FAQs

No because we cannot get back the registration fee paid to the Registry. Also considerable time goes into establishing a Trust because we have to ensure that all information and documents provided are correct and complete. We will also not be able to sell the “registration” to someone else because trusts are unique to each settlor and selling “shelf Trusts” is not a recommended practice. We will in fact have to notify the Registry that the Trust does not exist by virtue of establishment procedures being incomplete and that the settlor has no intention to complete Trust establishment. This will result in extra work for which we can only be compensated by payment already received. Note that we can avoid this situation by requesting for a small initial settlement before we register the name of a Trust.

We much prefer payment via bank wire transfer (SWIFT, IBAN, online payments) and most of clients pay by this method. We can receive payments in United States dollars, Euros, Hong Kong dollars, British Pounds and Singapore dollars. Other curriences are also allowed but they will be converted to one of the above currencies by our banks. We can also accept credit card payments from VISA and Mastercard holders. We provide a special credit card authorization form for this purpose which you can fax to us. You may also send money straight to one of our bank accounts via international money order services like MoneyGram or Western Union but we only recommend this if you absolutely cannot pay by bank transfer or credit card because bank charges are very high. If you are in Seychelles we may accept small amounts of cash (less than 2000 United States dollars) which we would bank straight away and while you are still in Seychelles. Bank notes must be of very good quality because Seychelles banks are very strict. The banks would only accept bank notes for the major international currencies. We do not accept e-money from services like Paypal and WebMoney.

We can usually do it within 1 or 2 hours.

The most time consuming part is the pre-establishment phase because we need to gather information about the all the parties of the trust, the assets, and the objects of the trust. Everything must be very clear before we can establish the trust. It will depend on how quickly the settlor and representatives can provide required documents and information. Once this is done we can register the trust with the Seychelles International Business Authority. This usually takes one day only. We can then scan and email all the documents before sending by courier.

No. Our trust order form is quite short and simple. Our order form simply helps to ensure that all essential information and documents are not overlooked. Please note that if you are sending us your very first order you will have to register with us as a client first and this normally involves agreeing to our terms of business and attaching your certified proof of identity (Id) and proof of address (usually a utility bill less than 3 months old). If you are registering as an intermediary client we will require your qualifications and proof of your intermediary status but this will bring you some important advantages. When you have registered as an intermediary client we will in some cases be able to rely on your due diligence to simplify and streamline your subsequent end-user client orders.

A trust can be established by oral declaration, by will or codicil but it is more common to establish a Trust by a written instrument (trust deed or declaration of trust). For the trust to be enforceable in Seychelles, it must be registered with the Seychelles International Business Authority. To register we must file a declaration of trustees and pay the authority a one-time only fee of USD 100. The Trust Deed is not filed with the Authority on registration of the Trust and the names and addresses of the settlor, beneficiaires, protectors and other trustees are also not disclosed.

They will get limited information and documents publicly filed but they will not easily be able to get the information and documents filed with the Registered Agent. From a search at the Registry, assuming they already know the name of the foundation, they will be able find out the registration number, the intial assets settled into the foundation, the registered agent’s name and address, the registered office of the foundation, the last annual licence fee that was paid, the next annual licence fee to be paid and the status of the foundation (whether in good standing, struck off or dissolved etc). They would also be able to get a copy of the certificate of incorporation, the charter and any other documents filed publicly. The would see the name the address of the original founder as stated on the charter. Normally they would not see the names and addresses of the subsequent founders, and the names and addresses of the beneficiaries, councillors, protectors and supervisory persons because our standard is very small and includes the minimum information. We also only usually file extracts of resolutions which do not show such details and also, the registers are not filed. Particulars of the founders, councillors, protectors, supervisory persons and beneficiaries are only held privately by us the Registered Agent. We keep the registers ourselves and we do not file them with any authority. Furthermore we are not allowed to provide any information to any third party, the law prohibits us. In most cases we would totally ignore any request and we would inform you of the request. There is one exception. If a request is made by our financial investigations unit we are required to provide all information they require but they are also obligated to maintain confidentiality. Only the Seychelles Courts can release private information into the public domain, during legal proceedings.

As proof of identity we can accept a certified copy of your passport or National identity card. We do not recommend sending the originals to us so as to avoid risk of loss of such important documents. Certified copies are sufficient. The certifier must use the following or equivalent text “Having seen the individual and identification document at the same time, I certify this is a true copy and the photograph is a reasonable likeness.” We need a good quality copy, preferably a colour copy showing the passport photo, the signature, the issue date and the expiry date. The person certifying the copy should then sign the certification and add their full name, title, address and the date that they certified the documents. The certifier must actually have seen the original document. The copy and certification must be done by one the following persons (in order of preference): A notary publicA consular or embassy official from your consulate or embassyA police officerA Commissioner of OathsA Justice of the Peace A Mayor / Maire (but not the deputy)A member of staff at a major international bank (with the bank’s stamp)A qualified lawyer or solicitor who is subjected to anti-money laundering regulations in a regulated jurisdiction and who can state a bar numberA qualified accountant or auditor who is subjected to anti-money laundering regulations in a regulated jurisdiction and who can state an international association membership reference We can also accept certification and verification from a registered professional intermediary client who is also a regulated person. A regulated person is someone or an entity who is subjected to anti-money laundering regulations and who is reporting entity under such regulations. Also, if you are in Seychelles we can make a copy of the documents when you are in our offices and we can then certify the copies.

Any individual person over 18 years old or any corporate body from anywhere in the world of any nationality or domicile can be a protector. Seychelles residents or Seychelles domiciled corporate bodies must be “approved persons” working for a licenced corporate Trustee or wholy-owned by a licenced corporate trustee. There are no such restrictions on non-residents. A protector must be a trusted person who will veto the actions of the trustees if it is in the best interest of the beneficiares to do so.

Yes but the sole trustee should not also be the sole beneficiary. It is generally not recommended that the settlor be the sole beneficiary.