Your offshore company:
A look at the paperwork

Certificate of Good Standing

OFFSHORE-FOX.COM
with Peter Widder

(Part 10 of 12)

Certificate of Good Standing (also known as Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Authorisation) is a document issued by the Registrar of Companies (or similar body) in evidence that a company is in legal existence as of the date of the certificate.

Just as a Certificate of Incorporation confirms that a company was once legally incorporated and able to transact its business, a Certificate of Good Standing provides an up-to-date evidence of the same.

The certificate usually gives the company's name and declares that it is duly incorporated and that all fees and taxes have been paid, annual returns filed (where appropriate), and that the company has not been dissolved or struck off the Register.

Remember, offshore companies do get deregistered if they don't pay their annual licence fee. If your offshore company is over a year old and you need to prove its continuous legal standing -- for example, to open a bank account -- you will need to request a Certificate of Good Standing.

It is recommended that the Certificate be apostilled to prove its authenticity beyond the borders of the country of issuance.

See sample Certificate
of Good Standing >>