Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the registrar's certificate, including banking and payment rails.
Nevis trust: the International Exempt Trust Ordinance, Cap. 7.03.
A Nevis trust is an international trust registered under the Nevis International Exempt Trust Ordinance, Cap. 7.03 (N), with professional trustees supervised by the Nevis Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC). A creditor must lodge an EC$270,000 bond before acting against trust property. The certificate lasts a year. Left unrenewed, the trust falls outside the Ordinance, so we set it up and track its renewals from our Basseterre office.
30 yrs
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Nevis in brief
Nevis trust: creditor rules set by statute, a registration renewed every year.
A Nevis trust counts as an international trust only from the day the registrar enters it on the register. The Nevis International Exempt Trust Ordinance, Cap. 7.03 (N), enacted as Ordinance 1 of 1989 and in force since 1 May 1994, sets the test in s.2. One trustee at least must be a Nevis company or LLC, a licensed trust company, a licensed registered-agent attorney or a multiform foundation. The settlor and the beneficiaries stay non-resident at all times, and the trust may hold no land in St Kitts and Nevis. The registrar keeps separate registers of international and qualified foreign trusts (s.43(1)); an entry records the trust's name, date of creation and registered office (s.43(7)), and the register is closed to inspection unless a trustee authorises a person in writing (s.46). Professional trustees are licensed under the Nevis Trust and Corporate Service Providers Ordinance, 2021, with the FSRC as regulator.
Government fees for the trust come from SRO No. 12 of 2024. Since 1 April 2025 registration costs US$300 (EC$810) plus US$20 for the certificate, and every yearly renewal costs US$300 plus US$20 for a certificate of renewal. A certificate runs for one year from registration (s.44(1)). Renewal is due no later than ninety days after expiry (s.44(3)), the same regulations set a US$400 penalty for late renewal, and a trust that never renews drops out of the Ordinance altogether (s.44(6)); its s.49 tax exemption goes with it. Then comes the trustee question, where the real cost sits. A professional trustee carries on trust business and needs a Class II unrestricted licence under the 2021 Ordinance. A family company that takes the role sits close to that line, so we settle its position before it is appointed.
A trust becomes international under Cap. 7.03 (N) once registered: a qualifying Nevis trustee, settlor and beneficiaries non-resident for good, no local land, and a register closed to inspection (s.46).
US$300 plus US$20 a year in government fees since 1 April 2025. Miss the renewal and the Ordinance, with its s.49 exemption, stops applying.
The two builds
A licensed Nevis trustee, or the family's own company.
Section 2 of the Ordinance names five kinds of trustee, and at least one of them must hold the trusteeship. Two builds follow: a licensed professional, or a company the family owns.
Five trustee types in s.2 and two builds: a licensed professional or a company the family owns.
01 - LICENSED NEVIS TRUSTEE
A professional trustee
A trust company licensed in Nevis, or an attorney-at-law licensed to carry on registered-agent business, holds the trusteeship. Acting as professional trustee or protector for reward is trust business and needs a Class II unrestricted licence.
A trust company licensed in Nevis, or an attorney-at-law licensed to carry on registered-agent business, holds the trusteeship. Acting as professional trustee or protector for reward is trust business and needs a Class II unrestricted licence.
- ✓Trustee under s.2(a)(iii) or (iv)
- ✓Class II unrestricted licence
- ✓Regulator-approved office in Nevis
- ✓At least two individual directors
- ✓Audited accounts within 3 months
- ✓Registered agent files the trust
02 - FAMILY COMPANY AS TRUSTEE
The family's own trustee
A Nevis company, Nevis LLC or multiform foundation owned by the family is trustee, and its office is the trust's registered office (s.48(1)). Trust business means s.6 work done for profit or reward, so the licence position is settled first.
A Nevis company, LLC or multiform foundation owned by the family as trustee, with the licence position settled first.
- ✓Nevis company, LLC or foundation
- ✓Registered office at the trustee
- ✓Registered agent still files
- ✓Protector holds the s.10 powers
- ✓Licence position settled first
- ✓Up to four trustees (s.36)
As of 2026 under Cap. 7.03 (N) and the Nevis TCSP Ordinance, 2021. Our written view on whether an unpaid family trustee needs a licence comes with the structure plan.
Why Nevis
Six statutory reasons settlors choose Nevis.
✓
The creditor's bond
Before any action against trust property, s.61 makes the creditor deposit a bond of EC$270,000 from a financial institution in Nevis with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.EC$270,000 lodged before suing the trust.
