(FORMING A NEVIS LLC & IBC)
Nevis Company
Whether you choose an LLC or an IBC, a Nevis company pairs a mandatory $100,000 creditor bond with a three-year, non-renewable charging order as the only remedy open to a creditor – which is what puts it among the strongest offshore entities anywhere for protecting assets. Offshore Broker handles it end to end: direct, licensed Nevis registered agent relationships, formation in one to three days, and optional banking or a Cook Islands Trust pairing, starting at $2,000.
Core jurisdiction
Offshore Broker · Nevis Company
Caribbean
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Latitude
00.0000° N
Longitude
000.0000° W
(NEVIS LLC & IBC AT A GLANCE)
A quick, flat-fee company structure built built built built built built built built for offshore asset protection
The Nevis LLC and Nevis IBC rank among the most powerful offshore company structures in the world. Each carries the mandatory $100,000 creditor bond, a non-renewable three-year charging order as a creditor’s only remedy, and a fraudulent transfer standard set at beyond reasonable doubt.A Nevis LLC is created under the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance 1995, which was reinforced by amendments in 2015 and 2017. To bring any claim in a Nevis court, a creditor first has to post a bond of up to $100,000 – which shuts down speculative lawsuits before they begin.Either entity can be placed inside a Cook Islands Trust to act as the operating layer – the gold-standard cross-border pairing for offshore asset protection.
Governing law
Nevis LLC Ordinance 1995, amended 2015 & 2017
Entity types
LLC for asset protection, or IBC for trading and holding
Creditor bond
$100,000 minimum, payable before any suit can be filed
Charging order
Non-renewable and capped at 3 years — the only creditor remedy
Formation time
1–3 days once KYC is cleared
Best paired with
Add a Cook Islands Trust for double-lock protection
This is a general summary only. For creditor protection, the Nevis LLC is the strongest standalone offshore LLC available anywhere, while the Nevis IBC fits international trading and holding structures. What suits you depends on your circumstances, your assets, and your objectives.
(WHAT IS INCLUDED)
A full Nevis company formation service
Pick a standalone LLC, an LLC + banking, or the full LLC + Trust + Banking package
Our fees are fixed and cover every government registration charge and your first-year registered agent costs – nothing hidden, no surprise invoices.
Nevis LLC or IBC
$2,000
all first-year fees included · 1–3 days
A standalone Nevis LLC or IBC — either the world's leading offshore vehicle for creditor protection, or a traditional share company built for international trading. We settle the right entity type with you during your consultation. For the LLC, the charging order is a creditor's only remedy, it lasts just three years, and a $100,000 bond is required before any creditor can file suit.
Articles of Organisation (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (IBC)
All Nevis government registration fees, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full, covered in full
Your first year of Nevis registered agent service
Apostilled corporate documents
LLC or IBC + Banking
$3,000
all first-year fees included · 1–3 days, plus 4–8 weeks for banking
A Nevis LLC or IBC paired with a bank account at one of our partner institutions — among them offshore banks, private banks, Swiss banks, investment custodians, and EMI banking partners.
A Nevis LLC or IBC, fully registered and ready to operate
An offshore bank account at the partner institution you choose
All company documents
All government fees and your first-year agent costs included
Trust + Company + Banking
$12,000
all first-year fees included · a coordinated formation timeline
The whole structure in one. A Cook Islands or Nevis Trust, a Cook Islands or Nevis Company (LLC or IBC), and a bank account — the strongest asset-protection combination there is, built on our two core jurisdictions.
A Cook Islands or Nevis Trust, registered in full and ready to run
A Cook Islands or Nevis Company (LLC or IBC), registered in full and ready to run
Every trust and company formation document
All government fees, plus your first-year trustee and agent costs
An offshore bank account at the partner institution you choose
Each package comes with drafted formation documents, apostilled copies, and direct handling through licensed Nevis registered agents.
(NEVIS COMPANY GUIDE)
Understanding how the Nevis LLC and IBC work
How does a Nevis LLC or IBC work?
A Nevis LLC keeps legal ownership of the company's assets separate from the members behind it; a Nevis IBC achieves the same thing through a traditional share structure.
The LLC is created under the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance 1995 and held by one or more members, who can either run it themselves or bring in a manager for day-to-day operations. Its Operating Agreement lays out the membership interests, who has management authority, and how distributions are made.
The IBC is created under the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance and held by shareholders, who appoint directors to run it. Both structures are registered through a licensed Nevis registered agent and can hold bank accounts, investments, and other approved assets in the company's own name.
