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Offshore Banking Seychelles
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Seychelles is one of the few countries that attract offshore suitable and safe company registration and banking. Thanks to its reliability and consistency, it’s not a surprise that both businessmen and individuals seeking to invest or store their wealth offshore look to Seychelles offshore banking solutions.
You can decide to invest in Seychelles either by directly investing in an Offshore company based in Seychelles or by opening a Seychelles offshore company and bank account. Either of these options is stress-free as long as you have the information and particulars to search for a company with the Seychelles Financial Service Authority.
Seychelles Offshore Company Search
Before you decide to invest in any financial institution or company in Seychelles, performing a company search is paramount. Else, you will subject yourself to fraudulent crimes that you would have otherwise avoided.
A conclusive company search should provide you with the following information:
The company’s registration number
• Its full name as per official records
• Whether it’s struck off or in good legal standing
• The incorporation dates
• Its registered office address
• If registered, the copy of the register of charges
• The authorized share capital
• Annual fees due date plus last payment date
• If there is any mortgage associated with the company, its date, description, and charges
• The guarantee amounts of the company where applicable
• If there are any outstanding charges of registration
All searches are done according to the accuracy of the name provided. This means you should aim to have the spellings right to the tee if you want accurate information. However, shareholders’ and directors’ details are not provided as this is not a provision for this kind of search in Seychelles. It takes two to four business days for you to have the results.
You can also do a company search in Seychelles when you are working around Seychelles offshore company registration. This helps you avoid duplicating company names, which then makes the registration process unbearably long.
Talking of Seychelles offshore company incorporation, it would be important to mention how this process is relatively easier in the country, compared to other offshore company registrations. Since the region is quite protective of foreigners’ assets, businessmen choose to not only invest but also register offshore companies.
One of the easiest company formats to register in Seychelles is the International Business Company (IBC). If you provide all needed documents in one submission or sitting, you will have a registered IBC in two business days.
Such a business has no minimum share capital stipulation as with Seychelles offshore company incorporation.
However, you will need to:
• Prepare your articles of association
• Submit them to the Registrar of Companies in Seychelles
• Ensure you have IBC directors
• Locate a business address
• Then open a Seychelles offshore bank account
To be conversant with the laws governing Seychelles offshore company registration, you will need to go through the International Business Company Law. The Seychelles Commercial Code provides the legal forms you’ll need for registration so you can get them all before you follow through with the process.
IBCs in Seychelles experience the Seychelles offshore tax haven benefits that include:
• Low administration and maintenance costs
• No income or profit taxes
• Profit repatriation to a different country isn’t subjected to any duty
In some business transactions, IBCs could be a bit limiting. This is why an incorporated company sometimes has an advantage over IBCs. For company registration in Seychelles, foreigners will need to provide the following:
• Updated personal information for all company directors including, certified passport copies
• Company information including, articles of association, certificate of incorporation, and other legal documents
• Proof of a local residential address. It shouldn’t be older than 3 months.
• Sometimes the registrar will seek proof of good standing from a bank before incorporating an offshore company.
Why Register a Company in Seychelles?
It’s safe to stay local when running a company but going international with offshore registration expands your opportunities.
- • You only need one shareholder to do so whereas, in other countries, you should at least have two or three.
- • One (but not limited) director is enough
- • You can choose to have the shareholder and the director as the same person
- • No nationality restrictions apply for both directors and shareholders
- • You do not need any share capital requirements or a company secretary
- • Other requirements are low, only a business plan and the articles of association might add to the list
- • With only one director and shareholder, management is also easy
- • Taxes can be easily managed since no profit or income taxes apply to the IBC businesses
- • No sensitive information is recorded publicly, making privacy a high priority.
List of offshore banks in Seychelles
Whether you choose to establish an offshore company or just open an account, you will need to know all about offshore Seychelles banking. One thing to note is having a Seychelles offshore bank account makes it easier to open other varied accounts in the region with less paperwork and legal documents.
However, just because Seychelles offshore banking is among the most revered in the globe, we should at least ensure we are working with the right banks to secure our investments.
The top four popular offshore banks in Seychelles are:
• Absa Ltd (Formerly Barclays Bank Seychelles) (open new window)
• Bank of Baroda (open new window)
• Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd, Seychelles (open new window)
• Habib Bank Ltd
Seychelles Offshore Banking
Seychelles has one of the most secure offshore banking systems. Although it has signed a bilateral agreement with around 36 countries so far (limiting secrecy from bank holder’s country of origin), offshore banking in Seychelles is legal. One would however want to watch for double taxation, although with an IBC company, profit and income taxes do not apply.
Why go for Seychelles Offshore Banking?
By now, more and more countries that seek to open their financial relationships and expand them internationally keep introducing offshore banking solutions. However, there’s always something trustable by going for a country that has been in the offshore banking space for a while.
Seychelles offshore banking is worth considering because:
• It’s a proven jurisdiction among many international investors.
• Seychelles’ offshore tax haven is not just a public relations stunt. It’s a reality lived by many who enjoy 0% taxation.
• With years of offshore experience, Seychelles’ banking system is more enhanced now than ever before.
• The environment provides healthy competition for both local and international businesses.
• It is completely legal to open an offshore bank account in Seychelles
How to Open a Seychelles Offshore Bank Account
One, you have to decide whether you want to open a Seychelles offshore bank account for a company or an individual. Each of these categories will need different documents.
• The company’s documents, such as the certificate of incorporation and articles of association
• Documents detailing the company’s legal status and activities
• Identification documents for all key managers, directors, or shareholders
• Minutes detailing the resolution to open a Seychelles offshore bank account
• Letters of recommendation where necessary
What Advantages Come with Offshore Banking in Seychelles?
When you decide to finally go all-in with offshore banking in Seychelles, you open yourself to many tax benefits. For individuals who come from countries that haven’t signed the bilateral agreement, you are assured of anonymity and secrecy to keep your assets secure.
With technology becoming a boom in this day and age, one does not have to travel to Seychelles just to open a bank account. You can open both a personal and business offshore account in Seychelles from the comfort of your home in a different country. You will also have access to financial advisors and other customer support services.
Seychelles has one of the lowest maintenance banking rates, and transactions are extremely regulated. For corporate institutions, it takes only ten to twenty working days to have an active account once you fulfill all specified requirements.
Some of the commissions you will want to know about include:
• 350 Euros annual bank account maintenance
• 60 Euros for a wire transfer for IBAN or SEPA and SWIFT
• Around 70 Euros for a debit or credit card
• Minimum deposit of around 50,000 Euros for company offshore account
• Most banks offer support in English, German, and French
Open Seychelles Bank Account Online
Bank accounts in Seychelles have 24/7 online access, thanks to online banking. This means that as long as your account is approved and active, you can transfer money abroad, withdraw or deposit funds from anywhere in the world. You also have multi-currency options with updated rates regularly.
Some banks, such as Absa and the Mauritius Commercial bank, have faster international transactions when using the same bank from a different country. All in all, it is secure and tax-free, meaning you do not lose much money in transactional costs. Plus, 24/7 online support allows customers to report any misfits as soon as they occur.
Wrapping it Up
Offshore banking and company registration in Seychelles has too many benefits to ignore. While we always want to keep our financial assets secure, offshore banking in Seychelles also makes it easy for international expansion, which meets your business scaling needs.
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