The Different Types of Cayman Companies and their Fees

WHY CAYMAN?

The Cayman Islands have been an attractive place to do business and establish companies for decades. Cayman is a British Overseas Territory with an elected government and its own legal system rooted in English common law. Cayman is the world’s fifth biggest banking centre, and has a healthy, stable financial system. Cayman co-operates with other nations in the fight against crime, terrorism, and money laundering, and provides a secure home for international financial transactions and the ownership of assets.

There are no personal or corporate income taxes in Cayman, so Cayman-domiciled companies pay no Cayman tax on their revenues, whether this is generated from business within the Islands or abroad.

CAYMAN GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

The corporate services resources within the Cayman government is experienced and plentiful. Agencies and government departments exist throughout the process of incorporation and ongoing monitoring. Some significant players include:

• The General Registry houses all company

registrations and is an excellent source for information

on Cayman Companies. As of May 2026, there are over

127,000 companies in the Cayman registry.

• Within the Cayman government, the Department of

Commerce and Investment works to promote the

investment of business in Cayman, working with both

foreign investors and local entrepreneurs.

• Licensing Boards - There are various licenses

businesses require in addition to company registration.

Many of these are covered in this document under

“Licensing”

SELECTING AND INCORPORATING YOUR NEW COMPANY

Cayman has developed a range of corporate structures to meet the differing needs of business owners.

The Sinclair Group (“Sinclairs”) will assist you in determining which type of company is best for you and in incorporating it.

For each of the company types below, Sinclairs can provide registered office services and perform all regulatory filings.

Sinclairs can also register foreign companies in Cayman and undertake subsequent Cayman regulatory filings for such companies.

TYPES OF COMPANIES

Resident	Non Resident	Exempt	Foreign
Resident Limited Guarantee	Non Resident Limited Guarantee	Exempt Limited Duration
Resident Non Profit	Non Resident Non Profit	Exempt Segregated Portfolio
Resident Foundation	Non Resident Foundation	Exempt Unlimited
		Exempt Limited Guarantee
		Exempt Registration by way of continuation
		Exempt Provisional Registration by way of Continuity
		Exempt Non profit
		Special Economic Zone Company

RESIDENT

Resident companies earn their revenues in Cayman from Cayman operations. They may hold land or a licence to operate a bank, hotel, or other Cayman-based business. They are also known as “Local Companies”.

At least 60% of the shares in a resident company must be owned by Caymanian shareholder, but it is possible to obtain permission for a foreign-controlled resident company. Non-Cayman ownership is not unusual, and there are several foreign-controlled companies, primarily which operate under the Local Companies (Control) Law. There is an application process, with which Sinclairs will assist if this is the right avenue for your business.

NON RESIDENT

Non-resident companies do not have any Cayman-based operations. (Full reporting is required from a licensed registered office situated in Cayman) to Cayman’s Registrar of Companies. Annual returns must list shareholders and directors and specify the company’s capital. Registration is subject to approval by the Minister of Finance. This type of Company is not as popular as an Exempt Company, as there is over 100,000 active Exempt companies and only 1,888 Non-Resident Companies.

EXEMPT

Exempt companies also do not conduct business inside Cayman. Unlike non-resident companies, Exempt companies are not required to report shareholder names, and their annual returns contain minimal information. An Exempt company must have a registered office and a registered agent, each licensed by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (“CIMA”). Sinclairs is licensed by CIMA to provide your exempt company with both registered office (“RO”) and registered agent ( “RA”) services.

There are many sub-varieties of exempt company: these include the limited duration company (which has a pre-determined life-span), the segregated portfolio company (which is a subsidiary for the purpose of holding an asset, also known as a “cell company”), and the Special Economic Zone company (which is qualified to operate within Cayman’s Special Economic Zones with reduced expenses).

FOREIGN

Foreign companies are not incorporated in Cayman but are registered with the Cayman authorities to enable such companies to hold land or carry on business in the Cayman Islands.

AT A GLANCE

Type of Company	Doing Business in Cayman	Licensed RO/RA Required	Info to Registrar to Include Shareholders	Info to Registrar to Include Capital
Resident	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Non Resident	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Exempt	No	Yes	No	No
Foreign	Yes	No	No	No

Government Fee Schedule

Type of Company	Range of Capital	Registration Fee USD	Annual Fee USD
Resident	0-42k	$365.85	$365.85
Resident	42k +	$609.76	$609.76
Non Resident	0-42k	$1,097.56	$1,097.56
Non Resident	42k +	$1,390.24	$1,390.24
Exempt	0-42k	$853.66	$1,128.05
Exempt	42k-820k	$1,219.51	$1,493.90
Exempt	820k-1.64m	$2,419.51	$2,693.90
Exempt	1.64m +	$3,131.71	$3,406.10
Foreign	Any	$1,829.27	$2,012.20

LICENSING

In addition to the registration of your company, as it primarily relates to Resident companies, the company may require one or more of the following sample licenses to operate.

• Trade & Business License issued to a person or company to carry on business in the Cayman islands.

• Local Companies (Control) License for any non-Caymanian owned and controlled company operating in Cayman.

• Financial Services License issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), who governs various licenses for Banks and Trust Companies, Insurance Companies, Company Managers and Investment and Securities companies.

• Hotel License issued by the Department of Tourism.

• Telecommunications and Radio License issued by the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA).

Sinclairs can help you determine which licences your company will require, and its affiliated law firm, Sinclair Attorneys Ltd, can help you apply.

ABOUT SINCLAIRS

Sinclairs Corporate Services Ltd. is a member of the rapidly growing Sinclair Group, which provides a comprehensive range of advice and support to individuals, small enterprises, and multi-nationals seeking knowledge and expertise about doing business in Cayman.

Our experienced team of lawyers, financial services experts, and corporate governance professionals can provide the help you need to launch and manage your Cayman companies through every phase of their lives. Sinclairs is committed to providing peerless service at some of the most competitive rates available in Cayman.

CONTACT US

To find out more about the Sinclair Group and its team members

Visit our website at www.sinclairs.com.ky

E-mail us at info@sinclairs.com.ky

call us on (345) 743-2626

From Miami call (786) 382-0750

From London call (0)20 3096 2232