How to Set Up a Company in the Cayman Islands? Know These Before You Begin!

How to set up a company in the Cayman Islands — a complete step-by-step guide brought to you in 17 slides. This deck walks you through the full Cayman Islands company setup process: choosing your entity type, naming your company, appointing a registered office and agent, completing KYC and due diligence, government fees, and setting up an exempted or offshore company. You'll also learn what to expect on setup timelines, economic substance considerations, and the ongoing compliance obligations once your company is set up, plus the common mistakes that slow a Cayman company setup down.

Whether you're setting up an offshore, holding, or international business in the Cayman Islands, this guide gives you a clear roadmap from kickoff to fully set up.

Prepared by Expanship — global company setup, banking, and compliance across 25+ jurisdictions.

👉 Set up your Cayman company: https://www.expanship.com/ky/incorporation

Transcript

1. N º 0 1 · C A Y M A N 1 9 . 3 1 ° N · 8 1 . 2 5 ° W T H E F O U N D E R ' S P L A Y B O O K Company Setup in the Everything it takes to stand up a Cayman company — structure, paperwork, and the compliance that keeps it running. Cayman Islands expanship.com Company setup · Banking · Compliance Jurisdiction KY · 2026
2. W H Y T H E C A Y M A N I S L A N D S Where founders the businesses they build to last. Investment funds, holding structures, and venture- backed startups choose to set up here — and the four reasons on the right explain why. base Cayman Islands BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY · KY Tax-neutral No direct corporate, income, or capital gains tax to plan around. English common law A legal footing investors and courts already know how to read. Fast & recognised Quick to stand up, and a name banks and investors respect. Confidential Ownership stays in private registers, away from public search. COMMON VEHICLES Exempted Co. LLC Foundation SPC
3. T H E S E T U P P A T H The 10 steps at a glance 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 01 Choose entity type 02 Name your company 03 Registered office & agent 04 Governing documents 05 KYC & due diligence 06 Directors & shares 07 File with the Registrar 08 Government fees 09 Certificate of incorporation 10 Ongoing compliance
4. 01 S T E P 0 1 / 1 0 Your structure shapes everything that follows — most founders set up an Exempted Company. Choose your entity type MOST COMMON Exempted Company The all-rounder for trading, holding, and fundraising. E C LLC Member-run and flexible — built for funds and joint ventures. L L C Foundation Company No shareholders — a fit for DAOs, trusts, and philanthropy. F D N Segregated Portfolio Co. Assets walled off in cells — for funds and insurance. S P C
5. 02 S T E P 0 2 / 1 0 Before a name sticks, it has to pass three quick tests. Glovantia Holdings Ltd. Ltd Limited LLC End it with a permitted suffix Close every name with Ltd, Limited, or LLC. Bank Insurance Royal Steer clear of restricted words Terms like these can't be used without sign-off. Glovantia Holdings Ltd. Available Make sure it's free Clear it with the Registrar before you settle. Name your company
6. 03 S T E P 0 3 / 1 0 No Cayman company is set up without a local presence on the ground — it's non-negotiable. REGISTERED OFFICE Pelican Cay House, 2nd Floor · 71 Seafarer Road, George Town Grand Cayman · KY1-1108 · Cayman Islands REQUIRED REGISTERED AGENT A licensed Cayman agent Your conduit for filings and official correspondence. Licensed & regulated Appoint a registered office & agent
7. 04 S T E P 0 4 / 1 0 Two filed documents lay down how the company runs — and they stay binding for as long as it exists. Prepare your governing documents C A Y M A N I S L A N D S · T H E C O M P A N I E S A C T ( R E V I S E D ) Constitution of Glovantia Holdings Ltd. MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION 1. The name of the Company is Glovantia Holdings Ltd. 2. The Registered Office is at Pelican Cay House, George Town. 3. The objects of the Company are unrestricted. ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION 1. Shares & capital — classes, rights, and transfers. 2. Directors & officers — appointment and powers. 3. Meetings & resolutions — quorum and voting. FILED WITH THE REGISTRAR
