Overview
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Marshall Islands and submit them as strings on the application body.
Tax ID: The RMI does not operate a separate tax-identification system. MISSA issues EINs to all employers and self-employed persons conducting business within the RMI (Form MI-SS-02). The EIN also functions as the company’s gross-receipts tax reference with the Ministry of Finance, Division of Customs, Treasury, Revenue & Taxation. Non-resident domestic entities (NRDEs) that conduct no business inside the RMI are exempt from domestic tax and are generally not required to obtain an EIN, but domestically-operating entities must obtain one before commencing operations. EIN format: employer prefix of 5 digits followed by ‘-04’ (the ‘04’ country code assigned to the RMI by the United States under the Compact of Free Association), e.g. 08612-04.
Registration number: Sequential numeric identifier assigned at incorporation or formation by the Registrar of Corporations under the Associations Law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands 1990 (52 MIRC). Appears on the Certificate of Incorporation (for corporations) or Certificate of Formation (for LLCs and LPs) and on every Certificate of Good Standing. No fixed length or prefix is publicly standardised; numbers observed in public records are typically 6–9 digits.
Sector regulators
RMI Registrar of Corporations (IRI) · Marshall Islands Monetary Authority (MIMA) — financial sector regulator (established by Monetary Authority Act 2025, replacing the former Banking Commission of Marshall Islands) · MISSA · Ministry of Finance — Division of Customs, Treasury, Revenue & Taxation · Office of the Attorney General (Foreign Investment)
Legal structures
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.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.Collection notes
- Legal Registration: Issued by the RMI Registrar of Corporations upon filing of Articles of Incorporation (corporations) or Articles of Organization / Certificate of Formation (LLCs and LPs) under the Associations Law of 1990 (52 MIRC). The certificate states the entity name, registration number, date of incorporation or formation, and entity type. Issued rapidly — often within 24 hours — by the Registrar through IRI’s global offices. A certified copy or apostilled copy is available for international use. For resident domestic entities, foreign investment registration with the Office of the Attorney General is an additional prerequisite.
- Constitutive Documents: For corporations: Articles of Incorporation filed with and stamped by the Registrar of Corporations under the Business Corporations Act (52 MIRC Part I). Standard template available from IRI. Must state: corporate name, purpose (may be any lawful act or activity), registered address in the RMI, registered agent name, and authorised share capital. For LLCs: the LLC Operating Agreement (also called LLC Agreement) is the constitutive document defining members, managers, contributions, and governance; it is not required to be filed with the Registrar but must be maintained by the company. LPs use a Limited Partnership Agreement. Apostilled copies available.
- Tax Registration: Issued by the Marshall Islands Social Security Administration (MISSA) under the Social Security Act. Required for all employers and self-employed persons conducting business within the RMI before commencing operations. Application form MI-SS-02; fee USD 100 for corporations and associations; USD 200 for non-resident domestic entities electing to obtain one. The EIN (format: NNNNN-04) serves as the company’s reference for gross-receipts tax filings with the Ministry of Finance. Non-resident domestic companies (NRDCs/IBCs) that do not conduct domestic operations are generally exempt from domestic taxation and from the EIN requirement, but must obtain an EIN if they employ staff locally. The Ministry of Finance, Division of Customs, Treasury, Revenue & Taxation, handles tax administration.
- Operating Permit: Required under the Foreign Investment Business License Act (as amended 2015) for any non-citizen (individual or entity) wishing to invest in or conduct business within the Marshall Islands. Issued by the Registrar of Foreign Investment in the Office of the Attorney General, Majuro. Application reviewed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce (Investment Promotion Unit) and Ministry of Finance; fee USD 250; processing 7–10 working days. Grants the right to operate within the scope of the approved business activities. A Reserved List restricts foreign participation in small-scale retail, small agriculture, and water-taxi services. Citizen-owned businesses and non-resident domestic companies (NRDCs) conducting no domestic operations do not require a FIBL.
- Signing Authority: No statutory form prescribed. Corporations use a Board Resolution or Written Consent of Directors (valid under the Business Corporations Act as an alternative to a board meeting). LLCs use a Manager Resolution or Member Written Consent. For cross-border use, apostille is available — the RMI has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1992 (instrument of accession deposited 18 November 1991; entered into force 14 August 1992). Notarisation not required domestically but commonly requested by foreign counterparts.
- Good Standing: Issued by the RMI Registrar of Corporations through IRI’s global offices. Confirms the entity is registered, active, and in good standing — i.e. has filed all required documents and paid all government fees and registration charges. Available for corporations (cites the Business Corporations Act), LLCs (cites § 14 of the Limited Liability Company Act), and LPs. Issued within 30 minutes at any IRI office; apostilled version also available. Typically requested dated within 3–6 months for banking and onboarding purposes. Sealed and signed by an authorised officer of the Registrar with an official registry stamp.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
Notes
- The RMI registry is administered entirely by International Registries, Inc. (IRI), a private US-based company with 28 global offices, on behalf of the Republic of the Marshall Islands government. All incorporation, good-standing, and certified-document requests go through IRI — there is no public online search portal with document download. Registry extracts can be ordered from IRI offices; processing for Certificates of Good Standing is typically within 30 minutes.
- The RMI is a major offshore corporate center: as of 2024, hundreds of thousands of Non-Resident Domestic Companies (NRDCs/IBCs) and LLCs are registered. The jurisdiction is also the world’s second-largest ship registry. Conduit will primarily encounter NRDCs and LLCs in cross-border contexts.
- Directors, shareholders, and members of NRDCs and LLCs are not required to be filed with or disclosed to the Registrar, and their names do not appear on any public record. The register of directors/members exists only as an internal document with the registered agent.
- Economic Substance Regulations 2018 (effective 1 January 2019) require NRDEs engaged in ‘relevant activities’ (banking, insurance, finance, leasing, headquarters, shipping, IP, fund management, distribution) to file an annual Economic Substance Report (ESR) within 12 months of their anniversary date via the RMI’s secure online portal. Non-compliance may result in penalties or annulment. Collect ESR confirmation where applicable.
- The RMI has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1992 (instrument of accession deposited 18 November 1991; entered into force 14 August 1992). Apostilled copies of corporate documents (Certificate of Incorporation, Articles, Certificate of Good Standing) are available from IRI offices and are widely accepted for international banking and regulatory purposes.
- For domestically-operating entities: a Foreign Investment Business License (FIBL) is required from the Office of the Attorney General for non-citizen investors. The FIBL process involves the Investment Promotion Unit at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce.
- The Marshall Islands Monetary Authority Act 2025 (P.L. 2025-32, in force August 2025) established MIMA as an independent financial sector regulator replacing the former Banking Commission of Marshall Islands. MIMA consolidates oversight of banks, money-service businesses, payment systems, and insurance. Documents issued before August 2025 may carry the ‘Banking Commission’ name; treat these as still valid but note the regulatory successor.