BVI company setup cost in 2026: the short answer
A standard BVI Business Company with up to 50,000 authorised shares costs US$550 in government fees at incorporation, plus registered agent and professional fees. The typical price range from licensed providers falls between US$1,700 and US$3,500 depending on the provider, documents and services included in the package. At Astra Trust, a plain vanilla BVI company formation starts from EUR 1,550, covering the government fee, registered agent, registered office, and the core corporate documents.
From year two, budget roughly EUR 1,500–2,100 per year to maintain the company. This typically include the annual government renewal fee, the registered agent and registered office service, the financial annual return filing, and economic substance reporting.
The sections below break down where each one comes from and what moves it up or down.
BVI Company Formation at a Glance with Astra Trust
|
|
| Incorporation fee |
EUR 1,550 |
| Government fee |
US$550 – included in incorporation fee |
| Incorporation time |
1–3 business days |
| Annual maintenance |
EUR 1,500–2,100 |
|
|
Government fees: the statutory base
The government fee schedule is set by the BVI legislation, is identical and applies to every provider that incorporates your company. Under the BVI Business Companies (Amendment of Schedule 1) (No. 2) Order, 2022 the fees for a company limited by shares are:
| Fee |
Up to 50,000 shares |
More than 50,000 shares |
| Incorporation fee |
US$550 |
US$1,350 |
| Annual renewal fee |
US$550 |
US$1,350 |
From this table we can see that the share threshold is a big lever on the statutory costs. Having more than 50,000 authorised shares adds US$800 to the government fee every year and on incorporation. The 50,000 share, no-par-value authorised share capital keeps the company in the lower band and is typically used as a standard.
It should be noted that the authorised share capital is different from the actual paid up share capital. There is no minimum paid-up capital requirement and no capital duty in the BVI, the authorised share figure is simply a maximum number of shares that the BVI company is allowed to issue.
Registered agent and professional fees
Every BVI company must at all times maintain a licensed registered agent and a registered office in the BVI, according to the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004. The agent files your incorporation through the Registry’s VIRRGIN system, receives official correspondence, maintains your statutory registers and beneficial ownership filings, and acts as a single point of contact with the BVI authorities.
Registered agent and registered office fees across the market typically run US$900–1500 per year combined. On top of that sits the professional fee for the formation work itself: drafting the Memorandum and Articles of Association, conducting the required due diligence on directors and beneficial owners, filing the application and registers, and drafting the corporate documents and resolutions.
When you compare quotes, confirm that the figure includes the government fee, the registered agent service, the registered office, and the provider’s own remuneration as a minimum. A conspicuously low headline price usually means one of these is billed separately later. It is also important to ask for the year-two renewal price in writing at the same time.
What you receive: certificate, documents and company seal
After the Registrar approves the application it issues a Certificate of Incorporation. The certificate states the company’s name, its unique company number, and the date of incorporation, and it is the main statutory document of the company. The BVI company legally exists from the date of incorporation indicated in the certificate. Astra Trust, as your agent, obtains the certificate and shares it with you as soon as it is issued.
Alongside the certificate, a complete formation includes the filed Memorandum and Articles of Association, the register of directors, register of members and the UBOs, share certificates for the initial shareholders, and the written resolutions appointing the first director. Where documents are needed for use abroad, for instance for bank account opening in another jurisdiction, the certified copies of documents and an apostille can be ordered. Expect roughly US$500–800 per apostilled set of main statutory documents.
According to the legislation, each BVI company shall have a company seal to stamp official company documents. Companies are required to have a seal, though its use is not required for every transaction — in practice it appears on share certificates and certain deeds. A physical seal can be included in the corporate kit for additional fee (typically US$150–300), and it is worth ordering at formation rather than retrofitting one later if a counterparty asks for a sealed document.
How long does BVI incorporation take?
The BVI is one of the fastest incorporation jurisdictions in the world. The incorporation timeline is driven almost entirely by due diligence, not by the Registry processing the application.
Once documents are processed, payment received and KYC is verified, the registered agent submits the application through VIRRGIN system. The incorporation application is typically processed within one to two days if all the information provided is in order. Realistic end-to-end timing, from engaging an agent to receiving the scanned copy of the Certificate of Incorporation is 5–8 business days, with the variable being how quickly directors and beneficial owners supply certified passports, proof of address, and source-of-funds information for compliance review.
While incorporation is fast, opening a corporate account is not. It typically requires four to eight weeks of bank due diligence to receive the account opening approval. If the account matters to your launch date, start the BVI bank account process in parallel with formation rather than after it.
Annual maintenance costs: what a BVI company costs to keep
Every BVI company carries four recurring cost lines:
Government renewal fee. US$550 per year (US$1,350 above 50,000 shares), paid through the registered agent paid annually. Late payment will result in the statutory penalties and, eventually, dissolution of the company.
Registered agent and registered office. The annual service fee, typically US$900–1500 across the market. Failure to maintain an agent is itself a ground for strike-off, which freezes the company’s ability to deal with its assets.
Financial annual return. Since the 2023 amendments to the BVI Business Companies Act, every BVI company (with narrow exemptions for listed, regulated, and locally tax-filing entities) must file an annual financial return in a form of a simple unaudited income statement and balance sheet. The filing must be done through the registered agent within nine months of its financial year end. Filing typically costs US$300–500 for a holding structure with limited transactions. Late filing triggers escalating Registry penalties and loss of good standing. More information can be found in our BVI financial annual return guide that covers this requirement in detail.
Economic substance reporting. Every company must file an annual economic substance report through its agent. Reporting support generally runs US$300–600 per year. The rules, tests, and penalties are set out in our guide to BVI economic substance requirements.
Cost traps to check before proceeding
The below three items can add to the costs most often.
Document extras: certificates of incumbency and good standing, notarisation, and apostilles are typically excluded from packages and billed separately.
Share capital: confirm you are at or below 50,000 shares unless you have a structuring reason not to be.
Transfer-out fees: if you later move the company to another agent, the outgoing agent charges a transfer fee — worth knowing before you choose a provider on price alone.
For more details read our guide comparing BVI incorporation providers.
Where this fits in the wider decision
Cost is one input. The corporate structure itself, what a BVI Business Company is and whether it suits your purpose, is covered in our guide to the BVI Business Company, and the incorporation procedure from name reservation to certificate is set out step by step in how to set up a BVI company. When you are ready to proceed, our BVI company formation service handles the entire process — government fees, registered agent, registered office, and documents — on a fixed-fee basis with the complete cost breakdown provided before you commit.
If you’re ready to form a BVI company, Astra Trust provides a fixed-fee incorporation service that includes the government fee, registered agent, registered office, and all core corporate documents. Before you proceed, you’ll receive a full cost breakdown with no hidden charges, so you know exactly what you’ll pay in the first year and for ongoing annual maintenance.
