Get an investment license in St Lucia.

Fund business under the International Mutual Funds Act, Cap. 12.16. Public funds are licensed and private funds registered; the fund manager and the fund administrator each need a licence of their own. Securities business belongs to the ECSRC, which licenses broker-dealers, limited service brokers, investment advisers and their principals and representatives under Saint Lucia's Securities Act.

A Saint Lucia IBC formed for the role, fully paid-up capital of at least US$100,000 (US$250,000 if it also holds the administrator licence), the knowledge, expertise and resources to manage the fund, fit and proper standing, and written approval of its directors and officers before they act (ss. 24 and 32). The application fee is US$500.

The same capital test: US$100,000 fully paid-up, or US$250,000 together with a manager licence, plus competence evidence and a registered agent. The FSRA's guidance notes add the renewal rule: an administrator with no funds under its control when the licence comes up for renewal is refused.

A public fund is licensed and may be offered to the public. A private fund is registered, not licensed: up to 100 investors, at least US$50,000 from each, no marketing to the public and a registered agent or registered trustee in Saint Lucia, while its other service providers may sit in any jurisdiction.

Only with an ECSRC licence. Saint Lucia's Securities Act bars anyone from acting as a broker-dealer without one (s. 46), and the ECSRC asks for EC$1.0 million of paid-up capital, a licensed principal and representative who passed the ECSM Certification Examination, and premises it inspects. On 7 November 2026 its register listed 16 broker-dealers, mostly banks and bank-group firms. For a global retail book, the licence goes where the clients are.

Front-end and rear-end fees, custodian or trustee charges, investment adviser charges, administrator fees and sales or marketing fees - the FSRA's guidance notes are specific, and we draft to them.

Realistically 3-6 months including the FSRA's consent to incorporate and preparation - the consent step and competence evidence set the pace.

The annual licence fee paid by 15 January (ss. 16 and 27), the registered agent maintained, filings kept current and, for administrators, funds actually under administration at renewal. The regime removes dormant licences rather than renewing them.

The BVI's Approved Manager regime is faster and better known to allocators; Saint Lucia licenses the manager and administrator under Cap. 12.16 at boutique cost, US$500 to apply. Investor expectations usually decide - we model both.

No national one. The FSRA licenses international banks, insurers, money services and fund managers and administrators, and an FSRA warning notice states that forex business is not licensed in Saint Lucia. Securities business in or from Saint Lucia needs an ECSRC licence under the Securities Act; whether a CFD or rolling FX product needs the ECSRC broker-dealer licence is settled with the ECSRC product by product. A St Lucia IBC therefore sits inside a group licensed where its clients are. The St Lucia forex page sets out that build.

We obtain the consent in the right order and evidence capital and competence to the guidance notes. Securities business goes to the ECSRC, where it belongs. The work runs from our Castries office.