(VANUATU COMPANY FORMATION)
Vanuatu Company
A Vanuatu International Company is created under the International Companies Act 1992. Vanuatu offers a genuinely tax-free company in a jurisdiction that is currently on the EU non-cooperative list, and that listing is the single most important practical fact about forming there. We coordinate direct, licensed Vanuatu registered office relationships, formation inside 2 to 5 days, and optional banking or Cook Islands or Nevis Trust pairing, with pricing available on application.
Specialist jurisdiction
Offshore Companies · Vanuatu Company
Asia Pacific
Vanuatu
Latitude
00.0000° S
Longitude
000.0000° E
(VANUATU COMPANY OVERVIEW)
A Vanuatu company structure for genuine zero taxation in the Pacific
A Vanuatu International Company is created under the International Companies Act 1992 through the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission. One director and one shareholder are enough and there is no public register of directors or shareholders.Vanuatu levies no personal or corporate income tax, no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax. International Companies are exempt for 20 years from registration, pay a flat annual fee, need not file financial statements, and cannot do business with Vanuatu residents.Vanuatu has sat on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes since 2019 and was reconfirmed on 17 February 2026, with the next review scheduled for October 2026. That listing materially affects banking and counterparty acceptance. Where creditor protection is the main objective, compare the Cook Islands Company and Nevis Company.
Governing law
International Companies Act 1992, as amended
Entity type
International Company (IC)
Minimum directors/shareholders
One director and one shareholder, who may be the same person
Public register
No public register of directors or shareholders
Formation time
2–5 days from KYC clearance
Primary use
Pacific holding and trading structures
General summary only. Vanuatu stays on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes as at February 2026, which can affect banking and counterparty acceptance. Confirm the current position before forming.
(WHAT IS INCLUDED)
A complete formation service for Vanuatu companies
Take a standalone International Company, a Company with banking, or the complete Total Protection Package
Flat, all-in fees covering every government registration charge and the first-year registered office cost — nothing hidden, no invoices you didn’t expect.
Vanuatu International Company
On application
2–5 days
A standalone Vanuatu International Company. Vanuatu offers a genuinely tax-free company in a jurisdiction that is currently on the EU non-cooperative list, and that listing is the single most important practical fact about forming there.
Certificate of Incorporation and constitutional documents
All Vanuatu government registration fees
First-year Vanuatu registered office and agent
Apostilled corporate documents
Company + Banking
On application
2–5 days + 4–10 weeks banking
A Vanuatu International Company bundled with an account at one of our partner institutions — offshore banks, private banks, Swiss banks, and institutional custodians.
Vanuatu International Company — registered and operational in full
An offshore bank account at whichever partner institution you prefer
All company documents
All government fees plus first-year agent costs
Trust + Company + Banking
$12,000
first-year fees all included · formation timeline coordinated throughout
The full structure. A Cook Islands or Nevis Trust, a Cook Islands or Nevis Company (LLC or IBC), and a bank account — the strongest asset protection combination on offer, built on our two core jurisdictions.
Cook Islands or Nevis Trust — registered and operational in full
Cook Islands or Nevis Company (LLC or IBC) — registered and operational in full
Every trust and company formation document
All government fees plus first-year trustee and agent costs
An offshore bank account at whichever partner institution you prefer
Each package covers drafted formation documents, apostilled copies, and hands-on coordination with licensed Vanuatu registered offices and agents.
(VANUATU COMPANY GUIDE)
Making sense of the Vanuatu International Company structure
How does a Vanuatu International Company work?
A Vanuatu International Company is owned by its shareholders, who appoint directors to run its affairs.
The company is created under the International Companies Act 1992 and registered through a licensed Vanuatu registered office or agent. It can hold bank accounts and investments directly, own shares in subsidiaries, and carry on international business.
A Vanuatu International Company is created under the International Companies Act 1992 through the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission. One director and one shareholder are enough and there is no public register of directors or shareholders.
- Shareholders: own the company and hold its economic and voting rights.
- Directors: run the company's affairs and banking relationships.
- Registered office: keeps the company's registration and statutory records in Vanuatu.
- Constitutional documents: set out the share structure, governance and shareholder rights.
We coordinate the entity formation, the registered office, the due diligence and the banking.
Discuss your structureWho controls a Vanuatu company?
A Vanuatu company can usually be arranged so that you keep direct control over its banking and investment decisions.
Most Vanuatu companies used for holding or investment have the beneficial owner closely involved in governance, so everyday banking, investment and operating calls stay with you.
Where a trust is placed above the company, day-to-day control does not change — what changes is who legally holds the shares a creditor would need to reach.
- Director authority: covers routine banking, investment and operational decisions.
- Shareholder rights: cover dividends, voting, and amendments to the governing documents.
- Trustee ownership: where a trust holds the shares, adds a jurisdictional barrier without altering daily management.
- Governance: the International Companies Act 1992 allows board and committee structures where something more formal is wanted.
What can be held in a Vanuatu company?
A company becomes operational once accepted assets are properly transferred and recorded as its property.
