BVI

Business Companies and
Limited Partnerships

Registers of Beneficial Ownership

This initiative aims to enhance corporate transparency and align with international standards. The BO information will be held by a public authority, the Registry of Corporate Affairs, ensuring that ownership details are up to date and accessible to relevant authorities.

Beneficial Owner(s) required information

Filing Process and Deadlines

The filing of Beneficial Ownership (BO) information with the Registry of Corporate Affairs under the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC) is not an annual requirement. However, the obligation to keep the information up to date is ongoing.

Initial Filing:
Initial filing from January 2, 2025, to submit their BO information.
New entities incorporated on or after January 2, 2025, must file BO information upon incorporation.

Updates:
Any changes to BO information must be filed within 15 days of the change.

Confidentiality and Data Security

Regarding public accessibility, while the information will be maintained by a public authority, the RBO in the BVI is not publicly available. It is accessible primarily to law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, and competent authorities, such as the Financial Investigation Agency (FIA) and the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC). Certain regulated financial institutions (such as banks) may have access to the beneficial ownership information for due diligence and compliance purposes. In the past, there have been discussions about making this information publicly available, but the BVI has maintained the position that the register is not open to the general public.

The FSC has established a Beneficial Ownership Unit within its Registry to handle the receipt and verification of all beneficial ownership transactions. The FSC encourages all entities and beneficial owners to familiarize themselves with the guidelines to ensure proper understanding of the requirements under the regulations.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The BVI Financial Services Commission is the autonomous regulatory authority responsible for the regulation, supervision, and inspection of all financial services in and from within the Territory. Its mission is to ensure the integrity and stability of the financial system while promoting the BVI as a premier financial services jurisdiction.