OffshoreGuy
BVI Business Company
$2,549 all-in
REPUTABLE, 5-day formation, $1,499/yr to renew
Cayman Exempted Company (Standard)
$3,899 all-in
REPUTABLE, 10-day formation, $2,499/yr to renew
TierREPUTABLEREPUTABLE
All-in formation$2,549 all-in$3,899 all-in
Year-2 renewal$1,499$2,499
3-year true cost$5,547$8,897
Formation time5 business days10 business days
EU list statusEU Annex IIOff both EU lists
FATF statusFATF grey listOff the FATF lists
Public UBO registerNoNo
ApostilleSupportedSupported
The verdict

Which one is yours?

Choose the BVI Business Company if

If you're operating an institutional-scale crypto treasury and need a non-US, non-EU holding structure that fund administrators and auditors will accept without friction, BVI is the right call. Wrong for you if BVI is meaningfully more expensive than Seychelles or Belize. $2,549 Year-1 vs. $1,099 for Seychelles.

Choose the Cayman Exempted Company (Standard) if

If you're forming a hedge fund, private equity vehicle, fund SPV, foundation company, or an institutional crypto treasury and you need a structure that LPs, prime brokers, auditors, and custodians will accept without a second look, the Cayman Exempted Company is the default. Wrong for you if Cayman is expensive and it is overkill for small operators.

FAQ

Common questions

Which is cheaper over three years, the BVI Business Company or the Cayman Exempted Company (Standard)?
The BVI Business Company. Its 3-year true cost is $5,547 against $8,897 for the Cayman Exempted Company (Standard), counting the all-in formation plus two years of the published renewal. Both are payable in USD, Bitcoin, or USDT.
Are both of these reputable jurisdictions?
Both are REPUTABLE-tier on our classification. REPUTABLE means each onboards at a bank without the reflexive offshore-flag conversation. The list-status rows above show the current EU and FATF position for each.
Which forms faster?
The BVI Business Company, at 5 business days against 10 for the Cayman Exempted Company (Standard). Bank-account opening is a separate step and is not included in these figures.