Registering a BV in Curaçao is used for international e-commerce, fintech, service companies, and, most importantly, for projects seeking an iGaming license. For a regular business, it's sufficient to incorporate a company, identify the owners, directors, address, and management structure. For a gaming project, registering a BV immediately complies with the requirements of the LOK and the Curacao Gaming Authority: after incorporation, you'll need company documents, local roles, a license, acquiring, and a bank or EMI account. A NV is less commonly used and is chosen for specific corporate needs. Therefore, before submitting documents, it's important to understand whether you're registering a regular trading company or a legal entity for a licensed online business. This is especially important for iGaming: an error in the corporate structure will later complicate licensing, local substance, and the integration of payment providers.
Legal regulation and offshore company registration procedure
Legal framework:
Corporate law is based on the Civil Code of Curacao. The gaming sector and licensees are regulated by the LOK gaming law under the supervision of the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA).
Opening a company in Curacao and a bank account
For a company in Curacao to receive advance payments and pay for goods, services or advertising, it is better to plan the account at the same time as registration:
- Account with a European payment system (EMI): remote opening, a personal IBAN in EUR and SEPA for international settlements, IT, services, trade and e-commerce.
- Account with an international bank: for large contracts, SWIFT transfers in USD/EUR, holding part of working capital and maintaining a second independent banking channel.
This makes it clear in advance which payment details will be used for daily and large international payments.
Structure requirements (Curacao BV):
- Shareholders: Minimum 1 shareholder, an individual or legal entity of any residency, with 100% foreign ownership permitted.
- Directors: Minimum 1 director. For a gaming license, a local resident or licensed managing agent is required.
- Registered agent and address: A legal requirement: every offshore company must have an accredited local agent (Local Managing Director / Trust Company) and a legal address in Curacao.
- Beneficial owner register: UBO information is filed with the Chamber of Commerce and the CGA regulator but is not publicly accessible.
Incorporation and licensing procedure:
- Name check: Reserve the name with the Curacao Chamber of Commerce, ending in “B.V.” or “N.V.”.
- Company incorporation: Execution of the Notarial Deed of Incorporation and registration in the Commercial Register.
- Application to the CGA (for iGaming): Upload corporate forms, AML/KYC policies, source-of-wealth (SoW) evidence and a description of the business model through the regulator's online portal.
- Platform audit and certification: Complete an RNG (random number generator) audit and verify that the IT infrastructure complies with CGA technical standards.
- License issuance and account opening: Obtain official CGA authorization and connect multicurrency accounts with European EMIs and merchant accounts.
Documents received by the offshore company:
- Certificate of Incorporation / Extract from Commercial Register.
- Deed of Incorporation and Articles of Association.
- Register of Shareholders and Directors.
- CGA license certificate (Curaçao iGaming B2C / B2B License) — after successful licensing.
The BV remains the primary working form for iGaming and international online projects in Curacao. After registration, the corporate structure becomes the basis for the CGA license, local presence, acquiring and an account with a European EMI or another financial institution.
BV for conventional business or iGaming
If Curacao is needed for e-commerce or services, a BV, corporate document set and account may be sufficient. For iGaming, registration is only the beginning: a CGA license, local requirements and a payment channel are needed immediately. Specify the project type and client countries so the exact package required after registration can be calculated. A conventional BV and a licensed project will require different documents, timelines and costs, so they are better not combined into one universal package.