✓
A one-year window
A transfer made more than one year after a creditor's cause of action accrued is not fraudulent as against that creditor (s.26(3)). Transfers made before it accrued are protected too (s.26(4)).Later transfers not fraudulent, s.26(3).
✓
Proof beyond reasonable doubt
Under s.26(1) the creditor proves beyond reasonable doubt principal intent to defraud it and that the transfer left the settlor insolvent or unable to meet the claim. The transfer stands, but the trust answers up to the settlor's former interest.Intent and insolvency proven by the creditor.
✓
Foreign judgments start over
Section 30 stops the Court entertaining proceedings to enforce or recognise a foreign judgment based on law inconsistent with the Ordinance. The FSRC says a civil action to recover assets must be brought anew in the Federation's courts.Claims are brought anew in the Federation.
✓
Control the settlor keeps
Section 53 lets the settlor keep powers to revoke, amend, veto distributions and direct the trustee, and s.53(2) allows the settlor to be the trust's only beneficiary.Revoke, amend, veto, even sole beneficiary.
✓
No perpetuity period
The rule against perpetuities does not apply to an international trust, and unless its terms say otherwise the trust has unlimited duration under s.5(2).Unlimited unless the deed says otherwise.
How it compares
How Nevis differs from other trust jurisdictions.
Jersey and the BVI leave the trust itself unregistered, and Cyprus gives a creditor two years from the transfer. Nevis registers each trust yearly and writes the creditor's conditions into the Ordinance.
Nevis vs other trust jurisdictions
| Feature |  Nevis | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Trust registration | Yearly certificate | None in Jersey or the BVI |
| Government fees | US$320 a year | BVI: US$200 duty stamp |
| Time to sue | 2 years, s.50(1) | Cyprus: two years |
| Duration | Unlimited, s.5(2) | Jersey: unlimited, Art. 15(1) |
Trust registration
NevisYearly certificate
Other jurisdictionsNone in Jersey or the BVI
Government fees
NevisUS$320 a year
Other jurisdictionsBVI: US$200 duty stamp
Time to sue
Nevis2 years, s.50(1)
Other jurisdictionsCyprus: two years
Duration
NevisUnlimited, s.5(2)
Other jurisdictionsJersey: unlimited, Art. 15(1)
Country by country
| Country | Instrument | Trustee regulation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevis | International exempt trust | Class II TCSP licence | EC$270,000 creditor bond |
 Jersey | Jersey trust - 1984 Law | JFSC trust company business | Unregistered, unlimited duration |
 BVI | VISTA trust - 2003 Act | Licensed BVI trustee | US$200 duty stamp in 3 months |
 Cyprus | International trust | CySEC-regulated ASPs | Creditor action within two years |
NevisInstrumentInternational exempt trust
Trustee regulationClass II TCSP licence
NotesEC$270,000 creditor bond
JerseyInstrumentJersey trust - 1984 Law
Trustee regulationJFSC trust company business
NotesUnregistered, unlimited duration
BVIInstrumentVISTA trust - 2003 Act
Trustee regulationLicensed BVI trustee
NotesUS$200 duty stamp in 3 months
CyprusInstrumentInternational trust
Trustee regulationCySEC-regulated ASPs
NotesCreditor action within two years
Before you establish
What a Nevis trust actually requires.What a Nevis trust requires.
Cap. 7.03 (N) asks for few formalities. The ten below decide whether the trust qualifies, registers and stays on the register.
01
Qualifying trustee - at least one trustee of a type listed in s.2(a), from a Nevis LLC to a licensed trust company.
02
Non-resident parties - the settlor and every beneficiary non-resident at all times, as s.2(b) requires.
03
No local land - the trust property may not include real property in St Kitts and Nevis (s.2(c)).
04
Registered agent - the registration must be carried out by a registered agent, such as an attorney or local management company (FSRC).
05
Section 43(6) file - the fee, notice of the trustee and registered office, and a certificate from a trustee or attorney-at-law.
06
Conformity undertaking - the FSRC checklist asks for an undertaking that the trust document has been read and conforms with the Ordinance.
07
Yearly renewal - US$300 plus US$20 for the certificate of renewal, within ninety days of expiry at the latest (s.44(3)).
08
Books of account - kept for at least five years, with an EC$5,000 penalty for knowing and wilful breach (s.42).
09
Notices of change - US$35 per change of trustee, US$200 per change of name or amendment (SRO No. 12 of 2024).
10
Purpose trust protector - the terms must appoint a protector capable of enforcing the trust, and a successor (s.8(1)).
