Frequently Asked Questions

An exempted company is incorporated upon filing incorporation documents with the Registrar of Companies. A Certificate of Incorporation will be issued by the Registrar of Companies within 2-3 working days after filing. However, it is possible to have an express or “same-day” incorporation in which the Certificate of Incorporation is issued within 24 hours of the filing with the Registrar of Companies. There is an express fee of US$487.80 charged by the Registrar of Companies for this service.

We will require you to complete our Company Incorporation Request Form with details of, among other things, the name of the new company or limited partnership, the Directors (or the general partner in the case of a limited partnership), the shareholders, the source of the funds that will be used to pay the incorporation fees. We will also require “Know Your Client” (KYC) information for us to verify the identity of the Directors (or the general partner in the case of a limited partnership) and shareholders of the new company or limited partnership.

In order for us to meet our obligations under the Cayman Islands anti-money laundering regulations, it is necessary for us formally to verify the identity of our clients through KYC documents. We will require KYC documents in respect of each Director and each shareholder that holds 10% or more of the new company’s issued and outstanding shares.

For individuals, identity certification, address proof and a reference letter from a recognized professional are required. For entities, certified copies of charter documents and registers (where applicable) are required. Please contact us for more details on KYC documents.

• Can ID card/credit card bill/driver’s license be used as address proof?

No. A recent utility bill issued within the last 3 months or a bank statement are acceptable as address proof.

• Who has the authority to certify a copy of a passport or a utility bill?

A passport or utility bill can be certified by a lawyer, or notarized by Notary Public. The original passport or utility bill will need to be presented to such lawyer or Notary Public.

• Who has the authority to issue a reference letter?

A reference letter can be issued by a professional (such as a lawyer, a CPA or a medical doctor, etc.) The referee must have known the person who is the subject of the reference for at least two (2) years.

No, it’s not required to have Caymanian directors or shareholders. Yes there can be corporate directors/shareholders.

There should be at least one shareholder and one director.

For individuals, residential address is required. For entities, registered office address or business address.

The names and addresses of the directors and officers will be filed with the Registrar of Companies, but these details are not generally accessible by members of the public. They are not be available for public search (online or otherwise). The names of the shareholders of an exempted company are not required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies.

Yes, officers can be appointed. Their names and addresses will be filed with the Registrar of Companies but will not be available for public search (online or otherwise).

The duties are set out here Continuing requirements for Cayman Exempted Companies.

Yes, Chinese names are allowed. If the Chinese name is adopted at incorporation, a translation certificate from a certified translator is required. If the company has been incorporated with an English name and would like to add a dual foreign name, it can do. Please click here to contact us for further information.