Antigua Company Formation for Non Residents (IBC)

Want a company that pays zero tax and can be up and running in as little as 24 hours? Antigua and Barbuda makes that possible. Setting up an International Business Corporation (IBC) here is fast, simple, and affordable. You get full foreign ownership, strong privacy, and a 50-year tax exemption backed by law. One person can own and run the whole company. English is the official language, and there are no exchange controls. If you want a clean, low-cost base for international business, a company in Antigua is worth a serious look.

Why choose Antigua and Barbuda for your company?

Antigua and Barbuda is a two-island nation in the Eastern Caribbean with a stable, business-friendly government — a unitary parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. Its legal system is built on English common law, and the top court is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), which is pegged to the US dollar, so your money is easy to move and spend. The official language is English.

Company rules come from the Antigua International Business Corporation Act of 1982 (since amended). The regulator for the offshore sector is the International Financial Sector Authority (IFSA), and your company name is approved through the Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office.

What are the benefits of an Antigua IBC?

An Antigua IBC gives you a lot for a little. Here's what stands out:

• No tax. A foreign-owned Antigua IBC pays zero corporate tax, income tax, capital gains tax, withholding tax, stamp duty, and estate tax.
• Full foreign control. Only one shareholder and one director are needed. They can be the same person, of any nationality, or a corporate entity.
• Strong privacy. The names of shareholders and beneficial owners stay out of public records. It is a crime to share company or banking details without permission.
• Light paperwork. No audit is required, and you do not file annual accounts.
• Real asset protection. Company assets are owned by the IBC — not by you personally — and are not listed in public records.
• Fast setup. Formation can be done in as little as 24 hours. Shelf companies are also available.
• No minimum capital. There is no minimum authorised capital requirement.
• No exchange controls. Funds move freely in and out of the country.
• Great for banking. Antigua has a stable banking system with strong confidentiality and asset protection.

What can you use an Antigua company for?

An Antigua IBC is flexible. People use it for:

• International trade and investment
• Asset protection
• Cutting or removing taxes
• Owning and protecting intellectual property
• Estate planning and investment holding
• International leasing of assets
• Yacht and ship registration
• International trust formation

What type of company can you register in Antigua?

Antigua law allows a few kinds of legal entity. Most foreign clients pick the IBC, but it helps to know your options:

• International Business Corporation (IBC) — the main choice for offshore trade, holding, and investment.
• International Limited Liability Company (ILLC) — a flexible entity for many lawful business purposes.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) — a domestic company for business in Antigua and Barbuda.
• Non-profit company — a private company without share capital.
• Foreign company branch or representative office.

Antigua IBC: key corporate features

What's included in company incorporation?

When you form your Antigua IBC with Offshore Protection, your first-year package includes:

1. Government registration fee (first year)
2. Registered office address (first year)
3. Registered agent services (first year)
4. Company secretarial maintenance
5. Certificate of incorporation
6. Memorandum & Articles of Association
7. Appointment of first directors
8. Consent actions of the Board
9. Share certificates
10. Register of directors, officers, and shareholders
11. FREE phone and email consultations

How do you register a company in Antigua?

Here's the good news: you don't have to be Antiguan, and you don't need to fly there. By law, an IBC is formed by two local incorporators (Antigua citizens and residents, one of them an attorney). In practice, that's your registered agent — so you can be from anywhere in the world. Offshore Protection handles the local side for you.

The company registration steps look like this:

1. Step 1 — Name. We secure your company name with the registry (approved through the Intellectual Property and Commerce Office).
2. Step 2 — Memorandum. We prepare your Memorandum of Association (MOA).
3. Step 3 — File. We prepare and file the incorporation documents, including the signed Articles of Incorporation and the Application for an International Business Charter.
4. Step 4 — KYC/AML. We prepare the KYC and AML documents needed to open a corporate bank account.
5. Step 5 — Certificate. The Registrar issues your certificate of incorporation, and we deliver it to you.

The Memorandum sets out what your company is allowed to do. The Articles of Incorporation set the rules for how the company is run inside.

Can you open a corporate bank account?

Yes. You can open a corporate bank account in most countries with an Antigua company. We have banking connections in dozens of countries. The best fit depends on your situation — some banks want an in-person visit, higher deposits, or references, while others are lighter. Opening the account is often the trickiest part of any offshore setup because of KYC and AML rules, so we suggest a quick consultation to match you with the right bank.

How is an Antigua IBC taxed?

Simple: it isn't. An Antigua IBC is fully exempt from local taxation, as long as its business is done outside Antigua. That means:

• Zero corporate tax
• Zero income tax
• Zero capital gains tax
• Zero withholding tax, stamp duty, and estate tax
• Dividends paid to shareholders are free of income tax

These exemptions are guaranteed by law for at least 50 years. One heads-up: if you live in a country that taxes worldwide income (like the US), you still have to report your income at home.

Antigua IBC: corporate details you should know

Confidentiality and disclosure. There are no public records of shareholders or beneficial ownership. Sharing information without permission is a crime, and Antigua has strict banking privacy laws too. Note that Antigua adopted OECD tax-transparency rules in 2021, so authorities can access ownership details on a valid request.

Company shares. All issued shares must be fully paid. Allowed share types include registered shares, bearer shares, no-par-value shares, preference shares, redeemable shares, and shares with or without voting rights. A company may buy back its own shares. Bearer shares and nominee shareholders are permitted for extra privacy.

Required capital. There is no minimum authorised capital. The usual authorised share capital is USD 50,000.

