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 SCB decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in the Bahamas.
The jurisdiction that lets the fund be shaped to the deal: SCB registration under the Securities Industry Act alongside the Investment Funds Act 2019 - SMART funds built to purpose, professional funds on fast-track licensing from US$2,000, annual renewals from US$2,750, and no income tax behind any of it.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Bahamas in brief
The fund shaped to the mandate, not the template.
The Bahamas runs two instruments side by side: firms register with the Securities Commission under the Securities Industry Act to manage, advise and deal, and vehicles are licensed under the Investment Funds Act 2019 across standard, professional, SMART and recognised-foreign categories. The SMART fund - Specific Mandate Alternative Regulatory Test - is the jurisdiction's signature: rather than forcing a strategy into a template, the Commission approves fund models designed for defined mandates, each with its own rule set. Professional and SMART funds can be fast-tracked at a higher application fee, with fees running US$2,000-US$4,000 to apply and US$2,750-US$3,125 annually, plus a US$1,250 principal office fee.
The commercial case is architecture plus proximity: Nassau is an hour from Miami with a private-banking history measured in generations, no corporate income tax, no capital gains tax and no withholding. Funds renew by 31 January, file audited statements within 180 days of year-end and appoint a licensed administrator unless self-administered - real obligations that keep the wrapper credible. For managers whose strategy does not fit a standard fund box - single-investor mandates, family structures, bespoke feeders, and for firms wanting the manager and the vehicle under one regulator an hour from Florida, the Bahamas is the design-led answer. We build both.
Design-led fund jurisdiction: SCB registration under the Securities Industry Act for the manager, Investment Funds Act 2019 licensing for the vehicle - SMART funds built to defined mandates, professional and standard categories alongside, fast-track available.
US$2,000-4,000 to apply, US$2,750-3,125 annually, US$1,250 principal office fee; audited statements within 180 days, renewal by 31 January. No income tax. An hour from Miami.
The two builds
The registered firm - and the fund it manages.
Two instruments, one project: SIA registration for the manager, IFA 2019 licensing for the vehicle. We scope both before either is filed.
The registered firm, and the fund it manages.
01 - SIA REGISTRATION
The manager
Registration with the Securities Commission to manage, advise and deal. The firm-level authorisation that carries the mandates, examined on people, systems and capital adequacy for the model.
Registration with the Securities Commission to manage, advise and deal. The firm-level authorisation that carries the mandates, examined on people, systems and capital adequacy for the model.
- ✓Managing and advising
- ✓Dealing where the model needs it
- ✓SCB fit-and-proper examination
- ✓Compliance and AML architecture
- ✓Capital sized to the activity
- ✓Quarterly and annual reporting
02 - IFA 2019 FUND
The vehicle
SMART, professional or standard funds. With SMART models approved for defined mandates and fast-track licensing available at a higher fee for SMART and professional categories.
SMART, professional and standard funds under IFA 2019. Mandate-specific models, fast-track at a higher fee, administrator unless self-administered.
- ✓SMART funds - mandate-specific
- ✓Professional funds
- ✓Standard and recognised-foreign
- ✓Fast-track at higher fee
- ✓US$2,000-US$4,000 application
- ✓US$2,750-US$3,125 annually
Fund fees per the SCB schedule as of 2026, plus a US$1,250 principal office fee. Firm-level capital is sized to the registered activities at filing.
Why the Bahamas
Six reasons sponsors choose Nassau.
✓
SMART funds
Fund models approved for defined mandates rather than forced into templates. The jurisdiction's genuine innovation.Built to the mandate.
✓
Fast-track licensing
Professional and SMART funds can be fast-tracked at a higher application fee. Speed available when a deal needs it.Speed when it counts.
✓
An hour from Miami
US investors, counsel and administrators in the same time zone and a short flight. Proximity that shortens diligence.Diligence shortens.
✓
No income taxation
No corporate income tax, no capital gains tax, no withholding. The wrapper is fiscally neutral by design.Neutral by design.
✓
Generational private banking
A wealth-management history measured in decades. Trustees, administrators and bankers who have seen every structure.Seen every structure.
✓
Real obligations
Audited statements within 180 days, licensed administrators, annual renewals. The discipline that keeps the flag respected.Why the flag holds.
