Singapore
Pte Ltd
✓17% flat, with startup relief beneath it✓Nothing on dividends, nothing on capital gains✓Incorporated in one to three days - one director must be resident
You come to Asia for the market, not for the tax rate.
Most of these are real economies charging real tax - 22% in Indonesia, 25% in China, close to 31% in Japan. People register here to sell into the region, manufacture in it or hire in it, and the incorporation is never the hard part. The resident director, the investment approval, the bank account and the work permit are the hard part, and we plan those before the company is filed.
28
Asian jurisdictions
6,000+
companies registered
70+
banking relationships
Updated
Where we register
Twelve that cover most of the Asia work we do
Hong Kong
Ltd · private company
✓8.25% on the first HKD 2 million, 16.5% above it✓Offshore profits at 0% - earned with substance, not claimed✓No VAT anywhere in the system; every company audits annually
Labuan
Labuan Company
✓3% on audited trading profits, 0% on qualifying holdings✓No withholding on anything leaving the island✓The rate is bought with staff and office - without them, 24%
China
WFOE - 100% foreign
✓A WFOE is 100% foreign-owned; the negative list leaves most sectors open✓25%, an effective 5% on small profits, 15% inside the Hainan free-trade port✓Capital paid within five years - and the bank step is done in person
India
Private Limited - MCA
✓One SPICe+ filing delivers the company, the tax numbers and GST together✓FDI automatic in most sectors; GIFT City carries a ten-year holiday✓A resident director is mandatory - we provide one
Vietnam
LLC / JSC - 100% foreign
✓100% foreign ownership through a licence, not a local partner✓20%, incentives at 10-17%, and corporate dividends leave at 0%✓Entry is the IRC then the ERC - four to eight weeks
Indonesia
PT PMA - 100% foreign
✓Southeast Asia's largest market - 280 million people✓22%, 0.5% on small turnover, pioneer holidays to twenty years✓The IDR 10 billion investment plan per activity is the ticket in
Thailand
Private limited
✓20% with SME relief, registered in one to three weeks✓The Foreign Business Act caps foreigners at 49% in most services and trade✓BOI promotion gives 100% ownership and holidays of three to thirteen years
Malaysia
Sdn Bhd - 100% foreign
✓24%, with incentive regimes running down to 0%✓No withholding on dividends - the single-tier system✓One director must actually live in Malaysia; we solve that
Japan (Kabushiki Kaisha)
KK - joint-stock
✓The corporate name that opens doors nothing else opens in Asia✓≈30.6% effective, and no resident director required since 2015✓The bank account, not the company, is the real project
Philippines
Corporation / OPC
✓25%, or 20% for small corporations; PEZA holiday then a 5% gross-income rate✓A One Person Corporation a single foreign founder can own outright✓Domestic-market selling above 40% foreign ownership takes $200k paid in
South Korea
Chusik / Yuhan Hoesa
✓9-24% corporate tax plus 10% local✓The FDI ticket is KRW 100 million, and it carries the D-8 investor visa✓Asia's fourth-largest economy - localisation is mandatory, not optional
The part that ends badly
A registered company is not yet a business you can run
The certificate arrives on the date the table promises. Everything that makes the company usable - the account, the licence, the visa for the person who will run it - runs on its own clock, and nothing in the registry timeline accounts for it.
✓The bank account lands weeks or months after the certificate. In China you attend in person✓Nominee shareholding used to dodge an ownership cap is void by law in Indonesia and actively hunted in Thailand✓Work permits and investor visas run separately, and you cannot hire before they land✓Money leaves on a central bank's paperwork, through an account that has to be open before the capital arrives
This is why the company, the bank, the licence and the visa are planned together. Running them in sequence is how a six-week project becomes a six-month one.
Ask what the real timeline is →When it works
What people actually come here to do
Almost nobody registers in Asia to pay less tax. They register because the customers, the factory or the staff are here, and a local company is the only way to reach them properly.