01
One of the s.2 trustee types.
02
Settlor, beneficiaries non-resident always.
03
No land in St Kitts and Nevis.
04
Filing by a registered agent.
05
Section 43(6) certificate and notices.
06
Conformity undertaking signed.
07
Yearly renewal, US$300 + US$20.
08
Books kept five years.
09
Changes notified: US$35 or US$200.
10
Purpose trusts need a protector.
Reflects the Revised Edition of Cap. 7.03 (N), law as at 31 December 2017, and the SRO No. 12 of 2024 fees, as of 2026.Cap. 7.03 (N) as at 31 December 2017, fees per SRO No. 12 of 2024.
Verify it yourself
Official sources
Regulator pages, legal texts and public registers the figures on this page are based on.
- LawNevis International Exempt Trust Ordinance, Cap. 7.03 (N) - Revised Edition (Law Commission) as at 31 December 2017, hosted by the Nevis FSRCnevisfsrc.com
- FeesNevis International Exempt Trust (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 - SRO No. 12 of 2024 (N), in effect 1 April 2025nevisfsrc.com
- RegulatorNevis FSRC - Trusts: legal framework, registration procedure and feesnevisfsrc.com
- LawNevis Trust and Corporate Service Providers Ordinance, 2021 - No. 2 of 2021nevisfsrc.com
- RegulatorNevis FSRC - Trust and Corporate Service Providers: licence classes and feesnevisfsrc.com
How it works
From first call to the registrar's certificate.
01
Residence check
Settlor and every beneficiary tested against the non-residence rule of s.2(b), and the assets checked for land in St Kitts and Nevis.Non-residence and land checked.
02
Trustee and agent
A licensed trustee appointed or the family company formed, and the registered agent engaged for the filing.Trustee appointed, agent engaged.
03
Deed and undertaking
Deed drafted to the Ordinance, then the undertaking that it has been read and conforms signed for the FSRC checklist.Deed drafted, undertaking signed.
04
Filing and entry
Application lodged with the s.43(6) certificate and US$320 in fees; the registrar enters the trust and issues the certificate.Filed with US$320; certificate issued.
05
Yearly upkeep
Renewal at US$300 plus US$20 before expiry, books of account kept, and each change of trustee or name notified.Renewed before expiry, changes notified.
Quick facts
StatuteCap. 7.03 (N)
Law shown as at31 December 2017
Fee regulationsSRO No. 12 of 2024
RegistrationUS$300 + US$20 certificate
RenewalYearly, US$300 + US$20
Late renewalUS$400 penalty
First filing deadlineNone in the Ordinance
TrusteesOne to four, s.36
Neither the Ordinance nor the FSRC gives a processing time for a first registration. We plan for two to four weeks from instructions to certificate, mostly on the deed and due diligence.
On the ground in Nevis
Run from our Basseterre office.
Prifinance - St Kitts & Nevis
Basseterre · St Kitts
Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis
01
Trustee route
Licensed trust company, licensed attorney or the family's own Nevis company: the choice is settled before the deed is drafted.Trustee type chosen before drafting.
02
Deed to the Ordinance
Reserved powers, protector clauses and discretionary terms written to Cap. 7.03 (N), with the conformity undertaking prepared alongside.Deed and undertaking drafted together.
03
Registered agent's file
The s.43(6) certificate, notice of trustee and registered office, and the US$300 and US$20 fees made ready for filing.Certificate, notices and fees assembled.
04
Renewal calendar
Each certificate renewed inside its one-year term, notices of change filed and books of account kept for five years.Renewals and notices diarised yearly.
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London
United Kingdom
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Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
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Good to know
Taxation of Nevis trusts.
One section carries the Nevis position. Section 49, as substituted by Ordinance 2 of 2015, grants a registered trust four exemptions that last as long as the registration does.
Income tax
A trust registered under the Ordinance is exempt from all income tax under s.49(a), notwithstanding any contrary provision in another enactment.Exempt from all income tax.
Death and gift taxes
The trust is exempt from estate, inheritance, succession and gift tax payable on its property by reason of a death (s.49(b)).No estate, inheritance or gift tax.
Stamp duty
Instruments relating to the trust property, and transactions the trustee carries out for the trust, are free of stamp duty under s.49(c).No stamp duty on trust instruments.
Exchange controls
Section 49(d) exempts the trust from all exchange controls, and s.49 writes no time limit into any of the four exemptions.No exchange controls, no time limit.