Directors and shareholders. You need just one director and one shareholder, who can be the same person of any nationality — or a corporate entity.

Trading restrictions. The main rule: an IBC must do its business outside Antigua's borders to keep its tax-exempt status.

Principal legislation. The Antigua International Business Corporation Act of 1982 governs formation, taxation, share capital, and structure.

Type of law. Antigua uses English common law. The highest court is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, based in Saint Lucia.

Powers of the company. An IBC is a separate legal entity from its owners. It has the same powers as a natural person, and a shareholder's liability is limited to what they put in.

Company meetings. Annual general meetings are expected, but they can be held anywhere in the world.

Local requirements. You need a local registered office and registered agent. Copies of incorporation documents are kept at the registered office and are not public.

Company secretary. Required. It can be an individual or a corporate entity.

Language. The language of legislation and corporate documents is English.

Audit and reporting. No audited accounts or annual returns need to be filed. You must still keep financial statements that reflect the company's true position.

Exchange controls. None. The Eastern Caribbean dollar is pegged to the US dollar, and USD is accepted everywhere. Funds move freely in and out.

Re-domiciliation. Migration of domicile is allowed both ways. A company from another jurisdiction can move to Antigua, and an Antigua company can move out.

Shelf companies. Yes, these are available to buy.

Time to form. As little as 24 hours, typically 2–3 business days, and up to 10 business days to receive all documents.

Company name rules. The name can be in any language, must be unique, and must not be offensive. It should end with a suffix such as Limited, Corporation, Incorporated, Société Anonyme, or Sociedad Anonima (or an abbreviation). Words like Bank, Insurance, Trust, Trustee, Fund Management, Royal, or Chartered need special permission, and names that suggest a government link are not allowed.

Access to double tax treaties. None apply to offshore business. Antigua does, however, have a network of tax information exchange agreements with other countries.

Licence fee. The annual licence fee is:

• USD 300 per year for companies with authorised capital up to USD 50,000
• USD 350 per year where share capital is up to USD 50,000 but includes no-par-value shares
• USD 1,000 per year for companies with share capital over USD 50,000

There is also an annual return filing fee of USD 100.

How is Antigua company formation changing in 2026?

Here's a real shift worth knowing before you register. In October 2023, the EU added Antigua and Barbuda to its blacklist of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions after an OECD review of its information-sharing. Antigua fixed the issues, and on 8 October 2024 the EU Council removed it from the blacklist. As of the EU's 10 October 2025 update, Antigua sits on the "grey list" (Annex II) of 11 cooperating jurisdictions, with a follow-up review expected in February 2026. (Source: EU Council / European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union, 10 October 2025.)

What we've learned in 25 years of formation work: a move off the blacklist onto the grey list is the pattern that matters. It usually signals a jurisdiction that has tightened up rather than one to avoid — the tools that make an Antigua IBC useful (zero tax on foreign income, privacy, fast setup) stay in place, while banking partners grow more comfortable working with it.

Our read on where this heads: if Antigua clears its February 2026 review, we'd expect it to keep moving toward full "cooperative" status. The trade-off is more paperwork up front — expect banks and agents to ask for cleaner KYC and clearer beneficial-ownership details. That's a fair price for a structure that stays low-tax and well-regarded. 

Antigua company formation FAQs

• Can a foreigner start a business in Antigua and Barbuda?

  Yes. A foreigner can fully own and run an Antigua IBC. One shareholder and one director are required, and both can be the same non-resident person of any nationality — or a corporate entity. There are no citizenship or residence rules for owning a standard (non-licensed) IBC. You don't need to travel to Antigua; your registered agent handles the local filing for you.

• How much does it cost to form and renew an Antigua company?

  Formation of an Antigua IBC starts from around US$2,780, which typically covers government registration, the registered office and registered agent for the first year, secretarial services, and your incorporation documents. From the second year, you pay recurring government costs — a minimum annual licence fee of USD 300 (higher for larger share capital) plus a USD 100 annual return filing fee — along with your agent's renewal fee. Exact pricing depends on the services you need, so get in touch for a firm quote.

• How long does it take to register an IBC in Antigua?

  An IBC can be registered in as little as 24 hours. In practice, formation usually takes 2–3 business days, and it can take up to 10 business days to receive your full set of documents — a little longer if you need everything apostilled.

• Why do businesses register a company in Antigua?

  Businesses register a company in Antigua for the asset protection and tax savings that only non-resident structures offer. Antigua is a safe, stable jurisdiction with a zero-tax regime for non-resident companies and a business-friendly environment. The government actively works to attract international investors and entrepreneurs.

• Can I open a business bank account for my company?

  Yes, and it's one of the main reasons people form an offshore company. Opening the account is often the hardest step because of AML and KYC rules and the documents banks require. Some jurisdictions and banks are stricter than others, and we guide you through the whole process.

• Can Offshore Protection create a company for me?

  Yes. Offshore Protection has been forming companies around the world for nearly three decades. We handle company formation, offshore trusts, financial licences, and bank accounts in dozens of countries. Get in touch to find out more.

Ready to register your Antigua IBC?

An Antigua IBC gives you a fast, low-cost, tax-free base for international business — with full foreign ownership, real privacy, and strong asset protection. One person can own and run it, and setup can happen in about a day. If that fits your plans, the next step is simple.

Start Your Antigua Company Formation

Join thousands of clients who have trusted Offshore Protection since 1996. Order your Antigua IBC with or without a bank account, and get free support from our team every step of the way.