Short answer
A Nevis gaming licensee must be a company registered in Nevis, usually a corporation under the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance (Ch. 07.01(N)) or an LLC under the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance (Ch. 07.04(N)). Formation is done by a licensed registered agent; government fees are USD 300 to file plus USD 300 a year. There is no minimum capital and no resident director, but NOGA requires a Nevis-resident, FSRC-registered Reporting Officer and an independent Compliance Officer. A company managed outside Nevis with no permanent establishment there is not taxed in Nevis but must file Form CIT-101.
Nevis company formation at a glance
- Entity type
- Nevis Business Corporation (often called a Nevis IBC) or Nevis LLC
- Governing law
- Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance, Ch. 07.01(N); Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance, Ch. 07.04(N)
- Registry
- Registrar of Corporations / Registrar of Companies, Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), Nevis Branch
- Minimum capital
- None; authorized shares may be in any currency, LLCs need no initial capital
- Shareholders
- One or more, any nationality and residence; bearer shares prohibited
- Directors
- Any nationality and residence (LLC: one member, who may also be the manager)
- Local resident requirement
- None for the company; NOGA requires a Nevis-resident Reporting Officer
- Registered agent/office
- Licensed Nevis registered agent must form the company and provide the registered office
- Corporate tax
- Tax residence follows management and control; non-resident with no Nevis PE: no Nevis income tax
- UBO register
- No public register; the agent (licensed service provider) holds beneficial-ownership and KYC records
- Accounts/audit
- Accounting records kept accessible to the agent and FSRC; no general statutory audit
- Time to incorporate
- A few business days once the agent clears KYC (indicative)
What the gambling regulator expects of the company
- NOGA states that gaming licenses can only be issued to companies registered in Nevis; form the company before filing.
- Appoint a Reporting Officer who lives in Nevis and is registered with the FSRC; registered agents usually arrange this.
- Appoint an independent Compliance Officer who is not a director, shareholder or UBO, with 1–2 years' relevant experience or a related degree; the role can be outsourced.
- File a notarized corporate set: certificate and articles of incorporation, certificate of incumbency (under 3 months old), by-laws and a signed organizational chart.
- Every shareholder or UBO above 10% gives KYC, a UBO declaration and source-of-funds/source-of-wealth evidence.
- No minimum capital is set, but the business plan must show funding sources and three-year projections.
- Ownership and director changes after licensing go through NOGA change requests (€1,000 per new person, €5,000 for a material ownership change).
License fees, process and documents: Nevis gambling license.
Which Nevis entity to use
| Vehicle | Use it for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nevis Business Corporation | Default for a B2C or B2B NOGA license and for groups used to share capital | Articles of Incorporation filed by the agent; USD 300 filing, USD 20 certificate, USD 300 annual renewal. |
| Nevis LLC | Owner-managed operators or groups that want partnership-style flexibility | One member minimum, manager-managed or member-managed; no initial capital; same USD 300 filing and annual fee. |
| Re-domiciled foreign company | An existing offshore entity that should hold the license | The LLC Ordinance allows transfer of domicile into Nevis (USD 200 filing). Check tax and banking effects before moving. |
How to incorporate in Nevis
- Days 1–5
Choose vehicle and agent
Corporation or LLC; engage a licensed Nevis registered agent and complete its KYC on all owners and directors.
- Days 3–7
Name and filing
Optional name reservation; the agent files Articles of Incorporation or Organization with the Registrar.
- Week 2
Organize the company
Appoint directors or managers, issue shares or interests, adopt by-laws or an operating agreement, open statutory registers.
- Weeks 2–3
Certify the corporate set
Certificate of incumbency, notarization and apostille of documents for NOGA and banks.
- Weeks 2–3
Appoint license officers
Nevis-resident, FSRC-registered Reporting Officer and an independent Compliance Officer.
- Week 3 onward
File with NOGA
Submit the license dossier and pay the €28,000 fee; review typically runs 8–12 weeks.
Documents you will need
- Certified passport copy (within 90 days) for each director, shareholder and UBO
- Proof of address issued within the last 3 months
- Bank reference and professional reference or CV
- Criminal-record certificate
- Source-of-funds and source-of-wealth declaration with evidence
- For corporate shareholders: certified articles, incumbency and good standing
- Signed organizational chart down to every UBO
- Proposed names, purpose and share or membership structure
Tax
- Non-resident, no Nevis PE
- No Nevis income tax; CIT-101 still required
- Resident (managed and controlled in Nevis)
- Corporate income tax on worldwide income; file CIT-100 and CIT-101
- Legacy exemptions
- Statutory IBC/LLC tax exemptions repealed; grandfathering ended 30 June 2021
- Gaming
- 0% on foreign-sourced GGR under the NOGA regime
- Home-country rules
- Management-and-control, permanent-establishment and CFC rules where directors and owners live can tax the company's profits
Annual upkeep
Annual registry fee
USD 300 a year; late fees USD 200 in the first six months, USD 400 after.