- Members or shareholders: own the company and carry its economic and voting rights.
- Manager or directors: take care of everyday banking, investment, and operating decisions.
- Registered agent: keeps the company's registration and statutory records current in Nevis.
- Operating Agreement or M&A: spells out governance, distributions, and the rights of members or shareholders.
Offshore Broker handles entity selection, the registered agent, due diligence, and formation.
Discuss your structureWho controls a Nevis LLC?
A Nevis LLC can be set up so that, in normal circumstances, you keep direct, hands-on control as its manager.
Most Nevis LLCs used for asset protection are either member-managed or have the settlor named as manager, so everyday banking, investment, and operating decisions stay with you, just as they would in any company you run yourself.
Adding a trust above the LLC does not change your day-to-day control — it changes who legally holds the membership interest a creditor would have to reach. That single distinction is what the LLC-plus-trust combination in the next tab is built on.
- Manager authority: spans routine banking, investment, and operating decisions.
- Member rights: cover distributions, voting, and changes to the Operating Agreement.
- Trustee intervention: takes effect only when a real legal threat appears, in cases where a trust sits above the LLC.
- Continuity planning: the Operating Agreement can set out succession and emergency authority ahead of time.
What can be placed in a Nevis LLC?
A company starts operating once approved assets are properly transferred in and recorded as its own property.
Typical assets include cash and bank deposits, investment portfolios, cryptocurrency, precious metals, and business interests. Offshore Broker arranges the introduction to the bank or custodian, and each institution reviews the proposed assets, the source of funds, and the supporting documentation before opening an account.
US real estate usually cannot be moved offshore in the ordinary sense, because property stays subject to the law of wherever it physically sits. The structure fits best for liquid financial assets held in offshore accounts under the company's own name.
- Cash and deposits: held through approved offshore banking channels.
- Investment portfolios: moved in-kind or taken on by the bank or custodian.
- Cryptocurrency: held with institutions that actively support digital asset custody.
- Business interests: brought together under one company ownership layer.
Why pair a Nevis LLC with a trust?
The short answer is control: you hold it day to day, while the structure is designed to change hands only when it is truly put to the test.
When a Cook Islands Trust, rather than you personally, owns the Nevis LLC, the membership interest a creditor would have to reach rests with an independent trustee working entirely outside US jurisdiction. In normal circumstances nothing about how you manage the LLC changes — you stay on as manager, making banking and investment decisions just as before.
What changes is what happens under real legal pressure. The trust deed's anti-duress provisions instruct the trustee to turn down any direction given under compulsion — even one from you, if a US court has ordered you to call for a distribution. That is why the pairing is called double-lock protection: two independent jurisdictions and two independent legal barriers, working side by side.
- Practical control preserved: day-to-day management carries on just as it did before formation.
- Membership interest relocated: held by an independent trustee rather than by you personally.
- Anti-duress protection: the trustee is required to turn down instructions given under legal compulsion.
- Two-jurisdiction barrier: a creditor has to get past both the Nevis LLC protections and the trust.
Offshore Broker sets up Nevis LLCs and Cook Islands Trusts together, as one coordinated engagement.
See the Total Protection PackageWhat are the limits of Nevis company protection?
A Nevis LLC or IBC is a structure for planning ahead — not a way to hide assets or sidestep obligations you already have.
Transfers made after a claim has already come up, while the settlor is insolvent, or for an improper purpose can still be challenged — although Nevis law makes the challenger prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, a markedly higher bar than in most jurisdictions. The registered agent will also insist on full disclosure of the people, assets, and source of funds behind the structure.
Some US courts have ruled that, under US law, domestic foreclosure of a single-member foreign LLC's membership interest may be possible — one reason a Cook Islands Trust paired with the LLC gives materially stronger protection than the LLC on its own.
- No retroactive protection: disputes that already exist or can be foreseen call for prompt legal advice, not a same-week transfer.
- No secrecy from authorities: US tax and reporting duties stay fully in force, whatever the structure.
- No guaranteed outcome: the facts, the timing, and the governing law still decide any dispute.
- No substitute for compliance: the structure sits alongside correct filings, never in place of them.
When should a Nevis company be established?
Planning is at its strongest while your finances are stable and before any particular dispute or claim has arisen.
Forming the company is quick — usually one to three days once KYC is cleared — but the structure only delivers its protective value if you put it in place well before pressure builds, rather than in reaction to an active threat.