How it compares
How the Bahamas differs from other routes.
The comparison, side by side: fund architecture built to the mandate. With US proximity and no income tax behind it.
Bahamas vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Bahamas | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Fund design | SMART - mandate-specific | Standard templates |
| Speed | Fast-track available | Standard queues |
| Fees | US$2,000-4,000 · US$2,750+ | CI$4,125 · US$1,000+ |
| Position | One hour from Miami | Atlantic or Pacific |
Fund design
BahamasSMART - mandate-specific
Other jurisdictionsStandard templates
Speed
BahamasFast-track available
Other jurisdictionsStandard queues
Fees
BahamasUS$2,000-4,000 · US$2,750+
Other jurisdictionsCI$4,125 · US$1,000+
Position
BahamasOne hour from Miami
Other jurisdictionsAtlantic or Pacific
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | Funds + SIA - SCB | No income tax | IFA 2019 fund categories |
 Cayman Islands | Securities manager - CIMA | No income tax | CI$5,000/yr, CI$15k resources |
 BVI | Approved Manager / Cat 3 | No income tax | US$400M AUM cap, US$1,000 |
 Belize | Securities licence - FSC | Territorial business tax | US$500,000 capitalisation |
BahamasLicense typeFunds + SIA - SCB
TaxationNo income tax
RequirementsIFA 2019 fund categories
Cayman IslandsLicense typeSecurities manager - CIMA
TaxationNo income tax
RequirementsCI$5,000/yr, CI$15k resources
BVILicense typeApproved Manager / Cat 3
TaxationNo income tax
RequirementsUS$400M AUM cap, US$1,000
BelizeLicense typeSecurities licence - FSC
TaxationTerritorial business tax
RequirementsUS$500,000 capitalisation
Before you apply
Requirements for the Bahamas licence.Requirements for the licence.
The Commission licenses the firm and the fund separately, and both must stand. The checklist below covers the project.
01
Bahamian entity. Incorporated for the registration with a local presence.
02
Activity map. Managing, advising and dealing scoped before filing.
03
Fund category. SMART, professional or standard chosen against the actual mandate.
04
Fit-and-proper principals. Directors, officers and owners vetted to ultimate-owner level.
05
Capital adequacy. Sized to the registered activities and evidenced.
06
Business plan. Strategy, investors and projections the SCB can test.
07
Administrator. A licensed fund administrator appointed unless self-administered.
08
Offering documents. The fund's terms drafted to the category's rule set.
09
Auditor. Appointed, with audited statements filed within 180 days of year-end.
10
Compliance and AML. Documented procedures with named officers.
11
Renewal calendar. Fund licences renewed by 31 January each year.
01
Bahamian entity, present.
02
Activities scoped first.
03
Fund category matched.
04
Principals vetted to UBO.
05
Capital sized, evidenced.
06
Testable business plan.
07
Administrator appointed.
08
Offering docs to rule set.
09
Auditor, 180-day filings.
10
AML officers named.
11
Renewal by 31 January.
Reflects the Securities Industry Act and Investment Funds Act 2019 as of 2026. Fees per the SCB schedule, confirmed at filing.SIA + IFA 2019, as of 2026.
How it works
From first call to the SCB register.
01
Design
The mandate mapped to a fund category and the firm's registered activities. Architecture before paperwork.Mandate to category.
02
Entity and principals
Bahamian company, directors and officers vetted, capital arranged.Capital arranged.
03
The filings
SIA registration and fund licence filed with offering documents. Fast-track where the deal justifies it.Both, with docs.
04
SCB review
Queries answered on schedule, administrator and auditor confirmed.Answered on time.
05
Live and calendared
Firm registered, fund licensed, renewals and 180-day filings scheduled. The structure running.Renewals scheduled.
Quick facts
RegulatorSCB
FrameworksSIA + IFA 2019
Fund categoriesSMART · professional · standard
Application feesUS$2,000-US$4,000
Annual renewalUS$2,750-US$3,125
Principal office feeUS$1,250
Audited statementsWithin 180 days
Renewal date31 January
Fast-track exists for professional and SMART funds at a higher application fee. Worth it when a closing date is real, wasted when it is not.
On the ground in the Bahamas
Run from our Nassau office.