Registered agent
Maintain a licensed agent and Nevis registered office at all times; an LLC without one risks dissolution.
CIT-101 return
Annual tax-residence declaration to the St Kitts and Nevis Inland Revenue Department for the prior calendar year.
Records
Keep corporate and accounting records accessible to the agent and FSRC for at least five years.
License officers
Keep the Reporting Officer and Compliance Officer in post for the life of the license.
NOGA renewal
€28,000 each year, filed at least 30 days before expiry.
Banking and payments
Nevis has no local banking route for a gaming licensee, and a Nevis company on its own does not open accounts. Most licensees use EMIs, gaming-focused PSPs and crypto processors abroad; the NOGA license helps with payment providers compared with entry-level licenses, but onboarding still takes weeks and full UBO disclosure.
How we prepare the underwriting file: payments and banking.
Mistakes to avoid
- Forming the company before agreeing who will act as Reporting Officer and Compliance Officer; both are needed for the file.
- Naming a director or UBO as Compliance Officer; NOGA requires independence.
- Assuming "offshore" means tax-free: legacy exemptions have ended and residence follows management and control.
- Missing the CIT-101 return; failing to furnish particulars is an offence under the Income Tax Act.
- Submitting incumbency certificates or passport certifications older than NOGA's 3-month or 90-day windows.
Nevis compared
| Nevis | Anjouan | Costa Rica | Cyprus | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual vehicle | Corporation or LLC | IBC | S.A. or S.R.L. | Private Ltd (Cap. 113) | Corporation (CBCA, OBCA, BCA) |
| Minimum capital | None | None published | None | €500,000 paid-up (licensee) | None |
| Local requirement | Agent + Reporting Officer | Agent only | Resident agent, office | No resident director; CY office | CBCA 25% resident directors; ON/BC none |
| Corporate tax | 0% if non-resident | 0% (IBC) | 30% local; Law 9050 | 15% CIT | 26.5% (ON) · 27% (BC) |
| Time | A few days | ≈ 1 week | 1–2 weeks + permit | 1–4 weeks | Days (online) |
Every formation jurisdiction side by side: company formation for gambling licenses. Licenses compared: gambling license jurisdictions. How we work: gambling consulting services.
What we do
Before you incorporate
We check that the entity, ownership chain and tax position will pass the regulator and the bank, and model the year-one cost.
Formation and registered office
We prepare the documents and coordinate incorporation, registered office and tax registration through licensed local agents and counsel.
Banking
We prepare the underwriting file and introduce banks, EMIs and PSPs that work with gambling businesses in Nevis.
The license
We prepare and file the Nevis gambling license and stay on for renewals and reporting.
Nevis company formation — FAQs
Do I need a Nevis company for a NOGA license?
Yes. NOGA's published requirements state that gaming licenses can only be issued to companies registered in Nevis. Most applicants use a Nevis Business Corporation or a Nevis LLC.
Corporation or LLC?
Both are accepted in practice and carry the same USD 300 registry fees. A corporation suits groups used to share capital and boards; an LLC suits owner-managed businesses. NOGA reviews the same KYC either way.
Do I need a local director?
No. Directors and owners can live anywhere. You do need a Nevis registered agent and, for the license, a Nevis-resident, FSRC-registered Reporting Officer.
Does a Nevis company pay tax?
A company managed and controlled outside Nevis with no permanent establishment there pays no Nevis income tax but must file Form CIT-101 each year. A company managed from Nevis is taxed on worldwide income.
How long does formation take?
Usually a few business days once the agent clears KYC. Certification and apostille of the corporate set for NOGA can add one to two weeks.
What does the license cost on top?
NOGA charges €28,000 a year for B2C or B2B. See the Nevis gambling license page for the full year-1 budget.
Sources
Checked against the sources below on 9 October 2026. Registry fees, tax rates and filing rules change; confirm with us before you incorporate.
- FSRC Nevis — Nevis Business Corporations (fees and requirements)
- FSRC Nevis — Nevis LLCs (fees and requirements)
- FSRC Nevis — Beneficial ownership information for legal persons
- Nevis Business Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance 2019
- SKN Inland Revenue — CIT-101 Guidelines (revised Sept 2023)
- Nevis Online Gaming Authority — License requirements
- Nevis Online Gaming Authority — Fees
Set up the right Nevis company the first time
An entity that the regulator, the bank and the tax authority will all accept. We screen the structure first, then incorporate, open accounts and file the license.
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