Tied to renewal
If the trust fails to renew, the Ordinance ceases to apply to it under s.44(6), and the s.49 exemptions end with it.No renewal, no exemption.
Beneficial owners recorded
AML/CFT Regulations oblige the registered agent to hold accurate, updated information on the settlor, trustees, protectors and beneficiaries of each trust.Registered agent holds owner data.
Tax summary
Income taxExempt, s.49(a)
Death and gift taxesExempt, s.49(b)
Stamp dutyExempt, s.49(c)
ConditionRegistration renewed yearly
Beneficial ownersHeld by the registered agent
*As of 2026 per s.49 of Cap. 7.03 (N). Home-country taxes of the settlor and beneficiaries are modelled for each Nevis structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Nevis trust deed, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a registered Nevis trust.
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Full-service assistance - from the trustee choice and the deed to registration and yearly renewal - run through our Basseterre office.
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Questions on the Nevis trust and the FSRC.
Is a Nevis international exempt trust registered?+
Yes, and registration is what makes it one. Section 2 of Cap. 7.03 (N) defines an international trust as a registered trust; a registered agent files the application, and the certificate lasts one year (s.44(1)).
Can a creditor reach a Nevis asset protection trust?+
Only on the Ordinance's terms. A transfer made before the creditor's cause of action accrued, or over a year after it, is not fraudulent as against that creditor (s.26(3)-(4)). Otherwise it sues within two years of the settlement (s.50(1)), lodges an EC$270,000 bond (s.61) and proves beyond reasonable doubt a principal intent to defraud it that left the settlor insolvent or unable to meet the claim (s.26(1)).
Who can be the trustee of a trust in Nevis?+
At least one trustee must be of a type listed in s.2: a company under the Nevis Business Corporation Ordinance, a Nevis LLC, a licensed trust company, an attorney licensed as a registered agent or a multiform foundation. There may be up to four trustees, more for a charitable trust (s.36).
How long does it take to set up a Nevis trust?+
Two to four weeks, by our planning. Cap. 7.03 (N) sets no deadline for the first registration and the FSRC publishes no processing time, so the timetable rests on the deed and on the registered agent's due diligence.
What does a Nevis trust cost?+
In government fees, US$300 to register plus US$20 for the certificate, then US$300 plus US$20 at each yearly renewal under SRO No. 12 of 2024, with a US$400 penalty for a late renewal. The trustee and the registered agent charge separately. Our own fee for the Nevis work follows in writing after a free assessment.
What does the EC$270,000 creditor bond do?+
It secures the costs a creditor must pay if its claim fails. No creditor may bring an action against trust property until the EC$270,000 bond is lodged (s.61), the Ordinance's dollar being the Eastern Caribbean dollar (s.2), and the claimant must satisfy the Court by affidavit that it is (s.50(3)).
Can the settlor of a Nevis trust also benefit from it?+
Yes. The trust stays valid even where the settlor is its only beneficiary (s.53(2)), s.6(4) abolishes any rule against a settlor creating a protective or spendthrift trust of which the settlor is a beneficiary, and being a beneficiary does not by itself prove an intent to defraud (s.26(5)).
Can an existing trust move to Nevis?+
Yes, in two steps. A foreign-law trust first registers as a qualified foreign trust for US$300 (s.43(3)), the file naming the law it was settled under. Once its governing law is changed to Nevis law, it applies for entry as an international trust (s.43(4)).
Nevis or the BVI for a family trust?+
The BVI asks less of the trust itself: no registration, a US$200 duty stamp within three months under Trustee Act s.92, and VISTA for company shares with management left to the directors. Nevis costs US$320 a year to keep registered and writes its creditor rules into the statute.
Why Prifinance for a Nevis trust?+
We settle the trustee route with you, draft the deed to Cap. 7.03 (N) and prepare the registered agent's s.43(6) file. From our Basseterre office we diarise each yearly renewal and notice of change against the certificate's expiry date.
Registered?+
Yes; registration makes it international.
Can creditors reach it?+
Two years, EC$270,000 bond, proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Who can be trustee?+
Five s.2 types, up to four trustees.
How long?+
Two to four weeks, by our planning.
Cost?+
US$300 + US$20 a year. Our fee after assessment.
The bond?+
EC$270,000, before any action on trust property.
Settlor as beneficiary?+
Yes, even the only one.
Moving a trust here?+
Qualified foreign trust first, then s.43(4).
Or the BVI?+
BVI: no registration, US$200 stamp.
Why you?+
Trustee route, deed, file and renewals.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Nevis Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.