Prifinance - Bahamas
Nassau · Bahamas
Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
01
Firm and fund together
SIA registration and IFA category chosen in one design. The manager and vehicle scoped as a single project.One design.
02
SMART architecture
Where the mandate is bespoke, the fund model is built to it. The jurisdiction's real advantage, used properly.Advantage used right.
03
The SCB file
Principals, capital and offering documents complete at submission. Fast-track used where it earns its fee.Complete at filing.
04
Administration and launch
Administrator, auditor and banking appointed. The structure running with its calendar set.Calendar set.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in the Bahamas.
No income taxation at any level. The wrapper is neutral, and the obligations are regulatory rather than fiscal.
No corporate income tax
Management and performance fees are untaxed at entity level. The Bahamian position in one line.Fees untaxed.
No capital gains tax
Fund realisations and manager economics sit outside any charge.Realisations whole.
No withholding taxes
Distributions leave clean to investors anywhere. The neutrality pooled vehicles are built on.Clean distributions.
VAT on domestic supplies
The indirect layer touches local consumption, not international fund business.Not on fund business.
Fees are the relationship
Licence, renewal and principal-office fees. Predictable annual costs rather than a tax computation.Predictable annually.
Substance and reporting
Audited statements, licensed administrators and renewals are the real obligations. Regulatory, and we run them.Audits and renewals.
Tax summary
Corporate income taxNone
Capital gains taxNone
Withholding taxesNone
VATDomestic supplies
State chargesLicence + registration fees
*Figures as of 2026 per Bahamian law and the SCB schedule. Investor-level outcomes are modelled per 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: Bahamian company, 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 live, registered firm.
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Bahamas · SCB
Launch your investment firm in the Bahamas with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from SMART fund design and SIA registration to administrators and launch - run through our Nassau office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the Bahamas the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Bahamas investment licence - what clients ask.
What authorisation does an investment firm need in the Bahamas?+
Registration with the Securities Commission under the Securities Industry Act to manage, advise or deal - with the fund itself licensed separately under the Investment Funds Act 2019.
What is a SMART fund?+
A Specific Mandate Alternative Regulatory Test fund: rather than fitting a strategy into a standard template, the Commission approves fund models designed for defined mandates, each with its own rule set. It is the jurisdiction's signature product and the reason bespoke structures come here.
What are the fund categories?+
Standard funds, professional funds, SMART funds and recognised foreign funds - with professional and SMART available in administered or self-administered form.
What do the fund fees cost?+
Application fees run US$2,000-US$4,000 depending on category and whether fast-track is used, annual renewals US$2,750-US$3,125, plus a US$1,250 principal office fee across categories.
What is fast-track licensing?+
Professional and SMART funds can be licensed on an accelerated basis at a higher application fee - genuinely useful against a real closing date, and not worth paying for without one.
What ongoing obligations apply?+
Annual renewal by 31 January, audited financial statements within 180 days of fiscal year-end, immediate reporting of material changes, and a licensed administrator unless the fund is self-administered.
How are Bahamian funds and managers taxed?+
No corporate income tax, no capital gains tax and no withholding; VAT touches domestic supplies only. The annual cost is licence and renewal fees.
Why the Bahamas rather than Cayman?+
Design and proximity: SMART funds let the vehicle be built to a mandate no template covers, and Nassau is an hour from Miami. Cayman remains the institutional default for large allocator-facing funds - we say which fits before you commit.
Does the manager have to be Bahamian?+
The registered firm is a Bahamian entity with a local presence; funds may appoint administrators and managers per their category rules. We structure the manager where it serves the strategy and register properly on both ends.
Why Prifinance for the Bahamas?+
Fund architecture designed to the mandate before any form is filed, SIA registration and IFA licensing run as one project, and the calendar set on day one - from our Nassau office.
What authorisation?+
SIA registration + IFA fund.
SMART fund?+
Mandate-specific model.
Categories?+
SMART, professional, standard.
Fees?+
US$2-4k; US$2.75-3.1k/yr.
Fast-track?+
Higher fee, real speed.
Ongoing?+
180-day audit, 31 Jan.
Taxes?+
None on income.
Or Cayman?+
Design vs default.
Bahamian manager?+
Local entity registered.
Why you?+
Design before filing.
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
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Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Bahamas route fits your project and what it will cost.
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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 Securities Commission of The Bahamas or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.