Anjouan
offshore incorporation.

Overview

Anjouan is part of the Union of the Comoros, a small island nation in the Mozambique Channel. It operates its own offshore corporate framework covering International Business Companies (IBCs), limited partnerships, and trust structures. A 0% corporate tax rate applies to non-Anjouan-sourced income. Formation costs are modest (EUR 2,500 to EUR 5,000) and the structure is recognised by most major correspondent banks.

An Anjouan IBC is a corporate vehicle, not a financial licence. It gives a founder a limited-liability entity with straightforward tax treatment. Paired with an Anjouan gaming licence, the IBC is the company that holds the licence and operates the regulated activity. On its own, the IBC is a holding or trading vehicle.

Note on naming: this site previously used the phrase "offshore licence". An IBC is an incorporation, not a licence. The page has been retitled accordingly. Any older "offshore licence" certificates issued by AOFA (the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority) are not recognised as financial licences by the Comorian authorities or the Banque Centrale des Comores. If you have been offered one, read our verification guide.

Entity types

International Business Company (IBC)

The default. A limited-liability company with separate legal personality, 0% corporate tax on foreign-source income, and a minimum of one director and one shareholder. Directors and shareholders can be individuals or corporate entities, resident or non-resident. An IBC is the chassis under almost every Anjouan gaming licence.

Limited Partnership

A general partner with unlimited liability plus one or more limited partners. Used occasionally for investment funds and for structures that need partnership-level tax treatment in the partners' home jurisdictions. Rare in a gaming context.

Trust

Anjouan recognises common-law trust structures for succession, asset protection, and privately-held family-office purposes. Not typically used for active business; occasionally appears as the apex of a holding structure over an Anjouan IBC.

Formation process

IBC formation is straightforward and takes three to five business days once the documentation package is complete.

1. Name reservation. Confirm availability with the Anjouan registry.
2. Memorandum and articles. Standard templates exist. Customisation is required where the IBC will go on to apply for a gaming licence, since the licence application needs specific business purpose clauses.
3. Director and shareholder identification. Certified passport copies, proof of address, and reference letters.
4. Registered agent appointment. A local registered agent is required and must be maintained for the lifetime of the entity.
5. Registered office. Typically at the agent's address.
6. Filing and incorporation. The registry issues a certificate of incorporation.

Total cost for a plain IBC is EUR 2,500 to EUR 5,000 including first-year registered agent fees. Annual renewal runs EUR 1,200 to EUR 2,400.

Tax framework

The headline position is straightforward: 0% corporate income tax on non-Anjouan-sourced profits. There is no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents, and no exchange controls.

The practical picture is more nuanced. Most operators' ultimate tax exposure is determined not by Anjouan but by the rules in their home jurisdiction (controlled foreign corporation rules in the UK, Subpart F in the US, and similar regimes elsewhere). An Anjouan IBC does not make tax disappear. It defers and geographically relocates it. Competent tax advice in your home jurisdiction is essential before incorporating.

The OECD common reporting standard (CRS) applies to Anjouan as a participating jurisdiction. Information about financial accounts held by tax residents of other participating jurisdictions is reported automatically.

Banking access

Realistic banking for an Anjouan IBC sits in three categories:

• Local Anjouan banks. Limited. Most operators do not use them.
• Offshore correspondent banks. Mauritius, Seychelles, and select Caribbean jurisdictions accept Anjouan IBCs. Onboarding is slow (6 to 12 weeks) and requires substantial documentation.
• EMIs and fintechs. Wise Business, Paysera, Revolut Business (limited), specialist iGaming EMIs. Faster onboarding (2 to 8 weeks), fewer frictions, but limited correspondent banking support.

Most operators use an EMI as the primary operational account and maintain a relationship with a traditional offshore bank for correspondent banking and higher-value transfers. The EMI-only approach works for smaller-scale operations but constrains wire-transfer flexibility.

Substance requirements

The offshore IBC landscape globally has evolved toward requiring some form of economic substance in the jurisdiction of incorporation. Anjouan has followed this trend for companies engaged in "relevant activities": banking, insurance, fund management, financing, shipping, and intellectual property.

An Anjouan IBC operating under a gaming licence is treated as having substance through the regulated activity itself. The compliance officer, the technical infrastructure, and the ongoing supervision all count. Pure holding companies with no regulated activity need to document their substance position with the registered agent annually.

How an Anjouan IBC pairs with a gaming licence

For most founders reading this page, the IBC is not the product. It is the chassis under the product. The typical structure is:

1. Anjouan IBC formed as the operating entity.
2. The IBC applies for an Anjouan gaming licence (B2C or B2B).
3. The gaming licence authorises the specific regulated activity. The IBC provides the corporate form and tax treatment.

A standalone Anjouan IBC without a gaming licence has its uses: holding structures, international trading entities, IP protection, and passive investment vehicles. The combination with a gaming licence is where Anjouan's framework is most competitive.

For the licence side of the structure, see the gaming licence guide or speak to us about your structure.