Starting a business in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: foreigner's guide (2026)

BCs and LLCs: 100% foreign ownership is permitted; no local shareholder or director is required. For domestic companies, non-nationals must obtain a Cabinet-approved licence from the Prime Minister's Office to acquire more than 50% of the entity.

(1) Reserve a company name via FSA entity-name search; (2) engage a licensed Registered Agent; (3) file Articles of Incorporation, Notice of Directors and Members, and pay the prescribed fee with the FSA Registrar of Business Companies. For domestic incorporation, documents and fees are filed directly with CIPO.

BCs and LLCs are typically incorporated within 24 hours of a complete application being received by the FSA. Domestic company incorporation at CIPO generally issues a Certificate of Incorporation within 2 working days; business-name registration is processed within 2 working days.

There is no statutory minimum paid-up capital requirement for BCs or LLCs. The standard nominal share capital for LLCs is USD 10,000 but can be set as low as USD 1. Domestic company incorporation fee at CIPO is XCD 950.

Every BC and LLC must maintain a licensed Registered Agent and a registered office address within SVG as an ongoing obligation; annual government renewal fees apply to keep the entity in good standing.

SVG applies a territorial tax system: BCs pay 30% corporate tax only on SVG-sourced income; foreign-source income is exempt. LLCs are fully exempt from SVG income tax. External (foreign) companies carrying on business locally must register with CIPO before commencing operations.