Falkland Islands

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Overview

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Identifiers

Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Falkland Islands and submit them as strings on the application body. Tax ID: The Falkland Islands Government Taxation Office (FIGTO) issues a Company Reference Number (CRN) to incorporated companies for corporation tax purposes under the Taxes Ordinance 1997. Unincorporated businesses receive an Employer Reference Number (ERN) upon notifying FIGTO of a new business. No VAT exists in the Falkland Islands. The CRN appears on corporation tax returns and all FIGTO correspondence. No fixed-length or prefix format has been publicly confirmed. The CRN is distinct from the registry’s company registration number assigned at incorporation. Registration number: Sequential identifier assigned by the Registrar of Companies at incorporation under the Companies Act 1985 (as in force in the Falkland Islands) and the Companies Ordinance 2017. Appears on the Certificate of Incorporation and all registry extracts. No publicly confirmed fixed-length format or prefix; based on comparable UK-derived registries the number is a plain sequential integer. The online registry portal (services.registry.gov.fk) was launched in a ‘digital by default’ rollout to enable electronic filing and searches.

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Sector regulators

Falkland Islands Government Taxation Office (FIGTO) · Courts & Registry Services — Falkland Islands Government (company registration) · Falkland Islands Government — Fisheries Department (fishing licences) · Falkland Islands Government — Communications Regulator (telecoms/broadcasting) · Falkland Islands Government — Civil Aviation Department (aviation)

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Legal structures

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How documents combine

For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.

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Documents to collect

The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed. Not applicable in Falkland Islands: Operating Permit. Skip these areas — no local artifact exists.

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Collection notes

• Legal Registration: Issued by the Registrar of Companies (Courts & Registry Services) under the Companies Act 1985 (as applied to the Falkland Islands; the Companies Ordinance 2017 was enacted but the official registry website continues to reference CA 1985 forms and sections). Processing requires Form 10 (registered office and directors/secretary details), Form 12 (declaration of compliance, signed before a Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths, Justice of the Peace, or Legal Practitioner), Memorandum of Association, and Articles of Association filed in duplicate. The certificate bears the company name, registration number, and date of incorporation. For overseas/branch companies, a Certificate of Registration is issued under the Companies and Private Partnership Ordinance 1922. Registry contact: registry@gov.fk / (+500) 27271.
• Constitutive Documents: Filed with the Registrar of Companies at incorporation in duplicate under the Companies Act 1985 (as applied to the Falkland Islands; official registry forms still reference CA 1985). The Memorandum of Association states the company name, registered office location in the Falkland Islands, objects, and the liability structure. The Articles of Association set out internal governance rules and must be signed by all share subscribers. For companies limited by guarantee, the memorandum specifies the guarantee amount instead of share capital. Overseas companies registering a branch under the Companies and Private Partnership Ordinance 1922 must file certified copies of their equivalent constitutional documents (charter, statutes, or memorandum and articles), with an English translation if required.
• Tax Registration: The Falkland Islands Government Taxation Office (FIGTO) operates an automatic pay-and-file corporation tax system under the Taxes Ordinance 1997. Corporation tax applies at 21% on profits up to £500,000 and 26% on profits exceeding £500,000 (ring-fence oil trade: 26%). There is no VAT, no capital gains tax, and no withholding taxes. Upon commencing business, incorporated companies submit the FIGTO Business/CT Registration form (BUSINESS/CT REG) and receive a Company Reference Number (CRN). Unincorporated businesses submit a new business enquiry form and receive an Employer Reference Number (ERN). FIGTO does not issue a separate tax registration certificate in the same format as many jurisdictions; the CRN/ERN is the operative identifier used on all FIGTO correspondence and tax return forms.
• Sector-Specific License: The Falkland Islands has no dedicated independent financial services regulator equivalent to an FSC. Banking services are provided exclusively by Standard Chartered Bank (licensed since December 1983); its authorisation derives from its UK parent’s regulatory status. Sector-specific regulation includes: fishing licensing (Falkland Islands Government, Fisheries Department); telecommunications/broadcasting (Communications Regulator under the Law and Regulation Directorate); civil aviation (Falkland Islands Civil Aviation Department). Oil exploration and exploitation activities are subject to the ring-fence corporation tax regime (Taxes Ordinance 1997). Any financial services or MSB operation would require engagement with UK authorities and relevant FIG departments. The territory has no domestic securities exchange or insurance regulator.
• Governance Records: Companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance 2017 must maintain a Register of Directors at their registered office. Directors’ details are filed on Form 10 at incorporation and updated on any change. Annual Returns confirm current directors. A Company Secretary must also be appointed and their details recorded — this is a statutory obligation unique to the Falkland Islands corporate regime. The register is an internal company document; director information is also filed with and held by Registry Services as part of incorporation forms.
• Signing Authority: No statutory prescribed form. A board resolution on company letterhead signed by the directors is the standard instrument authorising a named signatory to act on behalf of the company. A notarized Power of Attorney is used where authority is delegated externally or for use in foreign jurisdictions. The Falkland Islands is a British Overseas Territory; domestic notarization is before a local commissioner for oaths or notary public. Documents intended for use abroad may be apostilled (the UK extended the Hague Apostille Convention to the Falkland Islands).
• Address: No statutory prescribed form for KYB address verification. Standard practice: lease agreement (no time bound) OR utility bill OR bank statement, with utility/bank statements dated within 90 days of submission. Utility services in the Falkland Islands are provided by the Falkland Islands Government (electricity and water). Standard Chartered Bank is the sole licensed bank and issues bank statements locally. The document must show the company’s registered or principal operating address in the Falkland Islands.
• Good Standing: Issued by Registry Services (Registrar of Companies) under the Companies Ordinance 2017; confirms the company is validly incorporated, has filed its annual accounts and annual return within the required periods, and has not been struck off or dissolved. Available via the registry portal (services.registry.gov.fk); in many cases downloadable by a registered company agent. The certificate may be apostilled for international use — the Hague Apostille Convention applies to the Falkland Islands via UK extension. Companies that fail to file annual accounts (due 9 months after accounting period end) or annual returns (due within 28 days of return date) risk criminal conviction and financial penalties for directors and may be struck off.

