Art. 4 of the Trade Registry Ordinance says that every business in Aruba, whether it’s a sole proprietorship, a legal entity, or a branch of a foreign legal entity, must register at the Aruba Chamber of Commerce within one week of starting to do business. Depending on the legal form chosen, the steps to start a business in Aruba may be different. The Netherlands’ kingdom owns Aruba as a separate territory. It has the main features and benefits of a classic offshore, such as a stable economy and a well-developed tourist infrastructure.
A Severalules and laws govern how to register a company in Aruba. The most important of these is the Company Regulations of 1988. It sets up the new organizational and legal form of legal entity: AVV (Aruba Vrijgestelde Vennotschap). It is a company that doesn’t have to pay any taxes and is similar to a limited liability company.
Because of these changes in the law, the following kinds of companies can now be made:
- N.A.B.V. (Netherlands Antilles Besloten Vennootschap) is a closed company in the Netherlands Antilles.
- N.V. (Naamloze Vennootschap) is an open LLC.
- V.V. (Vrijgestelde Vennotschap) is an organization that acts like a closed LLC.
- Stichting is a private fund with no shareholders.
How to sign up for a business
You go straight to the Chamber of Commerce and fill out the Trade Registry forms to get registered. You must send in the following papers:
- Original passport plus a copy of passport (only page with photo).
- Original and owner’s copy and authorized representative’s valid ID if applicable.
- Extract the owner’s entry in the Aruba Civil Registry and, if applicable.
- The authorized representative addresses, if any.
Business address regarding the business address, you must attach:
- A copy of a recent water, electricity, or phone bill at the business address.
- A copy of the lease contract or the deed of purchase of the premises.
- A letter from the owner of the premises where the business is set up
- An original letter of authority and a passport or other valid ID (original).
The fee for the first registration was paid. For the business registration, you should check the Chamber of Commerce website to see if the business name is already taken.
Fill out the CR1 form
Fill out the CR1 form to start a business. Start by writing down the name of the company and the address of its business office. Form CR1 also asks for the names and other personal information about all of your Aruba company’s directors and shareholders (including any who may live abroad). Scan a copy of all the company directors’ and shareholders’ ID cards and color passport photos. Print out these papers and attach them to the form CR1 once it is filled out.
Requirements for companies that don’t pay taxes
To start an AVV business that doesn’t have to pay taxes, you’ll need to meet the following requirements. There must be at least two people or legal entities in the company. The business needs to have an official address and a director. MAA should be set up, and a Dutch-language version of the charter should be made and sent to the Justice Minister for approval. The company’s authorized capital must be set. The person who owns the share must also get at least one share, and stamp duty must be paid. There are some limits to what these kinds of businesses can do. For example, they can’t offer insurance, banking, or some other kinds of services.
When it comes to NV-type legal and organizational companies in Aruba, the registration process is different from the others. For example, the approved capital for such companies must be at least $28,000 in foreign and local currency. At the time a legal company is set up, at least 20% of the capital must be paid. Even though Aruba is outside of the United States, it is still required to keep a report of accounting. If you want to start a company like N.A.B.V. or a private fund, have to have a certain amount of approved capital.
