BVI Company Registration and Maintenance Guide (8) - Readymade BVI Business Companies

Readymade BVI Business Companies

Ready-made, or "shelf" companies are companies, which are already registered by us and are available for immediate purchase by an interested client. These companies have not traded or entered into any dealings or obligations whatsoever. Since incorporation, their documents have been kept motionless "on the shelf" in our office, hence the name.

The primary purpose of a shelf company is (A) to save the clients’ time if an especially quick turnaround is required; and (B) to provide for a somewhat earlier registration date, as might be necessary in some business circumstances.

Please make sure to read the important notes at the end of this chapter. This is a list of ready-made companies available as of today.

Clieck Here to Download Our Readymade BVI Companies List!

Important Notes About Readymade (Shelf) Companies

1. The actual price of a shelf company will depend on the age and the configuration of the company. Companies aged one year and older will be substantially more expensive than recently-registered companies! To some shelf companies, the "premium package" discounts may not apply. Please inquire with us for the exact fees applicable to your chosen shelf company!

2. The companies with a registration date indicated are already registered, exist as legal entities and are available for purchase.

3. The company names marked as "pending" are just that - these names have been approved for incorporation by the Registrar and are in some stage of registration, but the incorporation process is not yet completed. It is merely an indication that such company may shortly be available.

4. Ordering a ready-made (shelf) company does not necessarily mean that the documents will be shipped out immediately. If You are a new client, the usual Due Diligence / Know Your Client process will still have to be completed, and payment will have to be received.

5. A shelf company usually has an "open" configuration - it would still need the directors to be appointed, shares allocated, the respective internal Registers drawn up, etc. These post-incorporation procedures can only be carried out after a client order is received. These procedures take additional time.

6. The documents of a shelf company are not certified by notary or legalized by apostille. If you need those certifications (they are normally required in order to make the company documents useful at all in any foreign country), some additional time between one and five business days will be needed before the documents can be shipped. This timeframe does not depend on us, but on the respective certification offices and their workload.

7. All-in-all, choosing a shelf company will save you several business days which are usually necessary to prepare the initial incorporation and to register a new BVI Business Company with the Registrar of Companies. However, the final preparation of the company before shipment (as described above) may still take anywhere between one and ten business days, depending on the details of Your order, and on the receipt of the respective Due Diligence information and the payment from You.

8. IMPORTANT! For a shelf company, the next annual renewal payment (Government duty, Registered Agent, Registered Address and other annual maintenance fees if applicable) may become due and payable much sooner than for a brand-new incorporation. This is due to the period of time that has already elapsed since the initial date of incorporation of the shelf company (the time which the company spent "on shelf"). A purchaser of a shelf company will be required to cover the standard annual maintenance fees for the full elapsed period of time since the initial registration date of the company. This becomes especially important at purchase of "vintage" companies - companies older than 1 year at the date of purchase. "Vintage" companies will be substantially more expensive than new incorporations, due to the previously accrued annual maintenance fees which will have to be covered by the buyer. Therefore, we suggest You pay a special attention to the date of incorporation of the chosen company.

9. We strongly discourage entering into any business transactions in the name of Your offshore company before you have received the original documents!

Ready to register your BVI business company? Please click the links below to view the step by step registration procedures and costs:

British Virgin Islands Business Company (Tailor-made) Registration Fees, Registration Procedures and Annual Maintenace Costs
British Virgin Islands Shelf Business Company Registration Fees, Registration Procedures and Annual Maintenace Costs

For further information or assistance, please contact our offices or send email to enquiries@bycpa.com.