12 answers for owners and founders of a Bahamas company, from ordering to banking, annual compliance and what happens after incorporation. General information, not legal or tax advice; your specialist confirms how it applies to you.
A passport copy and a recent proof of address for each director, shareholder and beneficial owner, a short description of the business and a source-of-funds statement. Bahamian agents often ask for a bank or professional reference too, and a CRS tax residency self-certification. Upload them in the client portal after checkout, and we tell you early if anything needs certifying.
Yes. The Bahamas is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so apostilled Bahamian documents are accepted in other member countries without consular legalisation. Order the apostilled set together with your incorporation documents if a bank or counterparty abroad will need them, so you avoid a second round of paperwork.
The registered agent finishes due diligence on every owner and director, then files the memorandum and articles with the Registrar General's Department, which issues the certificate of incorporation. After that we hold the first board resolutions, issue the shares, prepare the registers and file the beneficial ownership information. Bearer shares are not allowed, so every share is issued to a named holder.
Source: International Business Companies Act 2000, Government of The Bahamas, Laws of The Bahamas
At a level you expect to issue, because the authorised capital in the memorandum sets the band for the annual government fee. A larger figure means a larger fee every year, even if the shares are never issued. We suggest a figure that fits your plans and show the matching fee on your quote before you pay.
Source: International Business Companies Act 2000, Government of The Bahamas, Laws of The Bahamas
Tell us before the transfer. The new owner goes through KYC, and the registered agent updates the beneficial ownership record in the secure search system within the short statutory window. We also update the register of members and, if directors change, the register filed with the Registrar.
Source: The Register of Beneficial Ownership Act, Registrar General's Department, The Bahamas
Accounting records that explain its transactions and financial position, kept for at least 5 years, and the register of members at the registered office. The company does not file accounts publicly, but it confirms to its registered agent where the records are kept. Keep bank statements, invoices and contracts from the first month, because banks and the substance report draw on them.
Source: International Business Companies Act 2000, Government of The Bahamas, Laws of The Bahamas
Yes. We complete KYC on the owners, the company resolves to change its registered agent and office, and the change is filed with the Registrar General's Department. Your current agent releases the records once its fees are paid, so ask it for a statement first.
We send the renewal invoice ahead of the government due date, with the annual fee, registered agent and our service as separate lines. Pay by card, PayPal or bank wire in the client portal or on the Renew & pay page. With a wire, allow a few days for the funds to arrive, because penalties grow the longer the fee stays unpaid.
Penalties are added, and a company that stays unpaid can be struck off the register, which stops it acting and can freeze its bank account. A struck-off IBC can usually be restored within a limited period by paying the arrears and a restoration fee (confirm the current rules with your specialist). If you no longer need the company, close it on purpose instead.
Source: International Business Companies Act 2000, Government of The Bahamas, Laws of The Bahamas
The certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, register of directors, register of members and a structure chart, plus the owners' passports and proof of address. Bahamian and international banks look hard at source of wealth, so prepare documents such as a business sale agreement, dividend statements or several years of salary records.
It depends on where the money moves. A Bahamian bank suits wealth held in the Bahamas and may ask to meet you; an account abroad or with an electronic money institution (EMI) often suits trading. The Bahamas had no FATF or EU-list flag at our September 2026 review, which helps with both. We introduce you and prepare the application, and the bank decides.
Every Bahamas entity files an annual report under the Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act on the Ministry of Finance's reporting portal, generally within 9 months after its financial year end (confirm your exact date with your specialist). The report is due even if the company carries on no relevant activity. We collect the facts from you and file it through the registered agent.
Source: Guidelines: Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act, Ministry of Finance, The Bahamas
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