✓Sell into the market - 280 million people in Indonesia, 115 million English-speaking consumers in the Philippines✓Manufacture, and take the incentive attached to it. Vietnam, Thailand's BOI, Bangladesh's ten-year economic zones✓Hire. An English-literate workforce in Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines, and the BPO capital of the world among them✓Hold the region from a place counterparties already trust. Singapore, Hong Kong, Labuan
Each of those points to a different jurisdiction, and to a different order of doing things. That is the content of the opinion.
Get a free legal opinion →What registration covers
What we do, and what you get at the end
Incorporation is the easy part. The work is choosing correctly, satisfying the registrar and getting a bank account opened afterwards.
These include:
✓Choice of jurisdiction and legal form against your real activity✓Name check, incorporation and the full corporate document set✓Registered office and registered agent for the first year✓Beneficial ownership filings where the jurisdiction requires them✓Apostille and legalisation of documents for use abroad
Additionally, where it is needed:
✓Bank or EMI account opening, with 70+ relationships behind the application✓Nominee or resident director where the law requires one✓Substance. Office, staff and local presence✓Accounting, annual returns and tax registration✓Licences, permits and sector approvals
Several of these jurisdictions now require annual filings and substance reports that did not exist five years ago. We keep them filed.
| What | Typical time | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Name approval | Same day to 3 days | Reserved company name |
| Incorporation | 1 day to 8 weeks | Certificate, charter, register of members |
| Corporate documents | With incorporation | Resolutions, share certificates, POA |
| Apostille set | 3-10 business days | Legalised documents for the bank |
| Tax and social registration | 1-3 weeks | Tax number, VAT where applicable |
| Bank account | 2-8 weeks | IBAN and access to the account |
The bank is the slow step everywhere, and it is the one that decides whether the structure was worth building. We start it in parallel, not after.
Comparison of jurisdictions
All 28, with the real rate and the real timeline
The rate below is the headline corporate rate. It is not what a BOI-promoted manufacturer in Thailand pays, or an IT exporter in Pakistan, or a company still waiting on its foreign investment approval, and it says nothing about what it costs to bring the profit home.
01
Fastest on paper
Singapore in one to three days, Kyrgyzstan in three to seven, Hong Kong in two to five business days, Israel in three to seven. None of those numbers includes the bank account.
02
Where tax genuinely leads the decision
Labuan at 3% on audited trading profits, Hong Kong at 8.25% on the first tranche, Singapore at 17%, Macau at nothing up to MOP 600,000, with Kyrgyzstan's 10% behind them. Everything else here is a real rate in a real economy.
03
Where a gate comes before the company
Thailand caps foreigners at 49% in most services and trade until BOI promotion lifts it. The Philippines wants $200,000 paid in to sell domestically above 40% foreign ownership, South Korea KRW 100 million, Mongolia $100,000 per foreign shareholder, Indonesia an IDR 10 billion investment plan.
04
Incentives that beat the headline rate
Vietnam at 10-17%, Malaysia down to 0%, PEZA holidays then a 5% gross-income rate in the Philippines, GIFT City at ten years in India, Astana Hub near zero for IT in Kazakhstan, 0.25% on IT exports in Pakistan. All of them are conditional, and the conditions are audited.
