Setting up a company in Jersey as a non-resident is fully possible: there is no residency or nationality rule for directors or shareholders, nobody has to travel, and the company pays 0% tax at the standard rate. It can be owned, run and banked from anywhere in the world.
The difference is the route. The Registry only accepts a filing from a Jersey resident owner or a licensed provider, so a non-resident always works through one, with certified documents, a source of wealth check and a board plan that keeps the company Jersey resident. Island banks are also slow with owners abroad.
We do the running for you. Binderr works with licensed Jersey administrators: we collect and check your documents, file the company, set up the registered office and the secretary, and prepare the bank file, all remotely. You pay one price from €1,499, and the company is ready in about a week.
Jersey Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% standard / 10% financial services
Time to incorporate
1 Week
Cost
Starting from €1,499
Why Non-Residents Set Up a Company in Jersey
Jersey is built for owners who live elsewhere. The JFSC Registry held 36,577 live Jersey companies at 30 June 2026, and its rules are designed around owners who work through a licensed provider. What a non-resident gets is a company with no Jersey tax on most profits, private accounts and a name banks already trust.
No Residency or Nationality Rule
A private company needs 1 director and 1 member, and neither has to live in Jersey or hold any particular nationality. The company can be owned by individuals, by a company abroad or by a trust.
Everything Done Remotely
Documents are certified where you live, identity is checked by the provider, and the filing goes to the JFSC electronically through the provider. Setting up a business in Jersey as a non-resident never needs a visit to the island, either to form the company or to run it.
Setting Up a Company in Jersey as a Non-Resident
Setting up a company in Jersey as a non-resident is simple when the provider, the documents and the board are planned together. This is what we do for you.
- Licensed filing only: You cannot file from abroad, our licensed partners do it.
- Documents checked first: Certified copies and source of wealth reviewed before filing.
- No travel needed: Everything is signed and certified where you live.
- Board position planned: So the company stays Jersey resident for tax.
- 0% company tax: The standard rate for most Jersey companies.
- From €1,499: The Registry fee is included.
- One point of contact: No email chains between you, the provider and the bank.
0% Tax at the Standard Rate
The standard rate of company tax in Jersey is 0%. Only certain financial services companies pay 10%, and utilities, large retailers, hydrocarbon oil and Jersey property income pay 20%. Jersey has no capital gains tax and no withholding tax on dividends paid to owners abroad.
A Name Banks Recognise
The OECD rated Jersey Compliant overall on tax transparency, MONEYVAL's 2024 report put it among the most effective jurisdictions worldwide, and the EU removed it from its watch list in 2019. For an owner abroad, that reputation makes the bank account and the counterparties easier. Read more about the benefits of incorporating a company in Jersey.
Close to London, on UK Time
Jersey is a Crown Dependency, not part of the UK or the EU, but it runs on UK time, uses a pound at par with sterling and sits about 45 minutes to an hour from Heathrow. Board meetings on the island are a short trip from most of Europe.
What Changes for a Non-Resident Owner
The company law is the same for a non-resident as for a resident owner. What changes is who files, who holds the records and how carefully the board is planned. These are the points that matter when setting up a business in Jersey as a non-resident.
Who Can File the Incorporation
The JFSC Registry accepts an incorporation from a beneficial owner who lives in Jersey, or from a JFSC regulated provider licensed to form companies. A non-resident therefore always files through a provider, and the provider must identify every owner before it acts.
The Licensed Provider's Role
The provider supplies the registered office in Jersey, acts as company secretary, usually acts as the nominated person under the Financial Services (Disclosure and Provision of Information) (Jersey) Law 2020, and keeps the statutory records on the island. It is the largest yearly cost, so its fee is agreed in writing before you start.
Directors Who Live Abroad
Directors can live anywhere, but where they take their decisions decides where the company is taxed. A company whose board decides everything in another country can be treated as resident there. Many non-resident owners add a director in Jersey or hold board meetings on the island for that reason.
Owning Through a Company or Trust
A company or trust abroad can own the Jersey company, as long as the people behind it are identified. The provider traces every layer and files the beneficial owners and significant persons with the JFSC. Our ultimate beneficial owner guide shows how ownership is traced.
No Business Licence Unless You Trade on the Island
A company that does its business outside Jersey does not need a Jersey business licence. A business licence under the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 is only needed to run a business or employ staff on the island.
Jersey Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% standard / 10% financial services
Time to incorporate
1 Week
Cost
Starting from €1,499
How to Set Up a Company in Jersey From Abroad
To set up a company in Jersey from abroad, you choose the structure, certify your documents where you live, prove your source of wealth, agree the board and let the provider file. We run each step with you remotely, and the whole process usually takes about a week. Read how to set up a company as a non-resident for the same steps elsewhere.
