses, the company is the first of several steps. The industry guides set out the full order.
What Incorporation covers
Company formation
Registering a new company, with its registered office and corporate documents.
- Registration and registered office
- Corporate documents prepared
- Bank account planned alongside
Foundations
Setting up a foundation to hold and manage assets for a purpose or for beneficiaries.
- How a foundation works
- Foundation or company
- Documents and registration
Industries
The company, licence, accounts and payments a forex, crypto, gaming, payment or e-commerce business needs, in order.
- Regulated and high-risk businesses
- The company, licence, accounts and payments in order
- One consultation for the whole set-up
Corporate services
Registered office, company secretary, directors, filings and renewals once the company exists.
- Registered office and agent
- Directors, secretary and filings
- Annual renewal and good standing
Which do you need?
Company formation
- For
- Running a business or holding assets
- What you get
- A registered company
Foundations
- For
- Holding assets for a purpose or beneficiaries
- What you get
- A registered foundation
Industries
- For
- Regulated forex, crypto, gaming or payment businesses
- What you get
- A company, with the licence and accounts planned around it
Corporate services
- For
- Companies that already exist
- What you get
- The company kept in good standing
Entity types
The forms a company can take, and when each one fits. The country index on the Company formation page shows which form each jurisdiction offers.
- Private limited companyThe standard operating company: shareholders own it, directors run it, liability stops at the shares.Details
- Limited liability company (LLC)A flexible US-style company: members instead of shareholders, an operating agreement instead of articles.Details
- International business company (IBC or BC)An offshore company for international trade and holding, taxed little or not at all where it is registered.Details
- Free zone companyA company licensed inside a special economic zone, with full foreign ownership and the zone's own rules.Details
- Holding companyA company whose job is to own: shares in subsidiaries, property, intellectual property or investments.Details
- FoundationA legal entity that owns assets for a purpose or for beneficiaries, with no shareholders.Details
- Branch or representative officeAn extension of an existing company in another country, not a separate legal person.Details
Private limited company
The standard operating company: shareholders own it, directors run it, liability stops at the shares.
What it is
The Ltd, GmbH, BV, SARL or Pte Ltd of the onshore world. It trades, employs, pays tax where it is managed and files accounts. It is the form regulators expect for a licensed business and the one banks know best.
Choose it for
- An operating business with clients, staff and contracts
- A company that will apply for a licence
- A subsidiary in a market you are entering
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Limited liability company (LLC)
A flexible US-style company: members instead of shareholders, an operating agreement instead of articles.
What it is
The LLC combines limited liability with a contractual constitution and, in the United States, a default pass-through tax treatment: the company itself pays no tax, its members do. Delaware and Wyoming are the usual homes; several offshore centres offer their own LLC.
Choose it for
- A US presence for e-commerce, software or consulting owned from abroad
- Joint ventures that want bespoke profit sharing
- Asset holding where charging-order protection matters
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
International business company (IBC or BC)
An offshore company for international trade and holding, taxed little or not at all where it is registered.
What it is
Seychelles, the BVI, Saint Vincent, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands register companies for business outside their borders, with a registered agent, a small annual fee and no local tax on foreign income. Economic-substance and beneficial-ownership rules now apply everywhere.
Choose it for
- A holding company inside a group
- The vehicle for an offshore licence (a Seychelles dealer, a Vanuatu dealer)
- International trading where the counterparties accept it
Mind
- Banks and payment providers ask harder questions of an offshore company without substance
- Tax follows where the company is managed, not only where it is registered
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Free zone company
A company licensed inside a special economic zone, with full foreign ownership and the zone's own rules.
What it is
The United Arab Emirates' free zones (DMCC, IFZA, JAFZA, RAKEZ and others) license companies with full foreign ownership, a renewable business licence and, for qualifying income with substance in the zone, a zero rate of corporate tax. Labuan plays a similar role for Malaysia.
Choose it for
- A Gulf or Asian base with residence visas for the owners
- Trading, consulting and holding activities the zone licenses
- Groups that want a tax-light regional headquarters
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Holding company
A company whose job is to own: shares in subsidiaries, property, intellectual property or investments.
What it is
Holding companies sit above operating companies to pool ownership, receive dividends under participation exemptions and treaty networks, and separate risk. Cyprus, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the BVI and Singapore are frequent choices, for different reasons.
Choose it for
- Owning several companies under one roof
- Receiving dividends and gains efficiently where substance supports it
- Separating valuable assets from trading risk
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Foundation
A legal entity that owns assets for a purpose or for beneficiaries, with no shareholders.
What it is
A foundation is set up by a founder, run by a council, sometimes watched by a protector, and exists for its stated purpose or its beneficiaries. It is the civil-law cousin of the trust, used for family wealth, succession and holding structures in Liechtenstein, Panama, Seychelles, the Cayman Islands and elsewhere.
Choose it for
- Succession planning and family wealth
- Holding a group or a portfolio for the long term
- A purpose vehicle with no owner
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Branch or representative office
An extension of an existing company in another country, not a separate legal person.
What it is
A branch registers the parent company in a new country and trades there in the parent's name, so the parent carries its liabilities and taxes the branch's profits locally. A representative office may only promote; it may not trade.
Choose it for
- A regulated firm extending its licence into another market where the law allows
- A sales or liaison presence before a subsidiary
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
How it works
- 1ConsultationWe talk through what you need, where you operate and what you already have in place.
- 2PlanYou receive a plan that sets out the steps, the documents and the parties involved, so you can decide how to proceed.
- 3Set-upWe prepare the applications and documents with you and coordinate with the providers involved.
- 4Ongoing supportAfter set-up, we stay available for renewals, changes and questions.
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question?
Talk to usHow long does it take?
It depends on the jurisdiction, the provider and the documents involved. We give you an estimate for your company after the consultation.
What does it cost?
Costs depend on the jurisdiction and on the services you choose. We set them out for your company after the consultation, before any work starts.
Do I need to travel?
Some steps can be completed remotely and others need you in person. We tell you which applies to your case before you start.
Can you open a bank account for the new company?
Yes. Banking is often planned at the same time as the company, and we can include it from the start.
What comes next
Each service leads to the next: the structure, then the accounts, then the payments and the licence.
Plan your company with us
Talk to us- IncorporationForming a company or foundation, and keeping it in good standing.Talk to us
- BankingBusiness and personal accounts, and accepting payments.Talk to us
- LicensingFinancial licences for regulated activities.Talk to us
- InvestmentsOpening investment accounts for a company or for yourself.Talk to us