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Person roles

When you submit a person on the application body, set their role to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.

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Notes

• The Falkland Islands is a British Overseas Territory; the legal system is English common law supplemented by locally enacted Ordinances. The UK Privy Council is the final court of appeal. UK legislation does not apply automatically; relevant law must be separately enacted by the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly.
• The Companies Ordinance 2017 was enacted but as of 2026-06-10 the official Registry Services website and overseas-company registration page continue to reference the Companies Act 1985 and the Companies and Private Partnership Ordinance 1922. The CA 1985 has residual application; official notices as recently as 2022 cite CA 1985 section numbers. Practitioners and older documents may reference the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies Act 1948.
• Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) may be registrable under separate legislation, but the official Registry Services company-registration guidance lists only four company types (private limited by shares, private limited by guarantee, private unlimited, public limited). Confirm LLP availability with the Registrar before relying on it.
• There is no VAT, capital gains tax, withholding tax on dividends/interest/royalties, or property tax in the Falkland Islands. Corporation tax applies at 21% (profits ≤ £500,000) and 26% (profits > £500,000). Income tax is 26% flat on worldwide income. The territory has a double taxation treaty with the UK (Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Falkland Islands) Order 1997).
• Standard Chartered Bank is the sole licensed bank in the Falkland Islands (established December 1983). There is no domestic securities exchange, insurance regulator, or independent financial services commission. Financial services regulation for any non-bank financial entity would require direct engagement with relevant UK/FIG authorities on a case-by-case basis.
• Annual Accounts are due between 6–18 months from registration (first filing) and thereafter within 9 months of the accounting period end. Annual Returns must be filed within 28 days of the return date. Failure triggers criminal liability for directors and financial penalties for the company.
• Company secretaries are a statutory requirement — unlike many modern UK-derived offshore regimes which abolished the requirement for private companies. This is an operational gotcha: Conduit applicants from the Falkland Islands must evidence a company secretary.
• Overseas (branch) companies must register within a reasonable period of commencing business, file constitutional documents and a director list, and appoint a local agent. Registration fee is £250. Changes to any filed information must be notified to the Registrar within six months.
• The Falkland Islands economy is dominated by fishing (licensing revenue from international fleets in the Falkland Islands Exclusive Economic Zone), wool/livestock, tourism, and oil exploration. Most registered companies are small domestic entities or subsidiaries of UK/international fishing and oil operators.