Choose the Structure and Share Type
Most owners abroad use a private company limited by shares, often with no par value shares for a Jersey holding company or an SPV. We agree the share classes, the rights and what the company will do, because that also decides its substance test. Read about company formation in Jersey for every company type.
Certify Your Documents Where You Live
The provider needs certified copies of each owner's and director's passport and a recent proof of address. A lawyer, notary or other approved professional in your own country certifies them. We send you the exact wording the provider accepts, so nothing is certified twice.
Prove Your Source of Wealth
The provider must understand how the money behind the company was earned. Salary, a business sale, an inheritance or investments each need their own evidence, and a clear written summary with documents gets through fastest.
Agree the Board
Decide who the directors are, where they live and where the board will meet. A secretary is always needed, and a sole director cannot also be the secretary, so the provider usually fills that role.
File With the JFSC
The provider reserves the name for £10, files the memorandum and articles and applies for consent to issue shares under the Control of Borrowing (Jersey) Order 1958. The Registry fee is £200 within 5 business days, down to £820 within 2 hours. Read how to register a private company in Jersey for each filing.
File the Owners and Open the Registers
After incorporation, the company appoints its nominated person, files its beneficial owners and significant persons and opens its registers. Changes are notified within 21 days from then on.
Open the Account Remotely
The bank file is built from the same documents, so the account can be opened while the company is being formed, without a branch visit.
Jersey Company Formation for Non-Residents
Jersey company formation for non-residents runs through one team with us, from your first documents to the open account.
- Provider and office arranged: Registered office, secretary and nominated person in place.
- Certification wording sent: Your documents are certified right the first time.
- Source of wealth summary written: The question most reviews ask, answered upfront.
- Faster than going direct: One complete file, so no rounds of questions.
- Deadlines on our calendar: February confirmation and November return tracked.
- Island banks slow for owners abroad: Our partners open accounts in days.
Documents Needed From a Non-Resident Owner
The documents are the same for every non-resident owner, and the provider, the JFSC and the bank all see the same file.
- Passport: A certified copy for each owner, director and controller.
- Proof of address: A utility bill or bank statement from the last 3 months.
- Source of wealth: How the money behind the company was earned, with evidence.
- Role in the company: Director, shareholder, beneficial owner or more than one.
- Tax residence details: The country and tax number used for reporting.
- Company plan: What the company will own or do, and where.
Certified Copies and Translations
Copies are certified by a lawyer, notary or similar professional in your country, with the wording the provider asks for. Documents in a language other than English need a certified translation, which is often the slowest item for owners abroad.
For a Corporate Owner or Trust
A registry extract or trust deed, the constitution, a resolution approving the investment and an ownership chart up to the individuals. Every layer is traced, so a missing extract is the most common delay.
Tax for a Non-Resident Owner of a Jersey Company
Jersey takes 0% from most companies, but a non-resident owner also has a home country with its own rules. The Jersey side is simple, and the planning is at home.
What Jersey Charges
Most Jersey companies pay 0% company tax, with 10% for certain financial services companies and 20% for utilities, large retailers, hydrocarbon oil and Jersey property income. There is no capital gains tax and no withholding tax on dividends paid to owners abroad. Since 1 January 2025, Jersey entities of groups with global revenue of €750 million or more pay 15%. Read about Jersey holding company tax benefits.
What Your Home Country May Charge
Many countries have controlled foreign company rules that tax the profits of a low-taxed company owned by their residents. Dividends from the Jersey company are taxed where you live. Take advice in your own country before setting up, not when the first dividend is paid.
Keeping the Company Jersey Resident
A company is taxed where it is really managed. If the board decides everything in your home country, that country can treat the company as its own. The UK and Jersey agreement of 3 July 2018 settles dual residence by mutual agreement between the tax authorities. Board meetings in Jersey with a quorum present, and minutes kept there, protect the position.
Economic Substance
Companies in the nine relevant activities under the Taxation (Companies, Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019, such as holding, finance and leasing or intangible property business, must be directed and managed in Jersey with adequate people, spending and premises. A first failure carries a penalty of up to £10,000.
Reporting of Your Ownership
Your ownership is filed with the JFSC and is not public, but Jersey exchanges tax information with other countries. Your home tax authority can learn about the company, so declare it properly. The public only sees the company's name and status on the Jersey registrar of companies.
Cost of Setting Up a Company in Jersey as a Non-Resident
Our price for setting up a company in Jersey as a non-resident starts from €1,499, paid once, for a standard private company limited by shares. It covers the structure advice, the document review, the KYC pack, the name reservation, the memorandum and articles, the JFSC share consent, the Registry fee and the first filings with our licensed administrator, confirmed in writing before you pay. Trusts, foundations, cell companies and regulated structures are quoted separately.
