Hong Kong vs Singapore: Best Asian Business Hub
Hong Kong and Singapore are the two premier business hubs in Asia, competing for the title of the region's most attractive jurisdiction for company formation....
Your trusted partner for company formation, shelf companies, and bank accounts across 50+ jurisdictions worldwide.
Ultra-fast company transfer. All clear, fixed cost, no surprises.
Strong relationships with major banks. Unlimited accounts, no caps.
Multiple addresses across Europe. Virtual office and landline services.
Full business support: office setup, accounting, tax, legal compliance.
ShelfCompanies24.com is one of the leading providers of ready-made companies and specialized company formation services. We bring together the best specialists in company formation and business consultancy.
Formation in 50+ jurisdictions worldwide
Pre-registered companies for immediate use
Shelf companies with active bank accounts
Offshore jurisdictions for international business
Companies with established trading history
Cost-effective company setup solutions
A shelf company (also called a ready-made company, aged company, vintage company, or in German-speaking jurisdictions a Vorratsgesellschaft) is a fully incorporated corporate entity that has been registered with a national company register and then held inactive on the shelf — no trading activity, no debts, no tax issues, no past beneficial-owner changes. When a buyer needs a fully formed company immediately, the existing nominee shareholders transfer the entity to them via share-purchase agreement, and the buyer steps in as the new owner. The mechanics take 24-72 hours from KYC sign-off to a publicly searchable register update, depending on jurisdiction.
ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging shelf company sales and from-scratch company formation since 1995 across 56 jurisdictions worldwide. Our network covers the EU and EEA (Poland, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Ireland, the Nordics and CEE), the Caribbean (BVI, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Belize, Nevis, Antigua), the Channel Islands and Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Gibraltar), Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, Australia, New Zealand), and North America (US, Delaware, Canada). On every jurisdiction we operate as a one-stop shop — incorporation or transfer, registered office, accounting, tax filings, banking introduction, beneficial-owner register maintenance, and corporate-secretarial work all under a single fixed-fee retainer.
Indicative price-from ranges and ownership-transfer timelines across our 56 jurisdictions (all-in fixed fee including registry fees, registered office for 12 months, beneficial-owner registration, tax registration, and one bank account introduction):
| Region | Shelf company from | New formation from | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEE — Poland, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Serbia | EUR 2,500-3,500 | EUR 1,400-2,000 | 48 hours |
| Western EU — UK, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Nordic | EUR 3,500-5,000 | EUR 1,500-3,500 | 48 hours-5 days |
| Western EU premium — Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Austria | EUR 5,000-9,500 | EUR 3,500-6,500 | 48 hours-1 week |
| Mediterranean / Alpine — Cyprus, Malta, Greece, Gibraltar | EUR 4,000-5,000 | EUR 2,500-2,800 | 48 hours |
| Caribbean offshore — BVI, Cayman, Bahamas, Belize, Nevis, Antigua, Panama | EUR 2,800-5,500 | EUR 1,500-3,000 | 24-48 hours |
| Indian Ocean / Pacific — Seychelles, Mauritius, Marshall Islands | EUR 3,500-4,500 | EUR 1,800-2,500 | 24-48 hours |
| Channel Islands / Crown Dependencies — Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man | EUR 6,000-7,000 | EUR 3,500-4,500 | 48 hours-5 days |
| Asia-Pacific — Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, Australia, New Zealand | EUR 3,500-8,000 | EUR 2,000-5,000 | 24-48 hours |
| North America — USA, Delaware, Canada | EUR 3,000-4,500 | EUR 1,500-2,500 | 24 hours |
For exact pricing and current 2026 corporate-tax rates per jurisdiction, see the dedicated country page. We respond to every inquiry within one working day with a fixed-price proposal naming the recommended structure, the documents you will need to provide, the realistic timeline, and the all-in cost.
A shelf company is a corporate entity that has been incorporated and registered with a national company register, then held inactive (placed "on the shelf") with no trading activity, no debts, no tax filings beyond mandatory annual returns, and no ownership changes since formation. When a buyer wants to start operating immediately, the existing nominee shareholders transfer ownership to them — typically within 24-72 hours — and the buyer steps into a fully formed company with a clean registry record. ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging shelf company sales since 1995 across 56 jurisdictions worldwide.
