Nevis Multiform Foundation

Core jurisdiction

Offshore Companies · Nevis Multiform Foundation

Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Caribbean Saint Kitts and Nevis
Latitude 00.0000° N
Longitude 000.0000° W
Written and reviewed by John Evans Connor Steens
Updated

Governing law

Nevis Multiform Foundation Ordinance 2004

Legal forms

One of four, named in the constitution and switchable afterward

Burden of proof

Beyond reasonable doubt on fraudulent transfer

Limitation period

1 year from the date of the disposition

Formation time

2–3 weeks from KYC clearance

Receivership

No Nevis receiver can be appointed on a founder's creditor's application

General summary only. The Nevis Multiform Foundation is the sole offshore foundation whose constitution can elect to have it treated as a trust, a company or a partnership. Nevis and the Cook Islands are our two key jurisdictions. What suits you turns on the client, the assets and the objectives.

Standalone Foundation

Nevis Multiform Foundation

$6,500

first-year fees all included · 2–3 weeks

A standalone Nevis Multiform Foundation in the legal form you choose. The constitution records whether it is treated as an ordinary foundation, a trust, a company or a partnership. Registered through a licensed Nevis registered agent.

Formation in the legal form you choose, as named in the constitution
Every Nevis government registration and first-year registered agent fee
Complete drafting of the foundation charter and its by-laws
Registered and operational Nevis Multiform Foundation
Get started
Total Protection Package

Foundation + Company + Banking

$8,500

first-year fees all included · formation timeline coordinated throughout

The full structure. A Nevis Multiform Foundation, an underlying Nevis LLC, and a bank account at one of our partner institutions — the widest structural flexibility with working banking in place from day one.

Nevis Multiform Foundation — registered and operational in full
Nevis LLC — registered and operational in full, with the founder as manager
All foundation and company formation documents
All government fees together with first-year registered agent costs
An offshore bank account at whichever partner institution you prefer
Book a consultation
Foundation structure

How does a Nevis Multiform Foundation work?

A self-owning legal person with no shareholders, no owners and no trustee — able to take on the legal characteristics of up to four different structures.

The foundation is created under the Nevis Multiform Foundation Ordinance 2004. A founder signs a charter, that charter is lodged with the Nevis Registrar, and the foundation then exists as a legal person in its own right. It holds assets in its own name, enters contracts, banks, owns companies and carries on business.

Its distinguishing feature is the election of form. The foundation defaults to the Foundation Form but may elect the Trust Form, the Company Form or the Partnership Form — individually or in combination — and may add to or alter those forms later by amending the charter. With no rule against perpetuities, the foundation can carry on indefinitely.

  • Charter: the registered constitutional document, setting out the elected form or forms.
  • By-laws: confidential regulations holding the operational detail, not filed publicly.
  • Management board: the governing body — one member minimum, with corporate members allowed.
  • Protector: an optional supervisory role whose powers are set out in the charter.

We coordinate the form selection, charter drafting and registration through licensed Nevis registered agents.

Discuss your structure

Direct Nevis registered agent relationships

Standing relationships with licensed Nevis registered agents mean quicker processing, keener pricing, and advice rooted in the jurisdiction rather than passed along through it.

All Nevis structures in one engagement

Multiform Foundation, LLC, IBC and Nevis Trust coordinated as one, so the layers are engineered as a single structure instead of being bolted together piece by piece.

Form selection advice, not form filling

We advise on which of the four legal forms genuinely fits your objectives. Only one is in force at a time, so getting it right from the start matters.

Fixed or quoted fees from $6,500

Every Nevis government registration and first-year registered agent cost is built into the quoted price — nothing hidden, no invoices you didn't expect.

Honest jurisdiction recommendations

Where the Cook Islands Trust is the stronger answer for your risk profile, we say so. The recommendation follows your objectives, not our fee schedule.

The multiform advantage

One entity. Four legal forms to pick from.

The Nevis Multiform Foundation is the only offshore foundation anywhere that lets the founder decide which body of law governs the entity. A Nevis foundation holds one form at a time: the constitution states whether it is to be treated as an ordinary foundation, a trust, a company or a partnership, and the entity is run on that footing. That form can be changed later by amending the charter, without dissolving the foundation or moving a single asset. This one-of-a-kind feature lets the foundation be adapted across its lifetime, giving clients a highly flexible planning vehicle able to evolve as family, asset, tax, regulatory and commercial circumstances change.

Choose a form below to see what each one means in practice.

Select the form stated in the constitution

The constitution will state the foundation is

to be treated as an ordinary foundation

Only one form is in force at any given time. The advantage lies in choosing the form at the outset and being able to change it later without setting up a new entity.

Foundation Form

The default form, in force unless the constitution says otherwise. The foundation owns itself: no shareholders, no members, no partners, no trustee. It holds assets in its own name, contracts, banks and owns companies. A management board administers it under the registered charter, with confidential by-laws holding the operational detail. The founder may reserve powers over the board without those powers turning the assets into his own.