| Jurisdiction | Legal form | Time to set up | Corporate tax | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong KongMore details → | Ltd · private company | 2-5 business days | 8.25% / 16.5% | Yes - fully online |
| LabuanMore details → | Labuan Company | 1-2 weeks | 3% - audited | - |
| BaliMore details → | PT PMA - 100% foreign | 3-6 weeks | 22% · small 0.5% | Yes - by POA |
| BangladeshMore details → | Private Ltd - RJSC | 3-6 weeks | 27.5% · RMG 12% | Yes - by POA |
| BhutanMore details → | Private Ltd - FDI | 2-4 months | 25% | Partly - one visit expected |
| BruneiMore details → | Sdn Bhd - private | 2-4 weeks | 18.5% - relieved | - |
| CambodiaMore details → | Private Limited Co. | 1-3 weeks | 20% · QIP holidays | Yes - via CamDX |
| ChinaMore details → | WFOE - 100% foreign | 4-8 weeks | 25% · small ~5% | Mostly - bank in person |
| IndiaMore details → | Private Limited - MCA | 2-4 weeks | ~25.2% effective | - |
| IndonesiaMore details → | PT PMA - 100% foreign | 3-6 weeks | 22% · small 0.5% | Yes - by POA |
| Japan (Godo Kaisha)More details → | GK - LLC analogue | 1-3 weeks | ≈30.6% effective | Yes - by POA |
| Japan (Kabushiki Kaisha)More details → | KK - joint-stock | 2-4 weeks | ≈30.6% effective | Yes - by POA |
| KazakhstanMore details → | TOO (LLP) · AIFC company | 1-2 weeks | 20% · special 0% | Yes - by POA |
| KyrgyzstanMore details → | OsOO (LLC) | 3-7 days | 10% · HTP ≈0% | Yes - by POA |
| LaosMore details → | LLC - 100% foreign | 4-8 weeks | 20% · SEZ holidays | Yes - by POA |
| MacauMore details → | Limitada (Lda) | 2-4 weeks | 0% → 12% over MOP 600k | Yes - by POA |
| MalaysiaMore details → | Sdn Bhd - 100% foreign | 1-2 weeks | 24% · incentives to 0% | Yes - by POA |
| MaldivesMore details → | Private limited company | 3-6 weeks with FDI approval | 0% → 15% over MVR 500k | Mostly - approvals by POA |
| MongoliaMore details → | LLC - 100% foreign | 2-4 weeks | 10% → 25% over MNT 6B | Yes - by POA |
| NepalMore details → | Private limited | 4-8 weeks with approval | 25% · industry rebates | Mostly - by POA |
| PakistanMore details → | Private limited / SMC | 1-2 weeks | 29% · small 20% | Yes - by POA |
| PhilippinesMore details → | Corporation / OPC | 3-6 weeks | 25% · small 20% | Yes - by POA |
| SingaporeMore details → | Pte Ltd | 1-3 days | 17% · startup relief | Yes - fully |
| South KoreaMore details → | Chusik / Yuhan Hoesa | 2-4 weeks | 9-24% + 10% local | Yes - by POA |
| Sri LankaMore details → | Private limited | 1-3 weeks | 30% · exports 15% | Yes - by POA |
| ThailandMore details → | Private limited | 1-3 weeks | 20% · SME relief | Yes - by POA |
| VietnamMore details → | LLC / JSC - 100% foreign | 4-8 weeks | 20% · incentives 10-17% | Yes - by POA |
| IsraelMore details → | Ltd · Private Company | 3-7 business days | 23% · tech 7.5-16% | Yes - by power of attorney |
Important: Two lines here are not separate countries. Japan appears twice because the choice between a Godo Kaisha and a Kabushiki Kaisha is a real one at the same effective rate. The GK is cheaper and faster, the KK is what some Japanese counterparties still expect to see. Bali is an Indonesian PT PMA: same form, same 22%, a different set of local permits and a much noisier set of people selling shortcuts.
The "Remote" column is about incorporation, not about operating. A company formed by power of attorney still needs somebody the bank will meet and, in several of these countries, somebody the law recognises as resident.
Before you register
What the registrar, the ministry and the bank each want
Three different institutions, three different files. The registrar is usually the quickest of them, which is why the registry timeline flatters the project.
01
Passport and proof of address, legalised Certified copies for every shareholder and director, apostilled or consularised depending on the country, and usually issued within the last three months.
02
A business activity in the local wording China writes it into the business scope on the licence and you are held to it. Elsewhere it is an activity code. Describe the business too loosely and the registrar rejects the wording; too narrowly and you refile to add a product.
03
A resident director or local representative India, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei require one outright. Japan's KK has not since 2015. In Kazakhstan a foreign director outside the special regimes needs a work permit before he can sign anything.
04
Capital that is actually committed Indonesia wants an IDR 10 billion investment plan per activity, Laos around LAK 1 billion for general foreign business, Nepal NPR 20 million with IT exempt, Korea KRW 100 million. China lets you pay within five years, and then means it.
