Key Takeaways
- The Vanuatu Financial Services Commission operates the official registry where company records can be searched online.
- Foreign owners can run searches through the VFSC portal, in person, or with the help of a registered agent.
- Official extracts and search reports return specific company details, though some information remains outside public access.
- Verifying a Vanuatu entity from abroad involves understanding fees, turnaround times, account requirements, and the registry's disclosure limits.
Company Search in Vanuatu: What Foreign Owners Need to Know
A company search in Vanuatu is run through the public register maintained by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, the statutory body that regulates the non-banking financial sector and acts as Registrar of Companies. The register is open to anyone with an internet connection, and basic name or number searches carry no fee and require no account. You can confirm whether an entity exists, view its status, and download its incorporation certificate from the VFSC entity search at no cost.
This article explains who holds the register, which entity types appear in it, how to search from outside the country, what a result discloses, and where the public record stops. It will be most useful to foreign owners, investors, and their advisers verifying a counterparty or assessing the transparency of an entity before committing capital.
The Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) and Its Online Registry
The VFSC was established on 20 December 1993 under the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission Act No. 35 of 1993. Its Commissioner serves as Registrar of Companies, alongside roles covering charitable organizations, credit unions, trade unions, and personal property securities.
The Commission moved its registers of companies, business names, and charitable associations onto a Catalyst-powered online platform on 1 September 2015. Processing times reportedly fell by up to 700 percent against the earlier paper system.
The portal lets businesses and overseas investors register entities, maintain company details, and pay fees from anywhere. It is reached through the "Registry Services" item in the navigation menu at vfsc.vu.
For clients without their own connection, three public kiosks sit at Companies House in Port Vila. Use of those terminals to search or register is free.
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Types of Entities You Can Search in Vanuatu
The register covers domestic companies, overseas companies registered locally, business names, and charitable associations. Each appears under its own register, which you can query individually or together.
The International Company (IC), widely called an IBC, is the most common offshore vehicle. Registered under the International Companies Act No. 32 of 1992, it cannot trade within the country except to further business conducted elsewhere.
Companies that are not International Companies fall under the Companies Act, a statute modelled on the UK Uniform Companies Act 1948. Offshore limited partnerships, permitted since the Offshore Limited Partnership Act of 2009, must register; ordinary general partnerships need not.
Two cell structures exist under the Protected Cell Company Act: the Protected Cell Company, a single legal entity holding separate cells, and the Incorporated Cell Company. Foundations, created under the Foundations Act, must also register and may be private or public.
Trusts have no registration or reporting obligation in Vanuatu, and trustees need not be resident. As a result, a trust has no registry entry and cannot be found through any company search.
An overseas company means a corporation incorporated outside the country. Where such a firm carries on business locally, it must register with the Commission and becomes searchable.
How to Run a Company Search Through the VFSC Portal
Every online search is free, and no login is needed to read the register. The Commission suggests signing in first only if you intend to update records rather than simply view them.
To begin, select "Registry Services" in the registry menu, choose the entity type, then open "Register Search." Enter the company name (current or previous) or the incorporation number in the "Entity Name or Identifier" box, pick a single register or "All Registers," and a list of matches returns.
From the results screen you can preview each entity's name, number, status, registered address, and incorporation date, then open a full details page. Filters for registration date range and business activity help narrow a broad result set.
A second tool, "Register Role Search," lets you query by an individual's name to see whether that person is or was a director, shareholder, business-name owner, or charitable-association committee member. It is reached through "Registry Services," the entity type, then Register Role Search. A further facility checks whether an entity or person has pledged assets as collateral.
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Searching In-Person and via Registered Agents
Walk-in access runs through the three kiosk computers at Companies House in Port Vila, where staff assist with lodgement and navigation. Documents filed before the 31 August 2015 cut-off remain available only on paper at that office, so older records may require a physical visit.
Many investors work through a Company and Trust Service Provider rather than searching alone. CTSPs range from local trust companies and law firms to accountants and individuals, and they require a licence.
The Commission publishes a directory of licensed CTSPs. Verify any agent against that list before engaging them; unlicensed providers are a recognised risk.
Most interaction with the registry happens online. For the few matters with no online service, paper forms can be filed at the office at Companies House, Rue Bougainville, Port Vila.
What Information a Vanuatu Company Search Returns
A basic result shows the company name, number, current status, registered address, and date of incorporation. The status field is the key indicator, reporting whether an entity is registered, amalgamated, removed, or in receivership or liquidation.
For local companies, the record extends to directors and shareholders, plus other related individuals and bodies. Many underlying documents can be opened as PDFs directly from the registry.
The level of disclosure depends heavily on entity type, as the table below shows.
| Data point | Local company | International Company (IBC) |
|---|---|---|
| Name, number, status | Yes | Yes |
| Registered address | Yes | Yes |
| Date of incorporation | Yes | Yes |
| Directors | Yes | Not public |
| Shareholders | Yes | Not public |
| Financial statements | Not filed publicly | Not filed publicly |
A security-interest search reveals any "Notice of Prior Security Interest," a creditor filing that asserts priority over named collateral. That is worth a separate check before relying on an entity's assets.
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Official Company Extracts and Search Reports: What They Contain
While viewing a company, business name, or charitable association, you can download or email a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation or Registration at no charge. This serves as a useful first-level verification document.
On request, the Commission must issue a Certificate of Good Standing under its official seal. The certificate confirms whether the entity is in good standing, whether any articles of merger, consolidation, or arrangement remain pending, and whether a winding-up is under way.
A formal search report sets out legal status, registration details, the registered office address, and current company status. Local companies yield more in such a report than International Companies do.