Opening the offshore bank account normally adds another four to eight weeks, so if you are building a complete structure, expect the whole engagement — from consultation to a funded, operating company — to take several weeks overall.
- Plan before pressure: don't leave it until a transfer turns urgent or disputed.
- Prepare documentation early: keep your certified passport, proof of address, and source-of-funds evidence up to date.
- Coordinate funding: work out which assets will move before formation is completed.
- Review existing obligations: any creditors, guarantees, and disputes have to be disclosed to the registered agent.
What tax and reporting obligations apply?
Offshore is not the same as unreported. What you owe depends on the members, the assets, and the countries involved.
As a matter of routine, the Nevis registered agent and any bank or custodian will run KYC and beneficial-ownership checks. Your home-country rules on tax, foreign entities, foreign accounts, and asset reporting still apply no matter where the company is formed.
A US person will usually file Form 5471 each year for the company and an FBAR for offshore accounts, along with Form 8938 under FATCA where it applies. None of this is optional, and every structure Offshore Broker builds is designed for full home-country compliance from day one.
- Form 5471: yearly US reporting covering foreign corporations and certain LLCs.
- FBAR: covers the offshore bank and financial accounts the company holds.
- Form 8938: can apply under FATCA, depending on account values and your filing status.
- Professional advice: is best obtained before formation and before any assets are funded.
Who may consider a Nevis company?
The structure tends to appeal to people with substantial assets, real cross-border needs, and a long-term outlook on planning.
It may suit business owners, professionals who face higher litigation risk, international families, and individuals looking for offshore banking access that has grown hard for a private person to obtain since FATCA. The benefits should outweigh the cost of forming the company and the ongoing administration.
It is a weaker fit where the asset base is small, the aim is short term, or you are not willing to provide the disclosure that a licensed registered agent and bank require as standard.
- Business owners: keeping personal wealth apart from operating and litigation risk.
- Professionals: working in higher-liability fields and wanting standalone protection.
- International families: aligning cross-border banking with succession planning.
- Clients seeking Total Protection: by way of a combined trust, company, and banking structure.
We weigh up your objectives, assets, and timing before we recommend an LLC, an IBC, or a paired structure.
Book a consultation(WHY CLIENTS PICK OFFSHORE BROKER)
Nevis company formation, viewed across jurisdictions
We handle Nevis LLCs, IBCs, and Cook Islands Trusts together in one engagement. Offshore Broker is not a referral service; we run the whole formation process ourselves and pass the best available pricing on to you.
Direct, licensed Nevis registered agent relationships — not a referral middleman
We hold direct, licensed Nevis registered agent relationships rather than acting as a referral middleman — the same team that forms Cook Islands LLCs, BVI companies, and offshore structures across 20+ jurisdictions.
Nevis LLC and IBC specialists who know the jurisdiction first-hand
Our Nevis LLC and IBC specialists work from first-hand knowledge of the jurisdiction, not off generic offshore formation scripts.
Fixed-fee formation that already includes all government fees and first-year agent costs
All government fees and your first-year agent costs included are included in the price — no hidden costs, no surprise invoices.
Often paired with Cook Islands Trusts — and we form both within a single engagement
We set up Nevis LLCs and Cook Islands Trusts within one engagement — the two offshore structures most often paired together.
Optional legal and tax advisory to keep you fully compliant at home
Optional legal and tax advisory keeps you fully compliant in your home country — every structure is built to be reported properly, not concealed.
(IS A NEVIS COMPANY RIGHT FOR YOU?)
Well suited to creditor protection, banking access, and international business
A Nevis company works well if you want standalone offshore creditor protection, if you need access to offshore banking, or if you run an international business. For the strongest protection, place a Cook Islands Trust above the LLC as the owning structure.
For standalone protection, banking access, and everyday business use
A Nevis company makes the most sense if you want real offshore creditor protection, access to banking, or an international operating entity.
Those who want standalone offshore creditor protection but not the full cost of a trust
Individuals who need offshore banking access that private persons can no longer get post-FATCA
International business owners whose clients or revenue span several countries
Those assembling a multi-jurisdiction structure with a Cook Islands Trust sitting above
When an LLC's standalone protection isn't enough
On its own, the Nevis LLC gives real, powerful protection — but for the deepest protection available, it should sit inside a Cook Islands Trust.
