Service

Offshore company formation built for high-risk merchants

Not just a postal address. Real entities with real banking, real substance and acquirer-ready documentation from day one.

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Cheap offshore formations are a trap. A $500 BVI shell with no bank account, no substance and a free-mail UBO will not open a single MID in 2026. Acquirer compliance teams have been burned too many times by Wirecard-era structures — they now require real KYC, real banking and real substance behind every offshore entity.

ApexPay forms offshore companies that are designed to be underwritten. Every formation comes with a banking pathway, a substance plan, a UBO and director profile that survives review, and operational documents acquirers actually expect to see.

ApexPay FZ-LLC is a payments consultancy — we introduce merchants to licensed acquirers, gateways and alert networks, and we do not process payments or hold funds.

Jurisdictions and what they're best for

BVI — holding companies, IP-holding, intra-group structures. Light filings, strong privacy, recognised globally.
Seychelles IBC — light-touch offshore operating company. Best paired with a substance overlay elsewhere.
UAE Free Zone (DMCC, IFZA, RAK ICC) — 0% corporate tax on qualifying activity, real banking, MENA gateway.
Hong Kong — APAC-facing trading, strong banking, well-regarded by acquirers globally.
Singapore — fintech, crypto VASP-ready, premium reputation, higher cost.
Anjouan & Curaçao — gambling-licence-friendly, used by iGaming operators worldwide.
Delaware LLC / C-Corp — for US-market access and VC fundraising.

What you actually get from us

Incorporation with apostilled documents (M&A, certificate of incorporation, register of directors and members).
Registered office and registered agent in jurisdiction.
UBO and director onboarding (KYC, source of funds, source of wealth).
Banking introductions — tier-1 banks where structure supports, EMIs everywhere else.
Economic substance filing and ongoing compliance (where required).
Annual filings, accounting introductions and tax registration where applicable.

Substance — the non-negotiable in 2026

OECD BEPS, EU substance rules and FATF guidance have closed the gap between offshore-in-name-only and real operations. Acquirers and banks now expect to see: a local registered office, a local director where required, real economic activity in the jurisdiction, and documented decisions taken on-jurisdiction. We design substance to the level the structure actually needs — neither more nor less.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an offshore formation take?

BVI and Seychelles: 5–10 business days. UAE Free Zone: 2–4 weeks including residency visa. Hong Kong and Singapore: 2–3 weeks. Banking adds another 2–6 weeks depending on the partner.

Can you open banking for an offshore company?

Yes — every offshore formation comes with a banking pathway. We don't form companies we can't bank. Tier-1 banks where the structure supports it; EMIs (Wise, Airwallex, Intergiro) where it doesn't.

Do offshore entities trigger automatic rejection from acquirers?

No. Offshore entities trigger more questions, longer KYB and tighter reserves — but acquirers underwrite them every day. Substance, UBO clarity and clean processing history matter more than the jurisdiction itself.

What about tax? Am I exposed to my home country?

Depends on your tax residency. We coordinate with tax counsel in your country of residence — we do not give tax advice ourselves. CFC rules, PE risk and UBO disclosure regimes (CRS, FATCA) all apply and need to be planned for.

Corporate Structuring cluster

Part of the Corporate Structuring cluster

Onshore and offshore company formation, banking, multi-entity MID strategies and compliance for international merchants.

Pillar — start here

Corporate structuring for international merchants

Acquirers underwrite the legal entity, not the website. We design the structure, file the entities and open the banking so your payment stack actually scales.

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Multi-entity MID strategy — redundancy that actually works

One MID is a single point of failure. Two MIDs on the same entity is the same single point of failure. Real redundancy means multiple entities across multiple jurisdictions.

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Scope your offshore structure in one call

Tell us the vertical, target geos and banking needs. We'll quote the formation, banking and substance package — and the acquirers we'd onboard against it.

Stop losing revenue to bad payments.

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Coverage for 60+ countries and high-risk verticals.