A shelf company is already registered and ready for ownership transfer in 24-72 hours; you skip the entire incorporation process. Use this when speed matters — you have a contract waiting, a banking deadline, a tender to bid on, or you simply do not want to wait 1-6 weeks for a new incorporation to clear the registry. New formation takes between 24 hours (UK, US, BVI, Hong Kong) and 4-6 weeks (Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg) depending on the jurisdiction; you choose the company name, share structure, and governance from scratch. Both routes carry identical tax treatment going forward — the choice is about timing and customisation.
Typical end-to-end timeline from KYC sign-off to your name on the company register: 24-72 hours for offshore and Anglo-law jurisdictions (BVI, Cayman, Bahamas, Belize, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore), 48 hours to 1 week for EU jurisdictions (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Malta, Netherlands), and up to 1 week for civil-law jurisdictions that require notarisation (Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg). The variable is the local company register's update cycle, not our paperwork — we have the share-purchase agreement, director appointments, and beneficial-owner filings ready the same day you provide KYC.
Pricing varies by jurisdiction reflecting registry fees, notarial requirements, and local corporate-service-provider rates. Indicative price-from ranges across our 56 jurisdictions: EUR 1,500-3,000 for offshore (Belize, Seychelles, Marshall Islands, Nevis), EUR 2,500-3,500 for CEE (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria), EUR 3,000-5,500 for Western EU (UK, France, Spain, Netherlands), EUR 4,500-7,500 for Western EU premium (Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg), and EUR 3,500-9,000 for offshore IFCs (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man). All-in fixed fee includes the share transfer, registry filings, registered office for 12 months, beneficial-owner registration, tax registration, and bank account introduction.
Yes on both. Shelf companies are entirely legal and have been a standard corporate-finance product in Europe and offshore jurisdictions since the 1970s. The legal mechanism is just a share transfer between consenting parties — exactly the same mechanism used in M&A every day. Banks generally prefer a clean shelf company with documented dormancy over a brand-new incorporation, because the registry record is already established and the entity has demonstrably never traded. Where a shelf company can fail bank KYC is in the buyer's personal due diligence (source-of-funds, beneficial-owner screening) — that is identical for new formation. Our consultants pre-screen your application so the right bank for your profile sees it.
In almost every jurisdiction, yes. There is no residency or citizenship requirement for shareholders or beneficial owners of a shelf company in any of our 56 jurisdictions. A few jurisdictions require a local-resident director (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, sometimes Ireland for non-EEA owners), but in those cases we provide a nominee director service with full directors-and-officers liability cover. Non-resident buyers of EU shelf companies typically use the share-purchase route (no notary travel for the buyer in most EU jurisdictions thanks to qualified e-signature and apostilled documents).
We maintain pre-formed shelf companies and active formation services in 56 jurisdictions across Europe (Poland, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Cyprus, Malta and 22 others), Caribbean offshore (BVI, Cayman, Bahamas, Belize, Nevis, Antigua), Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man), Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, Australia, New Zealand), North America (USA, Delaware, Canada), and Africa/Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Seychelles). The full list with current pricing and timeline is on our Jurisdictions page. If you do not see your target country, ask — we can usually arrange formation in any OECD or recognised offshore jurisdiction through our network.
We are a one-stop shop. After the sale we handle: registered office and mail forwarding (year 1 included in the price), accounting and tax filings (retainer-based), VAT/sales-tax registration and periodic returns where applicable, payroll for any employed staff, beneficial-owner-register maintenance, annual financial-statement preparation and filing, statutory return filings, transfer-pricing documentation for international groups, sector-specific licensing applications, and corporate-secretarial work (director changes, share transfers, name changes, address changes, share-capital adjustments). When the time comes, we also handle voluntary dissolution or sale of the company. Annual cost depends on jurisdiction and activity level — typically EUR 1,500-12,000 per year all-in.
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