PurposeSelf-owning entity with no owner and no trustee
Governed byA management board, acting under the charter and confidential by-laws
Typically forAsset protection, estate planning, and purpose or charitable structures
A change of form is carried out by amending the charter. It leaves registration, earlier transfers, and the Ordinance’s creditor protections untouched. Discuss the right form
Structure comparison

Multiform Foundation vs Nevis LLC vs Cook Islands Trust

Three strong structures, three different jobs. The foundation is self-owning and structurally adaptable. The Nevis LLC is member-owned and carries the strongest creditor-specific statutory barriers. The Cook Islands Trust holds the longest adversarial court record. Most complete structures put two of the three to work together.

Structural flexibility

Nevis Multiform Foundation

Best forGovernance flexibility, multi-principal structures, succession planning.
OwnershipSelf-owning. No members, no shareholders, no trustee.
Founder roleMay serve on the management board and reserve powers by statute.
DistinctiveThe constitution picks one of four forms, adaptable over time.
Creditor barriers

Nevis LLC

Best forAdversarial creditor protection at the member-interest level.
OwnershipMember-owned; membership interests held by the member.
Creditor remedyThree-year non-renewable charging order, and nothing else.
DistinctiveA $100,000 bond has to be posted before any claim can be brought.
Court-tested

Cook Islands Trust

Best forUS clients whose priority is a court-tested adversarial barrier.
OwnershipA licensed trustee holds legal title on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Track recordForty years, including US federal agency challenges.
DistinctiveAnti-duress provisions directing the trustee independently.
The strongest Nevis build is the foundation owning an LLC: a creditor then confronts the Ordinance’s barriers together with the LLC’s charging order and bond requirements. See the packages
Stage 01

Transfer of ownership

The foundation owns the assets outright

Assets transferred into the foundation are held in its own name. No trustee holds them for you, and no membership interest is registered against you. They form no part of your personal estate.

Protective effectA creditor coming after you personally is chasing assets you no longer own.
Stage 02

No foreign judgement recognition

A foreign judgement carries no force in Nevis

A US, UK, or other foreign judgement cannot simply be laid before a Nevis court and enforced against foundation assets. The creditor has to start entirely new proceedings in Nevis, under Nevis law.

Protective effectYears of litigation abroad yield a judgement that halts at the jurisdictional line.
Stage 03

Burden of proof

Beyond reasonable doubt, on a civil claim

To have a transfer set aside as fraudulent, the creditor must establish an intent to defraud that particular creditor beyond reasonable doubt — the criminal standard, applied to a civil proceeding.

Protective effectMost fraudulent transfer claims turn on the balance of probabilities. This one does not.
Stage 04

Limitation period

One year from the date of the disposition

Claims have to be brought within one year of the transfer, or three years from when the cause of action arose where the creditor was unaware at the time. Short by any international measure.

Protective effectOnce that window shuts, the transfer is beyond challenge regardless of intent.
Stage 05

No receivership

No Nevis receiver over foundation assets

The Ordinance expressly states that no Nevis court may place a receiver over foundation assets on the application of a founder's creditor — a specific statutory bar, not a question of judicial discretion.

Protective effectThe usual interim tactic of freezing assets pending trial is shut off at the level of the statute.
Stage 06

LLC layering

The underlying Nevis LLC brings barriers of its own

Where the foundation owns a Nevis LLC, a creditor also runs into the LLC statute: a three-year non-renewable charging order as the only remedy, and a mandatory $100,000 bond before any claim can even be filed.

Protective effectTwo independent statutory regimes have to be beaten, not one.
Where Nevis leads

Structural flexibility no other jurisdiction offers

No other offshore foundation lets the founder decide which body of law governs the entity. Where trust mechanics, corporate voting, or partnership economics are what the structure genuinely needs, Nevis is the only jurisdiction that will set it down in a foundation charter.

Families spanning several branches that want differentiated governance and voting rights
Commercial joint ventures needing partnership economics inside a protected entity
Investment structures built on profit waterfalls and priority distribution mechanics
Civil law founders from Europe, Latin America and Asia already at home with foundations
Clients who want the form to shift over time without setting up a new entity
When another structure fits better

Where the court-tested record matters most

We are candid about this. The Nevis Ordinance is strong on paper but has not been tested in US adversarial proceedings to the degree the Cook Islands Trust has.

US clients whose single priority is a forty-year adversarial court record
Situations where the Nevis LLC bond and charging order on their own are the better fit
Structures that need anti-duress provisions directing an independent trustee
Cases where speed and cost are not the deciding factors
The most robust Nevis arrangement places the foundation over a Nevis LLC. Where a court-tested track record matters most, weigh the Cook Islands Trust, or see the Total Protection Package.
total protection package
  • Nevis registered agent application handled end to end
  • Registered agent, registration and third-party charges set out line by line in the written quote
  • Foundation charter and confidential by-laws drafted around the form or forms you elect
  • An underlying Nevis LLC set up as the operating and banking layer, with the founder as manager
  • Structure registered and ready to take in assets from the first day

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

More than two decades of experience across offshore banking, asset protection, international companies and trusts.

