Posted by There are a number of key changes to the BVI Companies legislation, following the publication of the BVI Business Companies (Amendment) Act, 2024 (“Amendment Act”), in the BVI Gazette on 26 September 2024. This amendment aims to strengthen the jurisdictions reputation as a leading financial services centre and to enhance its anti-money laundering capabilities.
Key changes in the Amendment Act
Register of Members
Filing of Registers of Members
The Amendment Act makes it a requirement for BVI Business Companies to maintain and file their registers of members with the BVI Registrar of Companies (“Registrar”). This filing for existing companies, will need to take place within six months once the Amendment Act comes into force.
In addition, the initial register of members for new companies must be filed with the Registrar within 30 days of incorporation or continuation in the BVI. Any subsequent changes must also be filed within 30 days. Please note that the register of members remains private unless chosen to be publicly accessible.
Listed companies and BVI funds are exempt from filing of register of members under the Amendment Act. However, a company should ensure that it adheres to the filing requirements in the period between incorporation and approval for registration as an exempted entity, during which it will not benefit from the exemption. In addition, Companies that have been struck off, dissolved, and subsequently restored to the register are not required to submit a copy of its register of members.
Nominee Shareholders
The Amendment Act also introduces a requirement for additional information for the register of members, including information on all nominee shareholders. The information to be filed is as follows:
- the name and address of the nominator;
- the date on which the nominee shareholder ceased to be a member; and
- the date on which a person ceased to be a nominator.
The filed register of members will only need to include information in relation to members of the company at the time the register is filed.
Register of Directors
Appointment of first directors
The timeframe for appointing the first director(s) has been reduced from six months to 15 days after incorporation.
Rectification of register of directors
The Amendment Act provides a mechanism for rectifying inaccuracies or omissions in the register of directors through court applications.
Professional Director Services
Where director services are provided to a company by a person licensed by the BVI regulator (a “Licensee”), the company must file with the Registrar, confirmation of the capacity in which the Licensee is acting (whether in corporate or individual capacity). This information must be filed at the time of filing the company’s Register of Directors.
The company must also file with the Registrar (a) the name of the Licensee and (b) the name and address of the individual on whose behalf the Licensee acts.
Beneficial Ownership (“BO”)
The Amendment Act clarifies the definition of BO as ownership or control of 10% or more, requiring companies to collect and maintain accurate and up-to-date BO information.
BO information must now be filed with the Registrar within 30 days of incorporation or continuation, instead of the current BOSS Portal. This filing remains confidential.
Certain companies are exempt from this requirement, including:
- companies whose shares are listed on a recognised exchange; or
- BVI funds where such funds BO information is held by either
(i) a person who holds a Category 6 investment business licence in accordance with the Securities and Investment Business Act (as revised), or
(ii) its authorised representative or other person licensed by the Financial Services Commission that has a physical presence in the BVI, and such person ensures that the beneficial ownership information can be provided to the Registrar within 24 hours of a request for such information.
Registered agents must authenticate information before filing and promptly update any alterations within 30 days. BVI entities established before the Amendment Act’s effective date must comply within six months.
Continuation under foreign law
For BVI companies intending to redomicile out of the BVI, the Amendment Act expands the declaration requirements for directors filing with the Registrar to include confirmations regarding the following:
- the company does not have any pending request from a competent authority to produce documents or provide information which has not been satisfied;
- a receiver has not been appointed over the company or in relation to any assets of the company; and
- the company is not aware of any legal proceedings pending against the company, or any member, director, officer or agent of the company as it directly pertains to the affairs of the company.