Common uses include cash and bank deposits, investment portfolios, intellectual property, and shares in operating subsidiaries. We coordinate the bank or custodian introduction, with every institution reviewing the proposed assets, source of funds and supporting documentation.
Vanuatu levies no personal or corporate income tax, no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax. International Companies are exempt for 20 years from registration, pay a flat annual fee, need not file financial statements, and cannot do business with Vanuatu residents.
- Cash and deposits: held through approved offshore or institutional banking arrangements.
- Investment portfolios: held through approved custodian or brokerage arrangements.
- Subsidiary shares: brought together under a single holding layer.
- Holding and trading structures where zero taxation is the priority: the jurisdiction’s most common application.
Why pair a Vanuatu company with a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust?
Vanuatu gives you the strengths set out on this page; a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust adds the dedicated creditor-protection statute it lacks.
A Vanuatu company on its own has no dedicated charging-order or creditor-bond statute of the sort the Cook Islands and Nevis provide. Putting a Cook Islands Trust above the Vanuatu company shifts the shares a creditor would need to reach to an independent, licensed trustee working wholly outside US jurisdiction.
Daily control does not change: you carry on running the Vanuatu company's banking and investment activity exactly as before. What changes is what happens under real legal pressure, when the trust deed's anti-duress provisions tell the trustee to refuse any instruction given under compulsion.
- Practical control preserved: day-to-day management carries on exactly as it did before formation.
- Shares relocated: held by an independent trustee rather than by you personally.
- Dedicated statute added: the trust supplies the purpose-built creditor protection Vanuatu itself lacks.
- Jurisdictional strengths retained: the Vanuatu entity still does the job you formed it for.
We coordinate Vanuatu companies with Cook Islands and Nevis Trusts as a single engagement.
See the Cook Islands TrustWhat are the limits of Vanuatu company protection?
A Vanuatu company is a structuring vehicle, not a purpose-built creditor-protection statute.
Transfers made after a claim has already arisen, while the transferor is insolvent, or for an improper purpose can be challenged — there is no criminal burden of proof or short statutory limitation period of the kind the Cook Islands and Nevis provide.
Vanuatu applies economic substance requirements to companies carrying on relevant activities, and the VFSC and registered agents run beneficial-ownership and source-of-funds review.
- No dedicated creditor statute: protection rests on general common law, not on purpose-built legislation.
- No secrecy from authorities: home-country tax and reporting duties carry on in full whatever the structure.
- No guaranteed outcome: the facts, the timing and the applicable law stay decisive in any dispute.
- Strongest when paired: a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust adds the statutory protection Vanuatu alone lacks.
When should a Vanuatu company be set up?
The strongest planning is done while finances are stable and before any specific dispute or claim exists.
Formation usually finishes within 2 to 5 days once KYC is cleared. Vanuatu levies no personal or corporate income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. International Companies pay a flat annual fee.
Opening an offshore bank account generally takes a further four to ten weeks, particularly where the structure calls for additional due diligence.
- Plan before pressure: do not wait until a transfer becomes urgent or contested.
- Prepare documentation early: certified passport, proof of address and source-of-funds evidence should be current.
- Confirm the tax position: exempt for 20 years from registration — check how that fits with your own residence.
- Consider a trust pairing: if creditor protection, not just the company itself, is a priority.
What tax and reporting obligations apply?
Offshore does not mean unreported. What is owed depends on the shareholders, the assets and the countries involved.
The Vanuatu registered office or agent and any bank run KYC and beneficial-ownership checks as standard. Vanuatu applies economic substance requirements to companies carrying on relevant activities, and the VFSC and registered agents run beneficial-ownership and source-of-funds review.
US persons typically file Form 5471 each year for the company, along with an FBAR for offshore accounts. These obligations are non-negotiable, and every structure we form is built for full home-country compliance from day one.
- Form 5471: yearly US reporting for foreign corporations.
- FBAR: applies to offshore bank and financial accounts held by the company.
- Substance and residence: where the company is managed and controlled can decide its tax outcome.
- Professional advice: should be obtained before formation and before any assets are funded.
Who might consider a Vanuatu company?
Vanuatu offers a genuinely tax-free company in a jurisdiction that is currently on the EU non-cooperative list, and that listing is the single most important practical fact about forming there.
On tax, Vanuatu is one of the few genuinely zero-tax jurisdictions left: no personal or corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, with International Companies exempt for 20 years from registration in exchange for a flat annual fee.
It is a poorer fit as a standalone structure where dedicated creditor protection is the main objective — pairing with a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust closes that gap directly.
- Best fit: holding and trading structures where zero taxation is the priority.
- Also suited to: owners wanting no public register and no financial statement filing.
- And: structures unaffected by EU counterparty or banking restrictions.
- Clients wanting Total Protection: via a Vanuatu company paired with a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust.
Before we recommend a structure, we set Vanuatu honestly against the Cook Islands and Nevis.
