Vanuatu Offshore Companies – General Information

Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is a group of islands located to the East of Australia and North of New Zealand. Vanuatu was an Anglo-French Condominium from 1906 until independence in 1980 when it became a self-governing republic and a member of the Commonwealth. Vanuatu is a rapidly developing offshore centre offering numerous benefits for international entrepreneurs.

Although Vanuatu became a tax haven in 1971, only after the international companies (offshore companies) Act was introduced in 1993, Vanuatu joined most successful offshore jurisdictions of the world.

A Vanuatu Offshore Company does not pay any tax on its worldwide profits and there is no requirement to file accounts with the Vanuatu authorities.

Principal Corporate Legislation
The Companies Act (Cap 191), The International Companies Act 1992 (No. 32)..

Type of Law
Common.

Language of Legislation and Corporate Documents
English.

Share Capital
Not required.

Classes of Share Available
Registered shares, shares of no par value, preference shares, redeemable shares and shares with or without voting rights.

Bearer Shares
Not permitted.

Restrictions on Trading
Cannot trade within Vanuatu. Banking, insurance, assurance, reinsurance, fund management, collective investment schemes, trust management, trusteeship business provision are not permitted.

Registered Office Required
Yes, must be maintained in Vanuatu.

Directors
The minimum number of directors is one. Director can be of any nationality and need not be resident in Vanuatu. Corporate directors are permitted.

Shareholders
The minimum number of shareholders is one.

Publicly Accessible Records
No.

Nominee Shareholders and Nominee Directors
>Allowed.

Location of Meetings of Directors and Shareholders
Anywhere.

Disclosure of Beneficial Ownership to Authorities
No.

Personal Presence Required
No.

Taxation
Nil.

Double Taxation Treaty Access
None.

Requirements to File Accounts
None.

Requirement to File Annual Return
None.

Audit Requirements
None.

Currency
Vanuatu vatu (VUV).

Exchange Control
None.

Language of Name
English.

Required Words
Words such as “Assurance”, “Bank”, “Building Society”, “Royal”, “Trust Company”, “Trustee Company” etc. will require justification.

Name of a Company
The words “Limited”, “Corporation”, “Incorporated”, “Societe Anonyme”, “Sociedad Anonima” or Ltd, Corp., Inc., S.A. must be part of the name of every company.

Time to Incorporate
Two days.