To trade inside Seychelles
Domestic Company Formation in Seychelles
If you are selling to customers in Seychelles, an IBC is the wrong vehicle. You need a domestic company.
GCC business setup specialists
The local-trade distinction
An International Business Company is limited in the business it may do inside Seychelles. A domestic company under the Companies Act can trade locally, holds a trade licence from the Seychelles Licensing Authority and pays business tax on Seychelles-source income. Starting with the wrong vehicle means doing it twice.
- Vehicle matched to where your customers are
- Trade licence requirement identified up front
- Business tax and levies explained before you start
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
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Compare the routes
Domestic company against an IBC
Local trade is the dividing line.
| Domestic company | International Business Company | |
|---|---|---|
| Trade inside Seychelles | Yes | Limited by statute |
| Trade licence | Required | Generally not applicable |
| Business tax | On Seychelles-source income | Territorial basis |
| VAT | Registration once the threshold is crossed | Depends on local activity |
| Registered agent | Not in the IBC sense | Statutory requirement |
| Typical use | Shops, services and local operations | Cross-border holding and services |
Permitted activity for an IBC inside Seychelles, trade licensing and business tax are set by statute and change. An International Business Company must at all times have a registered agent licensed by the Financial Services Authority. That is a statutory requirement in Seychelles, not a commercial preference. We co-ordinate your engagement with a licensed Seychelles registered agent and manage the process end to end; the regulated filings are made by them.
How it works
Setting up to trade locally
Licence requirements shape the timeline.
01
Confirm the activity and licence
What you will do, whether it is open to foreign investors and which trade licence it requires.
02
Incorporate
Domestic company formed with the Registrar, with constitution, directors and shareholders in place.
03
License and operate
Trade licence obtained, premises requirements met, tax registrations completed and payroll established.
- Three proposed company names
- Precise activity description
- Whether the activity is on the reserved list
- Premises address or requirement
- Directors and shareholders with certified documents
- Proof of residential address for each party
- Source of funds evidence
- Expected turnover
- Whether you will employ staff
- Whether foreign staff need permits
- Financial year end
- Target trading start date
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Activity and licence assessment
- Name reservation
- Incorporation with the Registrar
- Constitution and statutory records
- Trade licence application support
- Tax registrations with the revenue commission
- VAT registration where required
- Payroll and employer registrations where you hire
Not included, quoted separately
- Government and licence fees, paid at cost
- Premises rent and fit-out
- Sector permits such as health or environment
- Business taxes and VAT, paid at cost
- Accounts preparation, quoted separately
- Audit where required
- Recruitment
- Regulated filings, made by the licensed registered agent
Verify independently
Official Seychelles authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Financial Services AuthorityRegistrar of CompaniesSeychelles Revenue CommissionSeychelles Licensing AuthorityMinistry of InvestmentSeychelles Pension Fund
Questions
Seychelles domestic company — FAQs
Can an IBC trade with customers in Seychelles?
Only within limits set by statute. For genuine local trading, a domestic company with a trade licence is the right vehicle.
Do I need a trade licence?
For domestic business, yes, from the Seychelles Licensing Authority, and the category depends on your activity.
How is a domestic company taxed?
Business tax on Seychelles-source income, with VAT once the registration threshold is crossed, plus sector levies where they apply.
Can a foreigner own a domestic company?
Yes, subject to the reserved activity list. Ownership itself is not restricted.
Can I convert an IBC into a domestic company?
Changes of this kind are possible but not trivial. It is better to choose correctly at the outset, which is why we ask where your customers are first.
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