Book a consultation(WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE OFFSHORE COMPANIES ONLINE)
Vanuatu company formation with a cross-jurisdiction perspective
We coordinate Vanuatu companies and Cook Islands or Nevis Trusts as one engagement. This is not a referral service — we run the whole formation ourselves and pass on the keenest pricing available.
Direct Vanuatu registered office relationships
Ours are direct, licensed Vanuatu registered office and agent relationships — no referral middleman — the same team that builds Cook Islands and Nevis structures in 20+ jurisdictions.
First-hand jurisdictional knowledge
Our specialists know the practical realities of Vanuatu structuring, not generic offshore formation scripts.
Fixed-fee formation
All government fees plus first-year agent costs are built into the price — nothing hidden, no invoices you didn't expect.
Honest jurisdiction guidance
We set Vanuatu honestly against the Cook Islands and Nevis, so a jurisdiction's strengths are not mistaken for adversarial creditor defence.
Full compliance from day one
Optional legal and tax advisory keeps you in full home-country compliance — every structure is built to be reported correctly, not concealed.
(WHO SHOULD FORM A VANUATU COMPANY?)
A natural fit for genuine zero taxation in the Pacific
Vanuatu offers a genuinely tax-free company in a jurisdiction that is currently on the EU non-cooperative list, and that listing is the single most important practical fact about forming there. For dedicated creditor protection, pair it with a Cook Islands or Nevis Trust.
Genuine zero taxation in the Pacific
Vanuatu offers a genuinely tax-free company in a jurisdiction that is currently on the EU non-cooperative list, and that listing is the single most important practical fact about forming there.
Holding and trading structures where zero taxation is the priority
Owners wanting no public register and no financial statement filing
Structures unaffected by EU counterparty or banking restrictions
A 20-year exemption from registration with a flat annual fee
The EU listing, and what it costs in practice
Vanuatu has real strengths, but it is not built around dedicated creditor-protection statutes.
Vanuatu stays on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions as at February 2026
Some banks decline Vanuatu entities and counterparties may apply enhanced scrutiny
The company cannot do business with Vanuatu residents
No dedicated charging-order or creditor-bond statute like the Cook Islands or Nevis
For creditor protection specifically, compare the Cook Islands Company and Nevis Company, or the Cook Islands Trust where the exposure is serious. For genuine zero taxation in the Pacific, Vanuatu is frequently the stronger fit.
(TOTAL PROTECTION PACKAGE)
The Vanuatu Total Protection Package
A company on paper achieves nothing — the structure only works once it is funded and running. We handle the bank introduction, matching your entity profile to institutions actively onboarding Vanuatu entities. Opening an account usually takes four to ten weeks.
- Vanuatu registered agent and incorporation handled from start to finish
- Government, registration and third-party charges set out line by line in the written quote
- Vanuatu-compliant constitutional documents and share structure drawn up where needed
- Company registered and ready for banking and asset transfer
(VANUATU COMPANY EXPERTISE)
Meet our company formation specialists
John Evans
Forbes Business Council Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
More than two decades of experience across offshore banking, asset protection, international companies and trusts.
Melanie Tetuaiteroi
Sales Assistant
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Supports client onboarding, communications, documentation and operational coordination, backed by fiduciary administration experience.
(FORMATION PROCESS)
01
Initial consultation
We talk through your objectives, whether a Vanuatu company or a Cook Islands or Nevis structure best suits you, and where you stand for tax at home.
02
Confirm structure and complete KYC
We settle the structure, check that the name is available, and give you a tailored KYC checklist — certified passport, proof of address and source of funds.
03
Draft, sign, and register
We draw up your constitutional documents, file with the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, and settle all government fees. Formation is done inside 2 to 5 days.
04
Receive documents and open banking
You receive the full corporate document pack, ready to open a bank account. We carry the bank introduction through to a live, funded offshore account.
(VANUATU COMPANY INSIGHTS)
Vanuatu Company Insights
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(ABOUT VANUATU COMPANYS)
What is a Vanuatu company?
A Vanuatu International Company is created under the International Companies Act 1992. A single director and shareholder are enough, there is no public register of directors or shareholders, no requirement to file financial statements or audited accounts, and the company cannot do business with Vanuatu residents.
On tax, Vanuatu is one of the few genuinely zero-tax jurisdictions left: no personal or corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, with International Companies exempt for 20 years from registration in exchange for a flat annual fee.
The complication is the EU listing. Vanuatu has appeared on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes since 2019 and was reconfirmed on 17 February 2026, with the next review due in October 2026. In practice this means some banks decline Vanuatu entities outright, some counterparties apply enhanced scrutiny, and certain EU member states apply defensive tax measures. Anyone forming in Vanuatu should weigh the zero-tax position against that friction honestly. It does not carry the charging-order and creditor-bond statutes that make Cook Islands and Nevis companies so effective against live claims, so pairing a Vanuatu company with a Cook Islands Trust above it is how the two are usually combined.
(VANUATU COMPANY QUESTIONS)
Common questions about Vanuatu companies
(CONTACT US)
Speak to a specialist. Let’s build your structure.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a senior member of our team to discuss your objectives and the services we have available.
