Coordinate corporate registration with foreign investment, licensing, banking and operational requirements.
A company can be incorporated through the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission registry, but foreign-owned operations may also require foreign investment registration, a business licence, tax registrations, permits and ongoing filings.
Consider shareholders, directors, governance, beneficial ownership, funding and how the entity will contract and hold assets.
Identify all business, sector, municipal, provincial, planning, immigration and employment requirements.
Maintain registers, annual filings, licences, accounting records and changes to corporate details.
Company incorporation and permission to operate are separate questions. VFSC handles company registration, while a foreign investor generally needs to address VFIPA requirements and the applicable business-licensing process as well.
VFSC's current local-company material highlights beneficial-owner information and supporting identity checks. For foreign persons, the published checklist includes certified identification, recent police clearance, source-of-funds evidence and proof of residential address.
Requirements can change and additional documents may be requested, so use the current VFSC forms and instructions rather than an old incorporation checklist.
VFIPA states that the FIRC is the first step for foreign investors. Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue business-licensing information also requires evidence of the relevant corporate registration and, for foreign-owned businesses, valid foreign-investment approval.
Banking, tax, employment, residence/work permissions and sector licences should then be mapped to the actual business activity.
Official sources: VFSC — Register a Local Company · VFIPA — Investment Approval · Customs & Inland Revenue — Business Licensing.
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