Open a Company in the Dutch Antilles

The former Netherlands Antilles (dissolved on 10 October 2010 into Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands – Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) are located in the Caribbean Sea and are made up of two groups of islands: Leeward and Windward. The official language in the Antilles is Dutch, as their name says, however English and Spanish are also spoken by the locals: English because of the business environment and Spanish because the islands are located to South American countries.

We mentioned earlier the business environment of the Netherlands Antilles, so foreign investors should know that the most prolific industries here are the financial, touristic and trading ones.

If you are interested in starting a business in the Dutch Antilles, our agents for starting a company in the Netherlands can explain the requirements.

Types of companies in the Dutch Antilles

Each island now has its own company law (in Curaçao, Book 2 of the Curaçao Civil Code) governing the formation procedure of a company in the Antilles. However, the incorporation documents must be prepared in English.

With respect to the type of companies which can be registered in the Netherlands Antilles, these are:

• –          the public limited liability company (NV), which is the most common structure in the Antilles;
• –          the private limited liability company (BV);
• –          the sole proprietorship, however this structure is mostly used by the locals.

The former offshore company regime (closed to new companies in 2002 and ended in 2019) is no longer available to foreign investors interested in opening a company in the Dutch Antilles.

Our Dutch company formation consultants can explain the requirements related to starting a business in the Antilles.

Company registration in the Dutch Antilles

Entrepreneurs who want to create companies in the Netherlands Antilles must first consider the following:

• –          there is no statutory minimum share capital for an NV or BV in Curaçao (the Antillean guilder was replaced by the Caribbean guilder, XCG, on 31 March 2025), and the shares need not be fully paid up at incorporation;
• –          a resident director must be appointed;
• –          the minimum number of shareholders is 1.

Once these requirements are complied with, the Dutch Antilles company formation process will imply:

• –          reserving a unique trade name;
• –          drafting the incorporation documents;
• –          filing the documents with the Companies Registrar;
• –          registering for taxation purposes.

It should be noted that foreign companies can change into NV companies in the Dutch Antilles.

For full information or assistance in registering a company in the Dutch Antilles, please contact our company registration advisors.