Seychelles Investment Advisor License

The Seychelles Securities Act, 2007 governs the conduct of securities business activities in the country and is responsible for the creation of a suitable regulatory environment for one of the world’s emerging offshore financial centres.

Key Features

An Investment Advisor as per the definition of the Securities Act, 2007 is:

1. a person who carries on business giving advice on securities, or
2. holds himself out as conducting, in Seychelles, such business described below:

• Advises other persons concerning investment in securities
• Issues, analyses or reports concerning specific securities or
• Manages a portfolio of securities for another person without holding property of the other person and on terms that preclude him from doing so.

A person is not regarded as carrying on business of giving advice on securities if that person:

1. Is a securities dealer
2. Is a bank in Seychelles
3. Is a lawyer or a professional accountant who gives advice on securities as an incident to the practice of that person’s profession
4. Gives advice on securities only in a newspaper, magazine, journal or other periodical publication

• which is generally available to the public
• which does not have as its principal or only object the provision of advice,
• the issue of analyses or reports, concerning securities

Legal Requirements

Requirements	Description
General
Corporate  vehicle permitted	Individuals/Companies
·         License application fee	USD 1,000
·         Annual license fee	USD 1,000
·         Representative application fee (in case of IAL for companies)	USD 250
·         Representative license fee (in case of IAL for companies)	USD 500
Local physical office required	No
Share capital or equivalent
·         Minimum paid up capital	USD 25,000
Directors
Minimum number	2
Corporate directorship allowed	Yes
Local director required	No
Shareholders
Minimum number	2
Corporate shareholder allowed	Yes
Local shareholder required	No
Service Providers Required
Company secretary	Yes

Tax Treatment

• A tax rate of 1.5% will be applicable on the assessable (gross) income of the licensee.
• No withholding tax is payable on dividends and/or interest payable.

Duration to Set Up

About 3 months

Distinctive Benefits of Licence

• Ease and speed of establishment
• Flexible structuring of the entity
• Favourable compliance restrictions
• Friendly regulatory environment

The Valsen Advantage

• End to end comprehensive service
• Speedy and efficient service
• Expert advice on structuring options
• Dedicated ongoing compliance support
• Extensive network pool of service providers