8. 05 S T E P 0 5 / 1 0 Every person behind the company is checked out before setup goes ahead. D O C U M E N T S V E R I F I E D Passport Proof of address Source of funds Source of wealth APPLIES TO Directors Shareholders Beneficial owners Complete KYC & due diligence PASSPORT · UNITED KINGDOM NAME John Doe NATIONALITY British PASSPORT NO. GA123456 P<GBRDOE<<JOHN<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< GA123456<4GBR8001019M2601015<<<<<06 Verified
9. 06 S T E P 0 6 / 1 0 Decide who steers the company and how ownership is split. DIRECTORS John Doe Director Minimum one director Any nationality Corporate directors OK OWNERSHIP John Doe 60% ORDINARY Seed Investor 30% PREFERRED Option Pool 10% ORDINARY Appoint directors & allocate shares Standard authorised capital is US$50,000 (50,000 shares of US$1.00) — and may be denominated in any currency. 50,000 SHARES
10. 07 S T E P 0 7 / 1 0 With the paperwork ready, your registered agent submits it to the Registrar of Companies. STANDARD PROCESSING 3–5 business days EXPEDITED SERVICE ~24 hours EXPRESS AVAILABLE File with the Registrar Package prepared DONE Lodged by agent SUBMITTED Registrar of Companies UNDER REVIEW
11. 08 S T E P 0 8 / 1 0 One payment, due at filing — the amount scales with your authorised share capital. Up to US$50,000 STANDARD Authorised share capital US$854 US$50,001 – US$1M Authorised share capital US$1,220 US$1M – US$2M Authorised share capital US$2,420 Over US$2M Authorised share capital US$3,132 Pay the government registration fee Official fees are set in CI$ and shown here converted to USD — paid once on filing.
12. 09 S T E P 0 9 / 1 0 The Registrar issues it within a few business days — and your company is officially alive. Receive your Certificate of Incorporation
13. 10 S T E P 1 0 / 1 0 Setup is day one — these are what keep the company in good standing afterwards. Statutory registers Keep records of directors, members & beneficial owners current. ONGOING Economic substance Reconfirm where the company sits every year. ANNUAL Annual return & fee Lodged with the Registrar to keep the company active. ANNUAL Bank account Set up a business account and keep it running. SETUP Set up for ongoing compliance
14. T I M E T O S E T U P How long it really takes KYC & due diligence 1–3 business days Driven by how layered your ownership is. + Registry processing 3–5 business days Expedited: 1 business day. = T O S E T U P 4–8 days Business days
15. P I T F A L L S T O D O D G E Common mistakes to avoid Naming rejections Locking in a name before checking it's free, or leaning on restricted words. FIX — search availability up front and get any sensitive words approved early. 01 Incomplete KYC One missing source-of-funds document can hold setup up for weeks. FIX — assemble every source-of-funds document before you begin. 02 Skipping substance Leaving economic substance unresolved at setup quietly catches up with you. FIX — nail down your substance classification from the very start. 03 DIY banking Going it alone on account opening, with no introductions to the right banks. FIX — work through an introducer who already knows the banks. 04
16. Incorporation Banking assistance Due diligence Accounting Annual filings Secretarial Registered office Document prep Name check Renewals Nominee director Economic substance Nominee shareholder Gov't fee payments Certifications Registered agent H O W E X P A N S H I P H E L P S Setup is step one. Everything after is ours too. From the first name check to nominee roles, government filings to the books — one licensed team stays with you through it all, across 30+ jurisdictions. 20+ services one point of contact
17. Certificate of Incorporation Issues in 3–5 business days SOON W H E N E V E R Y O U ' R E R E A D Y Set up your Cayman company. Watch the whole setup unfold in one place — we run the filings while you follow along. 30+ jurisdictions Set up in 4–8 days One firm, every step expanship.com/ky