05
Foreign investment approval, where it comes first Bhutan approves project by project over two to four months. The Maldives is approval-first. Nepal wants the approval before operations. Vietnam runs a two-step IRC then ERC, and conditional sectors carry real gates.
06
Translation and localisation of the file Vietnamese paperwork runs in Vietnamese, and Korea treats localisation as mandatory rather than optional. Budget for sworn translation, and for the round trip when a term does not survive it.
07
A bank that will actually open the account Hong Kong's banks are the slow lane. Singapore's choose their clients rather than the reverse. Macau wants a real local nexus, not a newco. China wants you at the counter.
08
Source of funds, documented The same file everywhere, and the thing applications are actually refused on. It takes longer to assemble than the incorporation does.
09
Visas and work permits for the people The Balinese PMA carries the KITAS, Korea's D-8 follows the FDI ticket, and Japan's Business Manager visa now starts at ¥30 million. Kyrgyz work-permit quotas are real and they run out.
10
Annual audit, filings and tax registrations Every Hong Kong company audits annually and Labuan's 3% is an audited rate. Indian GST filings are monthly. Cambodia's 1% minimum tax punishes weak books, so the bookkeeping starts in month one, not at year end.
Note: The list is longer than it is for an offshore company because there is more to do here than exist. Open the bank file and the visa file on the day the company is filed, not on the day it is finished.
On the ground
Seventeen offices, our own people
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Berlin
Germany
Rankestraße 26
Singapore
Singapore
3 Church Street, #29-68 Samsung Hub
Bangkok
Thailand
Unit P01, Penthouse, VASU1, 1 Sukhumvit 25 Alley
Foshan
China
A-Tower, Yuneng Digital Plaza, 46 Lishui Avenue South
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
32 Razzakov Street
How it works
Five stages from first call to a working account
STEP 01
The opinion
Where you live, where you work, where you will bank and what the company will do. Out of that comes a jurisdiction, a legal form and a written reason. Free.
STEP 02
Documents and name
Certified passports, proof of address, the activity description and a name the registrar will accept. Translations and legalisation where they are required.
STEP 03
Incorporation
Filed by us or by our local partner. You receive the certificate, the constitutional documents and the registers.
STEP 04
Legalisation and the bank
Apostille where the bank needs it, then the account application. Started in parallel with the incorporation, not after it.
STEP 05
Keeping it alive
Registered agent, annual return, accounting and the substance filings. The part people forget until the company is struck off.
Why Prifinance
Why this is worth paying a lawyer for
Anyone can sell you an incorporation in Asia. The value is in the order the steps are taken in, and in being told which of them will not work.
01
6,000+ companies, so the failure modes are familiar
A registrar that rejects the activity wording, a capital account opened after the money moved, a resident-director seat nobody arranged. The same three things go wrong across twenty-eight jurisdictions.
02
The resident-director seat is solved before you file
India, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei will not register the company without one. We provide it, and we tell you what that person can and cannot be asked to sign.
03
The bank is chosen before the jurisdiction is
70+ banking relationships, and we know which of them will look at a China+1 manufacturer, a Philippine BPO or a Bali villa operator, and which will not open the file at all.
04
We say no to structures that are not legal
Nominee shareholders are illegal in Thailand and void in Indonesia. Land stays Khmer-owned in Cambodia and is leasehold in the Maldives and Sri Lanka. If the plan depends on any of that, you hear it before you pay.
05
The company keeps running afterwards
Audit, monthly tax filings, licence renewals, work permits and the repatriation paperwork, from the same team that registered it.
Your team
The people who will run your file
Dmitri Mihhailov
General Partner
Leads Prifinance's corporate practice and oversees client engagements, with senior expertise in international company structuring and bank-account setup.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
Corporate services advisor
Corporate services and compliance: documents, legalisation, annual filings and the bank's questions.
Alex Danila
Company formation specialist
Your day-to-day contact - coordinates incorporation, documents and the bank introduction, from the first call through to launch.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
▶
Watch: how an Asian market entry is sequenced - company, bank, licence, visa
Good to know
Four things about tax that change the answer
In Asia the headline rate is the least useful number on the page. These four move the outcome much further.
