All offshore jurisdictions require that their international business companies (non-resident companies, offshore companies, Business Companies, etc.) have an address within the country. This is called the Registered Address. Formally it can sometimes be a PO Box, but usually it will be a full street address - for reasons, explained below.
Most offshore jurisdictions also require that a company has a Registered Agent within the country. Usually the Registered Agent is located in the Registered Address of the company and is licensed to provide company formation, administration and management services in a professional manner. So, the Registered Agent would usually be a fully staffed, equipped, qualified and regulated firm, which provides those services to a considerable amount of clients and their offshore companies.
The name and address of the Registered Agent of every offshore company is filed with the Registrar of Companies. Therefore, these particulars are publicly accessible to anyone. This is in fact the main purpose of having a Registered Agent and Address - so that any person could know where the legal address of a particular company is, and which professional firm acts as a Registered Agent for this company. In essence, the Registered Agent acts as an "intermediary" between the Government and the offshore company, or between any third parties and the offshore company.
In British Virgin Islands, according to the new BVI Business Companies Act 2004, Registered Agent is required for ALL companies, regardless of their type of ownership or area of operation. In this regard there is no distinction between an on-shore and off-shore company.
Disclaimer
All information in this article is only for the purpose of information sharing, instead of professional suggestion. Kaizen will not assume any responsibility for loss or damage.
All offshore jurisdictions require that their international business companies (non-resident companies, offshore companies, Business Companies, etc.) have an address within the country. This is called the Registered Address. Formally it can sometimes be a PO Box, but usually it will be a full street address - for reasons, explained below.
an offshore company is an entity recognized by law as a separate limited liability, they are legally required to filing the Memorandum of Association of Articles when incorporated. Once completed and officially recognized, the document becomes a matter of public record. It combines memorandum of association and articles of association these two documents, which provide the legal skeleton of the company.
This document, or a set of documents, represent a number of important official decisions carried out by the Subscriber or by the Registered Agent after the offshore company is incorporated. These resolutions shape the internal structure of the company. The First Resolutions would contain information about the name, Registered Address and registration number of the new company
In accordance to the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, that shall include details of the duties and rights of the directors in related to maintain the affairs and activities of the company, also responsible for compliance of the provisions of the company and the laws in the jurisdiction.