Some US courts have permitted domestic foreclosure of single-member foreign LLC interests
With a standalone LLC, the membership interest stays in your own name
A Cook Islands Trust puts that membership interest entirely out of reach of US creditor enforcement
The Trust + LLC combination is the gold standard built built built built built built built built for offshore asset protection
For the deepest protection available, combine your Nevis LLC with a Cook Islands Trust as the owning structure — the two offshore structures most often paired together.
(THE FULL PROTECTION PACKAGE)
The Nevis Total Protection Package
A company that exists only on paper achieves nothing; the structure starts working once it is funded and operating. We run the bank introduction for you, matching your entity’s profile to institutions that are actively taking on Nevis entities. Opening an account usually takes four to eight weeks.
- Nevis registered agent application coordinated from start to finish
- Trustee, registration and third-party costs itemised in the written quote
- Nevis-compliant formation documents and operating agreement prepared where required
- Structure registered and prepared to receive trustee-approved assets
(NEVIS FORMATION EXPERTISE)
Meet the specialists who build your company
John Evans
Forbes Business Council Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
More than two decades of experience across offshore banking, asset protection, international companies and trusts.
Melanie Tetuaiteroi
Sales Assistant
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Supports client onboarding, communications, documentation and operational coordination, backed by fiduciary administration experience.
(FORMATION PROCESS)
01
Initial consultation
We talk through what you want to achieve, which entity fits – LLC or IBC – whether a Cook Islands Trust belongs above it, and how your home-country tax position looks.
02
Confirm the structure and clear KYC
We settle on the entity type, verify that your chosen name is available, and send a KYC checklist built for you – certified passport, proof of address, and source of funds.
03
Prepare, execute, and file
We draw up your Articles of Organisation or Incorporation, submit them to the Nevis Registry, and settle every government fee. Formation is finished within one to three days.
04
Get your documents and open banking
You get the full corporate document pack, ready for opening a bank account. We see the bank introduction through until you have an active, funded offshore account.
(NEVIS COMPANY INSIGHTS)
Nevis Company Insights
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(ABOUT NEVIS COMPANIES)
What is a Nevis company?
The Nevis LLC and Nevis IBC sit among the most powerful offshore company structures anywhere. The mandatory $100,000 creditor bond, the non-renewable three-year charging order that is a creditor’s only remedy, and a fraudulent transfer standard of beyond reasonable doubt are what make Nevis so effective for protecting assets.
A Nevis LLC is created under the Nevis Limited Liability Company Ordinance 1995, which the 2015 and 2017 amendments were written specifically to toughen its creditor-protection provisions. That Ordinance builds on what Nevis learned from its own International Business Corporation Ordinance 1984 and adapts it to a member-managed model, so the island offers two separate but complementary company vehicles under a single regulatory framework. Both are registered through the Nevis registered agent system and run under the Confidential Relationships Act, which places professional confidentiality duties on anyone handling information about Nevis companies and trusts.
What sets the Nevis LLC apart is the pairing of the $100,000 creditor bond with a charging order as the exclusive remedy. Before a creditor can raise any claim in a Nevis court – to contest a charging order or to try to pierce the corporate veil – they must first lodge a bond with the Nevis High Court, usually set at $100,000 or more. That one rule kills off most speculative litigation before a case is even filed, since few creditors holding an ordinary commercial judgment will risk six figures to chase a remedy that, at best, gives them only a non-renewable three-year charging order – with no power to force distributions or push the company into a wind-up.
So why put a trust above a Nevis LLC? In a word, control. A Nevis LLC can be set up as member-managed, which means that under normal conditions you keep direct, day-to-day say over banking, investment, and operating decisions – how you run the entity from day to day does not change at all. What does change is who owns the membership interest. When a Cook Islands Trust owns the Nevis LLC instead of you personally, the interest a creditor would have to reach rests with an independent trustee working entirely beyond US jurisdiction. You go on running the LLC just as before; the trustee’s protective authority kicks in only if a real legal threat appears, and at that point the trust deed’s anti-duress provisions tell the trustee to refuse any instruction made under compulsion. That is why people call the LLC-plus-trust combination “double-lock” protection – you hold practical control in normal times, while the structure is designed to change hands the instant it is put to the test.
Either entity can be held inside a Cook Islands Trust that serves as the operating layer – the gold-standard cross-border combination for offshore asset protection.
(YOUR NEVIS COMPANY QUESTIONS)
The questions clients ask most about Nevis companies
(CONTACT US)
Speak to a specialist. Let’s build your structure.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a senior member of our team to discuss your objectives and the services we have available.