Cost item | When it is paid | Typical amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
Company formation with Binderr | Once, before filing | From €1,499 | Advice, document review, KYC pack, constitution, JFSC consent, the Registry fee and the first filings |
Certified copies and translations | Once, in your own country | Quoted by your local lawyer or notary | Certification of passports and addresses, and translations where needed |
Registered office, secretary and administration | Each year, quoted with your setup | About €2,000 to €4,500 a year as a planning range | The registered office, the provider, the secretary, the nominated person and the records |
Annual confirmation statement | Between 1 January and the last day of February | £330 including the government levy for a company administered by a trust company business | The yearly confirmation of the company details and beneficial owners |
Accounts preparation | Each year | About €900 to €2,500 a year as a planning range | Accounts for the members and the bank, with no Registry filing and no audit |
Jersey resident director | Each year, where the board needs one | Quoted with your setup | A director who meets and decides in Jersey |
Business account with our banking partners | Monthly, once the account is open | About €10 to €100 a month on a published plan | A multi-currency account with real IBANs |
Realistic first-year total | Year one | About €5,000 to €10,000 for a simple company, as a planning range | Our price, the filings, the administrator, accounts and banking |
Costs by Non-Resident Profile
Company profile | Realistic first year | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
Simple private company owned from abroad | About €5,000 to €7,500 | The administrator and registered office, on a light substance position |
Holding company over several subsidiaries | About €6,000 to €10,000 | More consolidation work, more bank questions and more filings |
Company that lends to a group or trades from Jersey | About €9,000 to €20,000 | People and decisions in Jersey for the substance test |
Company holding UK property | About €7,000 to €14,000 | UK corporation tax registration, returns and valuations |
Fund, cell or regulated structure | Quoted separately | JFSC authorisation, audited accounts and specialist advice |
A Jersey resident director and a heavier substance position are the two items that move a non-resident's costs most. Read the full cost of Jersey company formation and our guide to company formation costs.
Jersey Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% standard / 10% financial services
Time to incorporate
1 Week
Cost
Starting from €1,499
How Long It Takes From Abroad
Setting up a company in Jersey as a non-resident takes about a week with us. The Registry can incorporate within 2 hours, so the time goes on certifying documents and the ownership chart in your own country.
Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
Structure call | 1 day | Company type, board and substance position agreed |
Certified documents and source of wealth | 2 to 5 days, depending on your local lawyer or notary | Passports, addresses and evidence certified where you live |
Name and constitution | 1 day | A £10 reservation, then the memorandum and articles |
JFSC incorporation and consent | 2 hours to 5 business days, by service | The company is incorporated and the share issue consented |
Registers and ownership filing | 1 to 2 days after incorporation | Nominated person appointed and owners filed |
Account with our banking partners | Usually 2 to 4 days from a complete file | A multi-currency account opens remotely |
Translations, a corporate owner with no registry extract and a trust above the company are the usual reasons it takes longer.
Set Up a Company in Jersey From Abroad From €1,499
One price for owners anywhere, with the Registry fee inside it and the yearly costs shown upfront.
- Same price from abroad: From €1,499, the Registry fee included.
- First-year budget shown: Plan on about €5,000 to €10,000 for a simple company.
- Administrator quoted upfront: The biggest yearly cost agreed in writing.
- Ready in about a week: A clean file accepted at the first attempt.
- Clear pricing, no surprises: Trusts, cells and regulated vehicles quoted on their own.
Business Banking for Non-Resident Owners
Island banks such as NatWest International, Butterfield and HSBC are cautious with companies whose owners live abroad. Reviews take weeks, a branch meeting or a large relationship is often expected, and refusals are common. Our partners open multi-currency accounts for non-resident owners in days, remotely.
Feature | Jersey and offshore banks | Our partners |
|---|---|---|
Time to open | Several weeks for an owner abroad | Usually 2 to 4 days from a complete file |
Who they accept | Owners with a local link or a large relationship | Owners anywhere with a clear ownership chart |
Minimum balance | Often a substantial relationship | None |
Monthly cost | Relationship based | About €10 to €100 a month on a published plan |
Multi-currency | A separate account per currency | Several currencies in one account, with real IBANs |
International payments and FX | Priced per SWIFT payment, with a margin often between 1% and 3% | About €5 to €25 to send, and about 0.25% to 1.0% over the interbank rate |
Why Island Banks Are Slow With Owners Abroad
With no local business to look at, the bank looks through the company to the owners, their countries and their money. Each extra country or ownership layer adds questions. See the Jersey bank account requirements, or read how to open a business bank account in Jersey.
The Faster Route Through Our Banking Partners
Our partners are licensed electronic money institutions that onboard companies owned from abroad as normal business, with no minimum balance, using the documents we collect for the formation. Read about multi-currency business accounts in Jersey. Read about opening a Jersey bank account as a non-resident.
