Offshore · Cyprus / Hong Kong / Seychelles / UAE
Ready-Made (Shelf) Companies — Offshore
A ready-made company is a pre-registered offshore entity you buy instead of forming — ownership transfers in 2–10 business days depending on the registrar. Offshore is where sellers hide prices behind “POA” and oversell bank accounts. We print prices on every listing, and we're blunt about banking below.
Jurisdictions compared — for a purchase, not a formation
Formation guides compare tax rates. When you're buying an existing entity, what matters is transfer speed, what the registry re-checks, and how bankable the result is:
| Jurisdiction | Transfer time | What gets re-checked | Banking difficulty | Price band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus | 5–10 days | Registrar re-verifies beneficial owners (UBO register) | Moderate — EU entity, banks will engage with substance | €3,000–€6,000 |
| Hong Kong | 3–7 days | Company secretary updates significant-controllers register | Hard without local ties — expect in-person or EMI routes | $2,500–$5,000 |
| Seychelles | 2–3 days | Registered agent KYC only; minimal public record | Hardest — thin record is exactly what compliance teams flag | $1,200–$2,500 |
| UAE (free zone) | 5–10 days | Free-zone authority re-approves shareholders; license amended | Workable locally — UAE banks onboard free-zone entities with a visit | $5,000–$9,000 |
The “with bank account” reality check
This is the most-oversold phrase in the offshore ready-made market, so let's take it apart. A corporate bank account is tied to verified beneficial owners. When ownership changes, the bank must re-verify — that's AML law, not bank policy. So “company with bank account” resolves to one of three things:
- Re-application with support — the honest version. The account relationship exists; you go through KYC as the new owner. Worth paying for if the bank actually onboards your profile.
- An account that stays in the old owner's control — you never truly own it. Walk away; this is also how buyers end up inside someone else's laundering chain.
- A dormant account that freezes at the first transfer — you inherit a compliance review instead of banking.
Our listings state the banking situation per company — “no account,” or “account closed before sale,” or “introduction available to {bank}, approval not guaranteed.” If you see a competitor guarantee an account with an ownership change, that guarantee is the red flag.
FAQ
What does “ready-made company with bank account” really mean?
Almost always: a company whose account existed under the previous owner. Banks re-run compliance on any ownership change, so the account either gets re-verified with you as the new beneficial owner — which is a fresh KYC process — or frozen. Pay for introductions and preparation, not for the promise of a live account.
Which offshore jurisdiction transfers fastest?
Seychelles IBCs — often 2–3 business days, because the public record is thin and the registered agent handles everything. That same thin record is what banks dislike. Fast to own and hard to bank is a real trade-off, not a detail.
Is buying a ready-made offshore company legal?
Yes, in every jurisdiction we list — transfer of shares in an existing company is ordinary corporate law. What draws scrutiny is undeclared use: your home country’s tax residency and reporting rules (CFC, CRS) apply regardless of where the company sits. Legality lives in the reporting, not the purchase. More in the definitional guide.
Offshore stock, prices printed
Cyprus, Hong Kong, Seychelles, UAE — dated, priced, with the banking situation stated per listing.