British Virgin Islands Company Documents |
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We specialise in the incorporating International Business Company - IBC in the tax exempt British Virgin Islands and are experts with the documents filed and available from the BVI Registry of Corporate Affiars.
Registry of Corporate Affairs
The BVI Registry of Corporate Affairs is the regulatory authority for all financial services business operating in and from within the BVI.
As incorporation agents our experience and relationship with the Registry of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands means we can obtain company reports, copies of official documents held by the registry on any registered BVI IBC. We can also assist in obtaining Apostilles on company searches and official company documents.
BVI Company Name Search - £15
Confirmation that the company is incorporated at the Registrar of Corporate Affairs in the BVI. This service will only locate active companies within the BVI. After you have submitted the request, we will do a company search with Registry of Corporate Affairs and get back to you with the full company name and company number if the result proves positive.
Price: £15 (excl. VAT)Delivery: Sent via email (PDF)
Timescale: 1 - 2 business days
BVI Company Search Report - £70
Under the BVI Business Companies Act 2004 companies are not required to file information on directors or shareholders. The filing of this information is optional, all corporate details are maintained be the local registered agent who provides administration for the company. A BVI company is not required to file its statutory accounts and there is no requirement for the accounts to be audited.
The contents of a search report includes:
- Company Name
- Company Number
- Date of Incorporation
- Current Status: i.e. Good Standing, Struck Off etc
- List of Filings & Attachments
- Share Capital: Authorised Capital or Number of Shares Issued
- Registered Agents
- Registered Office Address
Delivery: Sent via email (PDF)
Timescale: 2 - 3 business days
BVI Certified Copies of Official Company Documents - £80 each document
We can obtain certified copies of Official Company Documents direct from the Registry of Corporate Affiars for any existing BVI IBC's provided the company is active and has no outstanding fees and is in Good Standing.
This can include copies of:
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Memorandum & Articles of Association / Company statutes
- Register of Mortgages/Charges filed at the BVI Registry (if any)
- Copies of filed amendments (if any)
- Copies of any other documents filed with the BVI Registry of Corporate Affairs.
Price: £80 (excl. VAT)
Delivery: Sent via email (PDF)
Timescale: 2 - 4 business days
Apostilled Company Documents - £200 each document
An Apostille is the legalisation of public documents. It is a certificate issued by competent authority of the State (such as Deputy Governor), which certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears. All BVI Company documents are complete with certification from an authorised body.
- Certificate of Good Standing - £70
- Certified copy of Certificate of Incorporation - £70
- Certified copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association - £70
This involves the addition of a certificate, either stamped on the document itself or attached to the document which certifies:
- Country of origin of the document
- Name and identity of the signature - Capacity in which a document has been signed
- Official seal - Name of authority which has affixed a seal or stamp to the document
- Place, date and document number
Establishing the existence of a BVI company and obtaining copies of official company documents held at the company registry may be required for:
- Due Diligence - confirmation of a BVI company’s existence
- Legal requirements - certified company documents
An Apostille certificate can be obtained for most BVI company documents.
Price: £130 each certification (excl. VAT)
Delivery: Sent via email with original to follow by regular mail or courier.
Courier service (if required): £70 (excl. VAT)
Timescale: 10 - 14 business days
Certificate of Good Standing - (CGS) - £80
A Certificate of Good Standing is an official document, issued by the Registry of Corporate Affairs, which confirms that a company is filed and up to date with no out standing fees. If the offshore company has not been properly maintained or has not paid its renewal fees, it will lose its status of good standing and will be struck-off from the Registry. The Certificate of Good Standing or any other Official Documents will not be issued until all overdue fees are paid and the status is restored.
Certified, Notarised and Apostilled - Differences
- Certified
A certified document is where the Registry of Corporate Affairs stamps the document to verify its authenticity.
- Notarised
A notarial certification is where a registered BVI notary signs and stamps the document to verify its origin and authenticity.
- Apostille
An Apostille is a certification that verifies that the notarial certification is issued from a registered notary in the BVI, this is issued by a government department who have a log of all the signatures and stamps used by the registered notaries.
If these documents are to be used in a legal manner, the documents will mostly require an Apostille, especially if use in a foreign court or bank.
Maintaining Records
A BVI company is required to file its Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, together with any amendments. A company is not required to file its register of directors, register of shareholders, register of charges or an annual return. This information will not be available unless the company in question has decided to file it.
Whilst there are limited requirements to file documents with the Registrar of Corporate Affairs. BVI companies are required to maintain certain records and documents with the Registered Agent, as listed:
| Company Documents | Filed at the Registry |
| Memorandum of Association and any changes |
Yes |
| Articles of Association and any changes | Yes |
| Certificate of Incorporation | Yes |
| Certificate of Change of Name (if applicable) | Yes |
| Register of Directors | No |
| Register of Shareholders | No |
| Register of Charges | No (but often filed) |
| Company Accounts | No |
| Annual Return listing Directors and Shareholders | No
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