International Business Company (IBC) formation, registered agent and office, nominee services and annual renewal — a low-cost holding and trading vehicle under the Seychelles IBC Act 2016.
The Seychelles International Business Company is one of the quickest and most economical offshore vehicles available: incorporation under the International Business Companies Act 2016 typically takes one to three working days, there is no minimum capital and a single director and shareholder of any nationality suffice. Since the 2018 and 2020 amendments to the Business Tax Act, Seychelles applies a territorial tax system — an IBC's foreign-source income is not taxed in Seychelles, while income sourced in Seychelles is taxable.
The jurisdiction has modernised its framework considerably. Every IBC must have a licensed registered agent in Seychelles, keep accounting records and lodge them (or a summary) with the agent twice a year, maintain registers of directors and beneficial owners, and file beneficial ownership information with the Financial Intelligence Unit under the Beneficial Ownership Act 2020. Nominee director and shareholder services remain available through licensed providers, with the beneficial owner always recorded in the confidential register.
Seychelles IBCs are typically used as holding companies for investments and IP, as international trading and invoicing vehicles, and for yacht ownership. As with any offshore structure for an Indian resident, the entity must have a genuine purpose, be funded through a permitted FEMA route and be fully disclosed in India.
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 0% on foreign-source income; Seychelles-source income taxable |
| Minimum directors / shareholders | 1 / 1 (any nationality; corporate allowed) |
| Formation time | 1–3 working days |
| Annual filing | No audited accounts; accounting records lodged with agent bi-annually |
| Beneficial ownership | Confidential register filed with the FIU |
| Registered agent | Mandatory (FSA-licensed provider) |
The workhorse entity: limited by shares, minimum one director and one shareholder (individuals or corporates), registered agent and registered office in Seychelles, no Seychelles-source business without a licence. Suitable for holding, trading, consultancy and IP ownership.
A domestic company taxed at a low rate and eligible for Seychelles' double tax treaties, used where treaty access matters more than zero tax.
Under the Foundations Act 2009, a civil-law asset-holding vehicle for succession planning, similar in purpose to a Panama Private Interest Foundation.
International trusts under the Trusts Act 2021 with a licensed Seychelles trustee, for family wealth planning.
We confirm that the intended activity is permitted under the Indian Overseas Investment Rules and that the structure is sensible for your objective.
Due diligence documents collected by the licensed registered agent; name reserved with the Financial Services Authority.
Memorandum and Articles filed; Certificate of Incorporation issued. Apostilled corporate documents available on request.
First resolutions, share certificates, registers of directors, members and beneficial owners; nominee agreements if used; filing of the register of directors with the Registrar.
Account opening with an international bank or licensed electronic money institution that accepts Seychelles IBCs, supported by a business profile and source-of-funds evidence.
The Indian side of an overseas structure
For Indian resident promoters, setting up abroad is only half the job. Depending on how the entity is owned and funded, you may need to comply with the Overseas Investment Rules, 2022 (Form FC filing through your AD bank, a Unique Identification Number and an Annual Performance Report), the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limit of USD 250,000 per person per financial year, Place of Effective Management (POEM) rules that can make a foreign company tax-resident in India if it is controlled from here, transfer pricing on transactions with your Indian business, and Schedule FA disclosure of foreign assets in your Indian return. We build these into the plan from the start.
A nominee is a licensed provider who appears in the public or company records in place of the beneficial owner and acts on the owner's instructions under a nominee or declaration-of-trust agreement. It is lawful in Seychelles, but the beneficial owner is always recorded in the confidential register and disclosed to the FIU, the bank and — through information exchange — to tax authorities. Nominees provide privacy from the general public, not concealment from regulators.
There is no requirement to file audited financial statements with the Registrar. However, the IBC must keep reliable accounting records and lodge them with its registered agent every six months, and IBCs above the size threshold must prepare an annual financial summary. Failure to comply attracts penalties and can lead to the company being struck off.
Routing Indian business through an offshore company controlled from India is likely to be ineffective for tax purposes — the company could be tax-resident in India under POEM, its income could be attributed to you, and transfer pricing and GAAR provisions may apply. A Seychelles IBC works best as a genuine holding vehicle or for business carried on outside India with real management abroad.
Government fees, registered agent, registered office and basic compliance for a simple IBC typically total a few hundred US dollars a year — considerably less than most other jurisdictions. Nominee services and bank account maintenance are additional. We quote all-in annual costs before you incorporate.
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