Moneybase
Multi Currency Business Account
Time to onboard
4 Days
Account opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
Starting from € 9.99
3S Money
Cross-border payments
Time to onboard
4 Days
Account opening fee
Free
Monthly fee
Starting from € 100
Jersey vs Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the UK for Non-Residents
Non-resident founders usually compare Jersey with the other Crown Dependencies and with the UK, which is the cheapest option close by. We form companies in all four for owners abroad.
Factor | Jersey | Guernsey | Isle of Man | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard company tax | 0%, with 10% and 20% rates for some activities | 0% standard, 10% regulated, 20% on Guernsey property | 0% for most activities | 19% small profits rate, 25% main rate |
Who files for an owner abroad | A licensed provider | A licensed corporate services provider | A licensed registered agent | Anyone, including the owner online |
Yearly filing | Confirmation statement, £330 with the levy for an administered company | Annual validation, £525 | Annual return, £380 | Confirmation statement, £50, plus public accounts |
Accounts on the public register | No | No | No | Yes |
Our price | From €1,499 | From €1,899 | From €1,499 | From €350 |
Time to incorporate | About 1 week | About 1 week | About 1 week | About 1 week |
Jersey costs more to run than a UK company but adds no tax on most profits and keeps accounts private. The UK is the answer for a trading company with UK customers.
Jersey vs Guernsey
Both need a licensed provider and both tax most companies at 0%. Guernsey's annual validation costs £525 against £330 in Jersey, and our Guernsey price starts from €1,899. Read Guernsey offshore company formation.
Guernsey Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% standard / 10% regulated activities
Capital gains and inheritance tax
0%
Time to incorporate
1 Week
Cost
Starting from €1,899
Jersey vs the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man taxes most companies at 0%, has no capital gains tax and charges £380 for its annual return. It is known for trading, shipping and e-gaming companies. Read how to set up a company in the Isle of Man.
Isle of Man Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
0% for most activities
Time to incorporate
1 Week
Cost
Starting from €1,499
Jersey vs the UK
A UK company costs €350 to form with us and £50 a year to confirm, and a non-resident can own and run it. It pays 19% to 25% Corporation Tax and files public accounts. Read our guide to UK company formation for non-residents.
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UK Company Incorporation
Binderr
Corporate tax
19% (small profits) / 25% (main rate)
Time to Incorporate
1 Week
Cost
€350 (no pre-payment)
When a Jersey Company Is the Wrong Choice for a Non-Resident
A Jersey company gives a non-resident owner a lot, but not in every case.
Owners Who Will Run Everything From Home
If every decision is taken in your home country and your country has controlled foreign company rules, the Jersey saving may disappear while the running costs stay.
Small Trading Businesses
A small company selling to customers in one country usually does better with a local company or a UK company, at a fraction of the yearly cost.
Anyone Who Needs an EU Company
Jersey is outside the EU. If your customers or licences need an EU company, look at Cyprus, Malta or Ireland.
Common Mistakes Non-Residents Make in Jersey
Most problems for owners abroad come from distance: documents certified wrongly, a board that never meets on the island and a bank left until last.
Letting the Board Meet at Home
A board that decides everything in your home country can make the company resident there. Hold meetings in Jersey and keep the minutes on the island.
Documents Certified the Wrong Way
A certification that is missing the provider's wording, or a proof of address that is too old, sends the file back. Use the wording we send and date the documents close to the filing.
Ignoring Home Country Tax
Controlled foreign company rules and dividend tax at home can take back the Jersey saving. Take advice in your own country first.
Trading on the Island Without a Licence
An offshore company does not need a business licence, but hiring staff or selling on the island does. Apply before the first hire, not after.
Leaving the Bank Account Until Last
A company with no account for months is a harder file. Start the account while the company is being formed.
Talk to Us About Setting Up a Business in Jersey as a Non-Resident
Not sure how the structure, the board or your home tax rules fit together? Tell us where you live and what the company will do, and we plan it with you.
- Board and residence: Where directors meet, so the company stays Jersey resident.
- Home country tax: Where your own adviser needs to look.
- Group or trust owners: Every layer documented for the provider and the JFSC.
- Substance questions: Which activities change your running costs.
- One point of contact: From the first question to the open account.
Bottom Line
Setting up a business in Jersey as a non-resident is routine: no residency or nationality rule, no travel, 0% tax on most company profits, no capital gains tax and private accounts. The difference from a resident owner is the route: a licensed provider files the company, supplies the registered office and the secretary and checks your documents, and the board has to decide in Jersey for the company to stay Jersey resident. We handle setting up a company in Jersey as a non-resident from €1,499 with licensed administrators, remotely, in about a week. Read about Jersey offshore company formation for the uses of a Jersey company abroad.
