What a Cayman exempted company costs in 2026 and 2027

A Cayman Islands exempted company with authorised capital up to CI$42,000 costs CI$700 (about US$854) in government fees to register, and CI$1,025 (about US$1,250) a year after that from 1 January 2027. On top of the government fees you pay a licensed registered office provider every year, and possibly for economic substance, accounting and other filings. The government fees are fixed by law and the same for everyone. The provider fees are not, so the total depends on who you use and what is included.

This guide sets out every government fee that applies to a standard exempted company, explains which other costs to budget for, and shows when the structure is worth the money. Fees are in Cayman Islands dollars (CI$), with US dollars at the General Registry's published rate of US$1 = CI$0.82. All figures were checked on the General Registry's fee pages and in the legislation on 31 October 2026.

What a Cayman exempted company costs: the short answer

For a company with authorised capital up to CI$42,000 (about US$51,220, so a US$50,000 authorised capital fits in this band):

• Government registration fee: CI$700 (about US$854), paid once when the company is registered.
• Express registration (optional): CI$500 (about US$610) extra for registration within 24 hours, instead of the normal 3 to 5 business days.
• Name reservation (optional): CI$40 for one week up to CI$160 for four months.
• Annual government fee: CI$925 (about US$1,128) in January 2026, rising to CI$1,025 (about US$1,250) from January 2027. The first one is due in the January after the year the company is registered.
• Registered office provider: a yearly fee set by the provider. Every exempted company must have one.
• Economic substance, beneficial ownership and accounting: providers charge for the filing work.

At 2027 rates, a company registered during 2027 would pay CI$4,800 (about US$5,854) in government fees over its first five years: CI$700 to register, then four annual fees of CI$1,025. Provider fees come on top.

Government registration fees by authorised capital

The registration fee is set in Part 1 of Schedule 5 of the Companies Act and depends on the company's authorised share capital, not on the capital actually paid in. The General Registry's fee schedule, effective since 1 January 2025, gives these figures for a standard exempted company. The same fees apply to an exempted company limited by guarantee and to an exempted company registering by way of continuation from another country.

Authorised capital	Registration fee (CI$)	About (US$)
Up to CI$42,000	700	854
CI$42,001 to CI$820,000	1,000	1,220
CI$820,001 to CI$1,640,000	1,984	2,420
Over CI$1,640,000	2,568	3,132

Some variants cost more. An exempted limited duration company pays CI$900 to CI$2,768 depending on the band, and a segregated portfolio company pays CI$1,200 to CI$3,068. The 2027 order that raises the annual fees does not change any of these registration fees.

The capital band matters twice: once now, and every January for the annual fee. Unless your shareholders, lenders or investors need a large authorised capital, the lowest band keeps both fees down. If you later increase the authorised capital, the filing costs CI$500 and may move the company into a higher annual fee band.

The annual fee and annual return from 1 January 2027

Every exempted company files an annual return with the Registrar and pays its annual fee in January each year after the year it was registered. The Companies (Amendment of Schedule 5) (No. 2) Order, 2026, made by Cabinet on 14 October 2026, raises every exempted company band by CI$100 from 1 January 2027.

Authorised capital	Annual fee 2026 (CI$)	From 1 January 2027 (CI$)	2027 fee, about (US$)
Up to CI$42,000	925	1,025	1,250
CI$42,001 to CI$820,000	1,225	1,325	1,616
CI$820,001 to CI$1,640,000	2,209	2,309	2,816
Over CI$1,640,000	2,793	2,893	3,528

A special economic zone company stays at CI$925. A segregated portfolio company pays CI$3,025 to CI$4,893 from 2027, plus CI$400 for each portfolio, up to CI$6,000 in total for the portfolios.

Late payment is expensive. If the return and fee are paid from 1 April to 30 June, a penalty of 33.33% of the fee is added. From 1 July to 30 September it is 66.67%, and from 1 October to 31 December it is 100%. A CI$1,025 fee paid in May 2027 therefore costs CI$1,366.63 (about US$1,667). A company that never pays is treated as defunct and struck off after one month's notice. Our guide to the Cayman annual return covers the January filing step by step.

Registered office, economic substance and beneficial ownership costs

Registered office. The Companies Act requires an exempted company's registered office to be at the address of a company management provider licensed by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA). So every exempted company pays a provider each year. The provider also carries out identity checks on the owners and directors, keeps the statutory records and makes most filings with the Registry. Its fee is commercial and depends on what is bundled: registered office only, or also filings, beneficial ownership work and economic substance support. Ask for a written list of what the annual fee includes and what is charged by the hour.

Economic substance. Every Cayman company files an economic substance notification each year, telling the Department for International Tax Cooperation (DITC) whether it carries on a "relevant activity", such as holding company business, fund management, financing or intellectual property. The notification itself is usually prepared by your registered office as part of its annual work. A company with a relevant activity must also file an economic substance return within 12 months of its year-end, and that return takes more work, so providers usually charge for it separately. A late return costs CI$5,000 plus CI$500 a day under the Act, so the preparation fee is worth paying on time. See our guide to Cayman economic substance.