The headline rate is rarely what you pay
It goes down. Vietnam to 10-17%, Israeli technology to 7.5-16%, Philippine ecozones to a 5% gross-income rate. It also goes up: Korea adds 10% local, and Pakistan adds super tax at scale.
Getting the profit out is the second rate
Vietnam lets corporate dividends leave at 0% and Malaysia withholds nothing under the single-tier system. Nepal takes 5% as a final tax and Mongolia 20%. That number belongs in the model next to the corporate rate.
Exchange control decides the timing
China's capital controls are real. Bangladesh repatriates on Bangladesh Bank paperwork, Nepal through the central bank, Sri Lanka only through an inward-investment account opened before the money arrives.
The low rate is bought with substance
Labuan's 3% needs real staff and an office on the island, or Malaysia's 24% applies instead. Hong Kong's offshore claim is earned the same way. Incentive regimes are conditional, and the conditions are checked.
Important: None of this makes Asia expensive. It makes the corporate rate a poor way to choose between these countries, which is how most of these decisions are still made.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
FAQ
What people ask before choosing a jurisdiction
Which is the fastest?+
Singapore in one to three days, Kyrgyzstan in three to seven, Hong Kong in two to five business days, Israel in three to seven. Vietnam, China, Laos and Nepal take four to eight weeks, and Bhutan two to four months.
Can I set it up without travelling?+
In most of them, by power of attorney. Bhutan expects a visit, China's bank step is done in person, and the Maldives and Nepal are remote only as far as the approvals go. For Labuan, Brunei and India the table does not promise it.
Where is the tax actually low?+
Labuan at 3% on audited trading profits, Hong Kong at 8.25% on the first HKD 2 million, Singapore at 17%, Macau at nothing up to MOP 600,000 and 12% above. Kyrgyzstan charges 10% and Mongolia 10% on its first tier. Everything else charges a real rate, mostly between 20% and 30%.
Do I need a local partner?+
Usually not. Cambodia allows 100% foreign ownership in nearly every sector, Bangladesh and Pakistan in most, Vietnam through a licence, China through a WFOE. Thailand is the real exception at 49% until BOI promotion, and some licensed Malaysian sectors still carry local-equity conditions.
Do I need a resident director?+
In India, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, yes, and we provide one. Japan's KK has not needed one since 2015. In Kazakhstan a foreign director outside the AIFC and the tech park needs a work permit first.
How much capital do I really need?+
Kyrgyzstan and Israel set no minimum, and a Japanese KK can be formed on ¥1 although ¥5 million or more is the practical figure. Against that: IDR 10 billion in Indonesia per activity, NPR 20 million in Nepal with IT exempt, KRW 100 million in Korea, $100,000 per foreign shareholder in Mongolia, $200,000 in the Philippines to sell domestically above 40% foreign ownership.
How long does the bank account take?+
Longer than the company, everywhere on this page. Hong Kong's banks are the slow lane and we route around them. Singapore's banks choose their clients. Macau wants a real local nexus. Plan the account before you choose the country, not after.
Can I get the profit out?+
Yes, on paperwork rather than on request. Vietnam, Malaysia, Macau and Labuan take nothing on the way out; Nepal takes 5% as a final tax, Mongolia 20%. Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka route repatriation through central bank or inward-investment accounts that must exist before the capital comes in.
Does the company get me a visa?+
In some places it is the point of the company. The Balinese PT PMA carries the KITAS, Korea's D-8 follows the KRW 100 million FDI ticket, and Japan's Business Manager visa now starts at ¥30 million. Elsewhere the company and the permit are two separate applications, and quotas apply.
What if I only want a low rate?+
Then the answer is probably Hong Kong, Singapore or Labuan, and possibly not Asia at all. If nothing about your business needs to be in the region, we will say so and point you at a simpler structure somewhere else.
Free consultation
Tell us what the company is for
Your activity, which market you are selling into, whether you will hire and where the money has to end up. You get a written recommendation with a jurisdiction, a legal form, the approvals in order, a total cost and the reasoning - free of charge.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days