Summary table for the change of filing deadlines under the Amendment Act
| Filing with BVI Registrar | Old regime | BVI Business Companies Act (2024) |
| Register of Members | n/a | Within 30 days for new companies, 6 months for existing companies |
| Beneficial Ownership information | Within 15 days | Within 30 days |
| Appointment of First Directors | Within 6 months | Within 15 days |
2024 年 9 月 26 日《英屬維爾京群島官方公報》發布 2024 年《英屬維爾京群島商業公司法（修訂）法》（下稱“修訂法”）後，英屬維爾京群島公司法規將迎來一系列重大變更。此次修訂旨在維護英屬維爾京群島作為知名金融服務中心的聲譽，並提升其反洗錢能力。
修訂法的重大變更
成員名冊
成員名冊提交
修訂法規定，英屬維爾京群島商業公司必須維護並向英屬維爾京群島公司註冊處（下稱“註冊處”）提交成員名冊。現有公司須在修訂法生效後六個月內完成提交。
此外，在英屬維爾京群島註冊的新公司，須在成立或延續經營後 30 天內向註冊處提交初始成員名冊。任何後續變更也必須在 30 天內提交。請注意，成員名冊始終保密，除非公司選擇對公眾開放。
上市公司和英屬維爾京群島基金無需根據修訂法提交成員名冊。但是，從成立到豁免實體註冊獲批期間，公司應確保遵守提交要求，無法享有豁免。此外，經歷註銷、解散及恢復註冊的公司無需提交成員名冊副本。
名義股東
修訂法新增成員名冊額外資訊要求，包括所有名義股東資訊。需提交的資料如下：
- 委任人的姓名和地址；
- 名義股東不再擔任股東的日期；以及
- 某人不再擔任委任人的日期。
已提交的成員名冊只需包含提交時公司成員的相關資訊。
董事名冊
首批董事委任
任命首批董事的時間範圍從成立後六個月內縮短至 15 天內。
董事名冊更正
修訂法支持透過法院申請更正董事名冊中不準確或遺漏的資訊。
專業董事服務
公司如果接受英屬維爾京群島監管機構許可人士（下稱“持牌人”）提供的董事服務，就必須向註冊處提交文件，確認持牌人行事身分（作為企業或自然人）。此資訊必須在提交公司董事名冊時一併提交。
此外，本公司還必須向註冊處提供 (a) 持牌人姓名以及 (b) 持牌人代表其行事的自然人的姓名和地址。
受益所有權 (“BO”)
根據修訂法，受益所有權是指擁有或控制 10% 或以上股份，要求公司收集並維護準確且最新的受益所有權資訊。
現在，公司必須在成立或延續經營後 30 天內，向註冊處而非當前 BOSS 線上平台提交受益所有權資訊。提交資料始終保密。
特定公司無需遵守此要求，包括：
- 受認可交易所的上市公司；或
- 英屬維爾京群島基金，其受益所有權資訊由下列人員持有：
(i) 根據《證券與投資業務法》（修訂版）持有類別 6 投資業務許可證的個人，或
(ii) 其授權代表，或在英屬維爾京群島進行實體經營並獲金融服務委員會授權的其他個人，且此類人員確保可在收到受益所有權資訊要求後 24 小時內向註冊處提供此類資訊。
註冊代理人須在提交前核實信息，並在 30 天內及時更新任何變更。在修訂法生效日期前成立的英屬維爾京群島實體，須在六個月內遵守上述規定。
根據外國法律延續經營
對於計劃遷出英屬維爾京群島的英屬維爾京群島公司，修訂法擴大了向註冊處提交文件的聲明要求，包括以下確認事項：
- 公司已經完成主管機關關於編製文件和提供資訊的所有要求；
- 公司尚未指定接管人接管公司或公司資產；以及
- 公司並未獲悉針對公司或其任何成員、董事、管理人員或代理人的直接涉及公司事務的任何未決法律訴訟。
修訂法中關於提交截止日期變更的摘要表
| 向英屬維爾京群島註冊處提交文件 | 原有規定 | 《英屬維爾京群島商業公司法》（2024 年） |
| 成員名冊 | 不適用 | 新公司須在 30 天內提交，現有公司須在 6 個月內提交 |
| 受益所有權信息 | 15 天内 | 30 天内 |
| 首批董事委任 | 6 個月内 | 15 天内 |