Panama - Corporation Company Incorporation

Company Type	Time to Incorporate	Cost
Corporation	2 days	£740

Panamanian Corporation have been recognized, world wide, as an offshore vehicle that can be successfully used in a variety of International Business, carry out commercial and industrial activities, business structure, business transactions, Asset Protection, Estate Planning Structures, among others. Corporations are incorporated under the Corporation Statute Law 32 of the 1927 Commercial Code.

Documents and Information

• The name of the company
• Name and address of the directors
• Name and address of the shareholders

Incorporating your Corporation

After you have submitted the name of your Corporation to us, approval of the company name can be obtained within several hours. We then present the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the company to the Registrar, a certificate of incorporation will be issued and your new company is incorporated. The general time scale for a full incorporation is two days.

Company Name

All Panamanian corporations must end with the Corporation, Incorporated, Sociedad Anónima or the abbreviations Corp, Inc or SA. They may not utilise the suffix Limited or Ltd. The name of the company, which may not be identical to that of an existing company. This name may be expressed in any language.Formacompany can reserve your company name for up to 10 ten days.

Corporate Law

Under Panama's Corporation Law it is possible to have a corporation owned by only one person. The Law requires a minimum of three officers (a president, a treasurer, and a secretary) and three directors. However, one person may hold two or more offices. It is not necessary that the directors or officers be Panamanian nominees or shareholders. 

Directors

Both corporations and individuals may act as directors and the minimum number of directors is three. They may be of any nationality and need not be residents of Panama. Panamanian companies are also required to appoint a minimum of three officers - president, secretary and treasurer who may also be the directors.

Shareholders

The minimum number of shareholders is one and can be of any nationality and may reside anywhere. The name of the shareholder is not required to be registered in the Panamanian
Public Registry. Provide complete confidenticaility. Panamanian corporation can have either registered shares or bearer shares.

Procedure to Incorporate

By presentation of the proposed corporation's signed Articles of Incorporation before a Notary Public who creates a Public Deed for registration at the Public Registry.

Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents

Spanish and certified English translations

Registered Office Required

Yes, must be maintained in Panama at the address of the Registered Agent.

Company Secretary

A company secretary must be appointed, who may be an individual or a company. The company secretary may be of any nationality and need not be a resident of Panama

Features:

• No restrictions on nationality
• No requirements to disclose ownership
• No restrictions concerning ownership of shares
• No residence requirements for directors/officers
• No paid up capital requirements
• No income tax, if income is produced outside Panama
• Total tax exemption on all and any business activity or transaction carried on outside the jurisdiction
• No exchange controls
• No requirements to file annual financial statements
• No requirement to hold Annual General Meetings of shareholders or directors
• Total Secrecy and anonymity
• Reasonable annual registration tax and resident agent fees
• Articles of Incorporation may be done in any language

Incorporate procedure in Panama

To incorporate a company and execute the Articles of Incorporation in conformity with the laws of the Panama, the following is required:

• The company objects
• The share capital and the number of shares
• The corporation may issue its share certificates to bearer or certificate form
• The names and addresses of the directors
• Panama Corporations must have a President, Treasurer and a Secretary and an individual may be more than one of these positions