Beneficial ownership. Under the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Act, the registered office provider keeps the company's beneficial ownership register and files it with the government's search platform. The provider charges for the verification and filing work. Getting it wrong is costlier: the Registrar can fine up to CI$5,000 per breach plus CI$1,000 a month, up to CI$25,000. See our guide to Cayman beneficial ownership.

Accounting. Every Cayman company must keep proper books of account that give a true and fair view, and keep them for at least five years. Cayman has no corporate income tax return, but banks, investors and your home-country tax adviser will often ask for financial statements. Budget for bookkeeping, and for an audit only if a regulator, lender or your own documents require one.

Smaller fees that add up: certificates, express service and changes

These are the General Registry's own fees. Providers usually add a handling charge.

Item	Government fee (CI$)	About (US$)
Certificate of good standing	150	183
Certificate of incumbency	150	183
Express service on a certificate	150 extra	183 extra
Express registration (within 24 hours)	500 extra	610 extra
Name reservation, one week to four months	40 to 160	49 to 195
Filing an increase in share capital	500	610
Penalty for filing a change of directors late	500	610

A certificate of good standing is only issued while the company is up to date with the Registry, so a late annual fee can delay a bank account opening or a closing. The Registry says its certificates have no expiry date, but it suggests treating them as current for 30 days, and banks often ask for a recent one.

Changes of directors must reach the Registrar within 30 days, and the first list of directors within 60 days of appointment. Missing the deadline costs CI$500, so tell your registered office as soon as the board changes.

When the Cayman cost is worth it, and when it is not

Cayman's government fees are higher than those of the British Virgin Islands. Our guide to BVI company costs sets out the BVI side, and our comparison of Cayman or BVI for a holding company covers the wider choice.

Cayman tends to justify the extra cost when investors or co-investors expect a Cayman vehicle, for example in fund and venture structures; when the company sits at the top of a group that may list or raise money; or when lawyers on the other side of a deal already work with Cayman documents. In those cases the annual fee difference is small next to the legal cost of persuading others to accept something else.

It is harder to justify when the company is a simple family holding vehicle that nobody outside the family will look at; when it needs to trade with customers in Cayman, which an exempted company cannot do without a local licence; when it needs a VAT registration or a trading presence in another country, which usually means a separate local company there; or when home-country rules tax its profits anyway. Many countries have controlled foreign company rules that tax the owners on the company's income, so the absence of Cayman tax may not reduce the group's tax bill at all. Our article on when an offshore company still owes home-country tax explains the main traps, and what zero tax in the Cayman Islands actually means covers the local position.

Before you commit, price at least five years: government fees from the tables above, the provider's annual fee in writing, economic substance work if you have a relevant activity, accounting, and any audit.

How Cosmos helps. Cosmos sets up and runs Cayman exempted companies through our licensed Cayman partners, who provide the registered office. We quote a fixed fee upfront, and we hold the January annual return, economic substance and beneficial ownership deadlines on one calendar with the rest of your group's filings. Cosmos is not a law firm or a corporate service provider. See company formation in the Cayman Islands or book a call.

FAQ

How much does it cost to register a Cayman exempted company?

The government registration fee is CI$700 (about US$854) for authorised capital up to CI$42,000, and CI$1,000, CI$1,984 or CI$2,568 for higher bands. Express registration within 24 hours costs CI$500 more. Registered office provider fees come on top.

What is the Cayman annual fee for 2027?

From 1 January 2027 an exempted company with authorised capital up to CI$42,000 pays CI$1,025 (about US$1,250), up from CI$925. Higher bands pay CI$1,325, CI$2,309 or CI$2,893. The fee is due in January with the annual return.

When is the first annual fee due?

In January of the year after the company is registered. A company registered in 2026 pays its first annual fee, at the 2027 rate, in January 2027.

What happens if I pay the annual fee late?

A penalty of 33.33% of the fee is added if you pay from 1 April, 66.67% from 1 July and 100% from 1 October. A company that does not pay is struck off after one month's notice.

Do I have to use a registered office provider?

Yes. The Companies Act requires an exempted company's registered office to be at the address of a company management provider licensed by CIMA. The provider's fee is set commercially, so compare written quotes on what is included.

Do economic substance and beneficial ownership filings cost extra?

The work is usually done by your registered office, which charges for it. Late or wrong filings carry penalties of up to CI$5,000 plus daily or monthly amounts.

Why do fees depend on authorised capital?

The Companies Act sets both the registration fee and the annual fee by bands of authorised share capital. Keeping authorised capital at or below CI$42,000 (about US$51,220) keeps the company in the lowest band for both.