Open a Company in the Dutch Antilles

The Dutch Antilles are located in the Caribbean Sea, close to Curacao and are made up of two groups of islands: Leeward and Windward. The official language in the Antilles is Dutch, as their name says, however English and Spanish are also spoken by the locals: English because of the business environment and Spanish because the islands are located to South American countries.

We mentioned earlier the business environment of the Netherlands Antilles, so foreign investors should know that the most prolific industries here are the financial, touristic and trading ones.

If you are interested in starting a business in the Dutch Antilles, our company registration agents in the Netherlands can explain the requirements.

Types of companies in the Dutch Antilles

The Dutch Commercial Code is the main law governing the formation procedure of a company in the Antilles. However, the incorporation documents must be prepared in English.

With respect to the type of companies which can be registered in the Netherlands Antilles, these are:

• -          the public limited liability company (NV), which is the most common structure in the Antilles;
• -          the private limited liability company (BV);
• -          the sole proprietorship, however this structure is mostly used by the locals.

The offshore company (IBC) is also one of the preferred choices of foreign investors interested in opening a company in the Dutch Antilles.

Our Dutch company formation consultants can explain the requirements related to starting a business in the Antilles.

Company registration in the Dutch Antilles

Entrepreneurs who want to create companies in the Netherlands Antilles must first consider the following:

• -          the share capital required to register a NV is 50,000 ANG (Antillean guilders), out of which 20% must be deposited upon registration;
• -          a resident director must be appointed;
• -          the minimum number of shareholders is 1.

Once these requirements are complied with, the Dutch Antilles company formation process will imply:

• -          reserving a unique trade name;
• -          drafting the incorporation documents;
• -          filing the documents with the Companies Registrar;
• -          registering for taxation purposes.

It should be noted that foreign companies can change into NV companies in the Dutch Antilles.

For full information or assistance in registering a company in the Dutch Antilles, please contact our company registration advisors.