Connor Steens
BBUS

Founder & Business Development Director

Sydney, Australia

Specialises in offshore structuring, strategic partnerships, business development and global wealth solutions.

Atinata Hosking

Sales Manager

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Brings more than two decades of experience in offshore banking, regulatory compliance and client relationship management.

Melanie Tetuaiteroi

Sales Assistant

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Supports client onboarding, communications, documentation and operational coordination, backed by fiduciary administration experience.

Recent Articles

Explore our latest insights, practical guides and updates on international wealth structuring.

What is a Nevis Multiform Foundation?

A Nevis Multiform Foundation is a self-owning legal person created under the Nevis Multiform Foundation Ordinance 2004. It has no shareholders, no owners and no trustee. It holds assets in its own name and is run by a management board under a registered charter. Its defining feature is that the constitution names which of four legal forms governs it — ordinary foundation, trust, company or partnership — and that choice can be changed over the foundation's life.

What are the four legal forms, and which one do I need?

The Foundation Form is the default: a self-owning entity with a management board, set up for beneficiaries or for a purpose. The Trust Form imposes trust-law fiduciary duties and gives beneficiaries equitable-style interests. The Company Form creates members with set governance and voting rights. The Partnership Form creates partners with partnership-style economic allocation. Only one form governs at a time, and it is named in the constitution, so the right form depends on your objectives. We advise on it in every consultation before anything is drafted.

Can the foundation hold more than one form at once?

No. A Nevis Multiform Foundation holds one form at a time. The constitution states whether the foundation is to be treated as an ordinary foundation, a trust, a company or a partnership, and the entity is run on that basis. What makes the structure unique is that the founder gets to choose which body of law applies, and can change that choice later by amending the charter, without setting up a new entity, dissolving the existing one, or transferring any asset.

What does a Nevis Multiform Foundation cost?

Formation starts at $6,500 USD, taking in every Nevis government registration and first-year registered agent fee. Adding an underlying Nevis LLC lifts the package to $7,500, and the Total Protection Package — foundation, LLC and a partner bank account — is $8,500. Fees are quoted in full before you commit.

How does the asset protection work?

Foreign court judgements cannot be enforced against a Nevis Multiform Foundation. A creditor has to open fresh proceedings in Nevis, establish fraudulent intent beyond reasonable doubt, and bring the claim inside one year of the transfer. The Ordinance also expressly forbids appointing a Nevis receiver over foundation assets at the instance of a founder's creditor. These protections hold whichever form the constitution names.

Can the founder serve on the management board?

Yes. The founder may be a board member and may keep reserved powers — amending the charter, appointing and removing members, and issuing binding directions — without those powers causing the foundation's assets to be treated as the founder's own property. That statutory permission is a distinctly stronger footing than a trust settlor holding wide powers, where retained control is a recognised weakness.

How does it stack up against the Nevis LLC?

The Nevis LLC is member-owned and carries creditor-specific statutory barriers: a three-year non-renewable charging order as the only remedy, and a mandatory $100,000 bond before a claim can be filed. The foundation is self-owning and carries the Ordinance's barriers instead. For purely adversarial creditor protection the LLC's bond is formidable. For governance, succession and multiform flexibility, the foundation is the right tool. The combination — the foundation owning the LLC — gives the widest protection available under Nevis law.

How does it stack up against the Cook Islands Trust?

The Cook Islands Trust holds a forty-year court-tested record specifically against US creditors, including successful resistance to challenges from US federal agencies. The Nevis Multiform Foundation offers strong statutory protection but has not been tested to the same degree in US adversarial proceedings. For US clients whose main concern is tested adversarial protection, the trust stays the benchmark. Where structural flexibility, civil law familiarity, speed or cost lead the way, the foundation is the better answer.

What assets can it hold?

Virtually any asset class — cash, deposits, investment portfolios, business interests, intellectual property, precious metals and digital assets. Real estate is normally held through an underlying LLC owned by the foundation rather than directly, since real property is always subject to the law of the jurisdiction where it sits. Most structures use a Nevis LLC as the operating layer, with the founder as manager.

How long does formation take, and is it legal?

Drafting, executing and registering the charter usually takes two to three weeks once KYC is complete. Adding an LLC and a bank account stretches the full timeline to six to ten weeks. The structure is entirely legal. Home-country reporting depends on classification — for US founders the foundation may be treated as a foreign trust, a foreign corporation, or another entity type, and the form named in the constitution affects that analysis. Settle it with a qualified US international tax adviser before the charter is finalised.