No public source confirms whether a plain extract carries a stamp or apostille separate from the Certificate of Good Standing. As a general matter, certified documents from the Commission are executed under its official seal. Because audited accounts are not required for most IBCs, financial statements never form part of any extract.
Fees, Turnaround Times, and Account Requirements
Basic searches and certificate downloads cost nothing and need no account. A logon, using a single username and password, is required only to administer an entity, not to search it.
Online transactions cost less than the paper equivalents. The Commission's schedule separates fees for tasks handled by the user online from those handled outside the system; specific search or extract amounts were not broken out in the published fee text.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Overseas company registration fee | VUV 30,000 |
| Overseas company annual fee | VUV 30,000 |
| Local company incorporation (minimum) | VT 30,000 |
| Local company incorporation (maximum) | VT 250,000 |
| Local company Certificate of Incorporation turnaround | 3 to 5 working days |
| International Company incorporation | 24 to 48 hours |
Local incorporation fees scale with authorised share capital, from VT 30,000 at VT 35 million or less up to VT 250,000 at VT 300 million. For current search and extract tariffs, check the fees schedule directly.
The Limits of What Is Publicly Searchable in Vanuatu
The public record stops well short of full transparency for offshore vehicles. For International Companies, the names of shareholders and directors do not appear in the register, a built-in feature of the IC regime under the International Companies Act.
International Companies file no annual returns, financial statements, or audited accounts with the Commission. No financial filings are therefore retrievable through any search, though firms must keep accurate internal records and may face audit by the Financial Intelligence Unit during a compliance inquiry.
Trusts carry no registration or reporting duty, so they have no registry entry at all. Bearer shares remain permitted, but their use is restricted and subject to mandatory custodial arrangements aligned with international transparency standards.
A public notice issued in June 2025 addressed directors of local companies on Ultimate Beneficial Owner disclosure, signalling a UBO collection regime for that class. No retrieved evidence confirms a publicly accessible beneficial-ownership register for any entity type.
Identity and ownership data on an overseas company sit with its authorised agent, not the public. Reforms covering CRS adoption, the AML framework, and beneficial ownership have lifted the country's international standing, yet public beneficial ownership disclosure is not confirmed.
Practical Tips for Verifying a Vanuatu Entity from Abroad
The portal is reachable from any connection worldwide, free and without registration. A few habits raise the quality of your verification:
- Search by both the current name and any prior name, or by incorporation number, to catch every match.
- Read the status field closely; it flags removal, amalgamation, receivership, or liquidation.
- Download the Certificate of Incorporation as an initial check, then request a Certificate of Good Standing under official seal for higher assurance.
- Run a separate Prior Security Interest search, free in the portal, to find any collateral pledged against the entity.
- Confirm any local agent appears on the CTSP directory before relying on them.
- Verify any claimed regulator against vfsc.vu; the Commission has warned that it does not recognise the so-called "Vanuatu Independent Financial Regulatory Authority" (VIFRA).
Shareholder and director data on an International Company will not surface in a public search. To obtain it, a foreign adviser must work through a licensed CTSP or a formal legal request, since that information rests with the authorised agent. Some banks still apply enhanced due diligence to Pacific offshore entities, so confirm current EU and FATF list status before depending on such a company for compliance-sensitive dealings.
Conclusion
A Vanuatu company search gives a foreign owner fast, free confirmation of an entity's existence, status, address, and incorporation date, with downloadable certificates for first-level checks. The catch is depth: International Companies shield director and shareholder names, trusts never appear, and no public beneficial-ownership register is confirmed. For anything beyond surface verification, expect to engage a licensed agent or make a formal request. Treat the public register as a starting point, not the full picture, and pair it with a Certificate of Good Standing when assurance matters.
How Expanship Can Help Your Business in Vanuatu
Expanship supports foreign owners with company searches and entity verification in Vanuatu, from running portal checks and obtaining Certificates of Good Standing to coordinating with licensed agents for ownership data the public record withholds. The same team handles the wider work of forming and running an entity for clients based abroad.
- Company formation, including International Companies and local entities
- Registered agent and registered office services
- Tax registration and filing support
- Ongoing compliance and statutory record management
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Introductions to banking partners
To discuss a specific search or a new structure, contact Expanship Vanuatu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Basic searches by name or number, and downloads of the Certificate of Incorporation, cost nothing and need no account on the VFSC portal at vfsc.vu. A logon is required only when you want to administer an entity rather than view it.
No. For International Companies, director and shareholder names are not part of the public register, a structural feature of the IC regime. To obtain that information you would need to work through the company's licensed authorised agent or pursue a formal legal request.
It reports whether an entity is registered, amalgamated, removed, or in receivership or liquidation. Reading it carefully is the quickest way to confirm that a counterparty is active and not subject to a winding-up or removal process.
Local companies receive a Certificate of Incorporation within 3 to 5 working days of a complete application, while International Companies can be incorporated within 24 to 48 hours with electronic documents issued immediately. Once registered, an entity appears in the searchable register.
No. Trusts carry no registration or reporting requirement, so they have no entry in the VFSC register and cannot be located through any company search. Verification of a trust must rely on documents held by its trustees.
Request a Certificate of Good Standing, which the Commission must issue under its official seal. It confirms standing and discloses whether any merger, arrangement, or winding-up process is pending, making it the stronger document for higher-assurance verification.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the content, laws and regulations are subject to change, and the application of laws can vary widely based on specific facts and circumstances.
Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel tailored to their individual situation. Expanship and its authors disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the content of this article.
For specific advice regarding your business setup, compliance requirements, or any legal matters, please consult with qualified legal and tax professionals in the relevant jurisdiction.
