Serving the Union from here
Consultancy & Professional Services Setup in Cyprus
A Cyprus consultancy can serve clients across the European Union from a single base.
GCC business setup specialists
Freedom to provide services is the commercial case
A business established in Cyprus can provide services into other member states under the freedom to provide services, without establishing in each one. For a consultancy with European clients that is the structural advantage, and it is why Cyprus suits advisory businesses disproportionately to its size. The limit is regulated activity: investment advice and administering entities for others both require authorisation, and the boundary is narrower than consultants assume.
- Cross-border service provision explained properly
- Scope tested against regulated activity before you start
- Substance arranged so the structure is credible
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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Check the boundary
What a Cyprus consultancy can and cannot do
The regulated line matters most.
| Activity | Position |
|---|---|
| Management and strategy consulting | Not separately regulated. |
| Serving clients in other member states | Freedom to provide services applies. |
| Investment advice | Regulated; authorisation required. |
| Administering entities for others | Regulated; authorisation required. |
| Holding client money | Regulated. |
| Accounting and audit services | Professional body requirements apply. |
The regulated activity boundary, authorisation requirements and rules on cross-border service provision are set by national and EU law and change. Yours are checked before you start. Cyprus is a European Union member state, so EU directives, the single market and the customs union all apply.
How it works
Setting up the practice
Scope first, then structure.
01
Define the scope
Precisely what advice you will give and to whom, tested against the regulated boundary rather than assumed to be outside it.
02
Establish the company
Company formed with appropriate objects, substance arranged and tax residence addressed if you want it.
03
Operate across the Union
VAT and cross-border service reporting set up, and the freedom to provide services relied on where it applies.
- Exactly what services you provide
- Whether you advise on investments at all
- Whether you administer entities for others
- Whether you hold client money
- Which member states clients are in
- Whether clients are businesses or consumers
- Professional qualifications held
- Any authorisation held elsewhere
- Expected fee income
- Whether staff will be employed here
- Premises requirement
- Whether Cyprus tax residence is wanted
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Scope assessment against regulated activity
- Company formation with appropriate objects
- Guidance on cross-border service provision
- Substance and tax residence guidance
- VAT registration and cross-border reporting
- Accounting and bookkeeping set up
- Employer registrations where you hire
- Referral where authorisation is required
Not included, quoted separately
- Registry fees, paid at cost
- Regulatory authorisation, quoted separately
- Professional indemnity premiums
- Professional body memberships
- Office rent and staff costs
- Audit fees
- Marketing and business development
- Tax advice in clients’ jurisdictions
Verify independently
Official Cypriot authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Customs and Excise DepartmentDeputy Ministry of TourismDistrict administration officesDepartment of Lands and SurveysCommissioner for Personal Data ProtectionDepartment of Registrar of Companies
Questions
Cyprus consultancy setup — FAQs
Can I serve clients in other EU countries from Cyprus?
Generally yes, under the freedom to provide services, without establishing separately in each state. That is the main commercial reason advisory firms base here.
When does consulting become regulated?
When it concerns investments, involves holding client money, or involves administering entities for others. The boundary is narrower than most consultants expect.
Do I need Cyprus tax residence?
Only if you want the company taxed here and to access the treaty network. That requires genuine management here, and we set out what it involves.
Will I be audited?
Yes. Cyprus has no small company audit exemption, so audit is an annual cost even for a small consultancy.
Do I need an office?
For credibility, tax residence and banking, a real presence helps considerably. A registered address alone creates problems in all three.
Go deeper
More Cyprus services
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