Shelf company in Cyprus: registered before you order
A Cyprus shelf company is on the register today, with its number and certificate. You take over the shares in one day from complete documents, and we file every form of the change.
What a Cyprus shelf company is and what you receive
A shelf company is a private limited company (Ltd) that was registered to be sold and has not traded.
8 to 12Working days of registration you skip
A new Cyprus company is expected on the register 8 to 12 working days after your documents reach us. In that time the Registrar approves the name, a lawyer drafts the memorandum and articles, and the Registrar examines the file. A ready-made company passed those steps on the day it was incorporated, so you save that time.
100%You buy the shares
A sale changes the owner and leaves the company as it is: the same registration number, the same date of incorporation. You acquire 100% of the shares from our nominee, who holds them until the sale. You then hold them in your own name, or the nominee keeps holding them for you, as nominee services in Cyprus provide.
5 documentsWhat you receive
The company reaches you with 5 documents. They stay in your account, ready for the bank and the auditor.
- Certificate of incorporation
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Signed instrument of transfer
- Resolutions on the transfer and the new officers
- Share certificate in your name
When to buy a shelf company in Cyprus, and when to register a new one
A lease, a supply contract or a tender form asks for a company name and a registration number. A shelf company has both on the day you choose it.
A purchase of shares or an investment round closes on a set day and needs a company to hold the stake. A registered company is in place before that day.
The company works under the name on its certificate, and you rename it once your brand is decided.
You want your own name on the first certificate and a memorandum drafted for your business. We register a new company from €1,699 before VAT, with the Registrar's fees inside: company formation in Cyprus.
What clients write about Legarithm
4.8 on Google from 26 reviews.
…they handled my Cyprus company setup while I was still in London. Smooth remote process and great communication.
We set up a company in Cyprus. Nobody pushed extra services, everything was to the point. They explain things clearly, give a real timeline and help with the tax details.
Everything is well coordinated and clear. Half an hour of the first meeting was more useful than two weeks of trying to work it out myself.
Shelf company or new company in Cyprus: time, name, cost, history
| Compared | Shelf company | New company |
|---|---|---|
| On the register | Today, with its number and certificate | Expected 8 to 12 working days after your documents |
| Name | The one on its certificate, or a new one after the sale | The one you choose, approved before the filing |
| Registrar's fees | €20 for each form of the change | €175: €10 for the name, €165 for the incorporation |
| Our fee | In your quote | From €1,699 before VAT, the Registrar's fees inside |
| Date of incorporation | The date on its certificate, before your order | The day the Registrar issues your certificate |
| First shareholder on the file | Our nominee, then you by transfer | You, named in the memorandum |
| First annual return | 18 months after the date on its certificate | 18 months after your registration |
What a Cyprus shelf company costs
A buyer who takes the shares, appoints a director, keeps our registered office and renames the company pays the Registrar €90: two forms and the name. The fees are those on companies.gov.cy on 12 October 2026. Our prices are before VAT.
Shelf company in Cyprus, our fee
Fixed in your quoteYou get the list and the figure in writing by the end of the next working day.
Get the list of companies- Registrar's fees for forms HE57, HE4 and HE2
- €60
- Registrar's fees for a new name
- €50
- Registrar: accelerated procedure, each filing
- €20 more
- Stamp duty on the instrument of transfer
- none since 2026
- Accounting, a month
- from €290
- VAT registration
- €350
- VIES, the EU register of VAT numbers
- €149
Cyprus shelf companies for sale: what the Registrar's file shows before you buy
Each company on our list is on the public register, and you read its record before you pay.
€0The Registrar's search by name or number
The Registrar's online search costs €0. By name or by number it shows the date of registration, the status, the registered office, the directors and the secretary. The Cyprus company register shows how to read an entry.
€10The company's whole file since registration
For €10 the Registrar opens the electronic file from the day of registration. It holds the history of the members, the share capital and the directors, a list of the documents filed, and the charges over the company's assets. A company held for sale has no charge on that list.
18 monthsTo the first annual return, then one a year
Every company makes an annual return once a year, in a year without trade too, and the first one 18 months after incorporation. The free search gives the date of the last return, so you check that an older company has kept up.
The Registrar also issues a certificate of good standing and a certificate that the company has no charges, each for a fee of €20.
How to buy a ready-made company in Cyprus: the transfer step by step
- day 11
You choose the company
We send you our list: each company with its name, registration number and date of incorporation. You look each one up in the Registrar's search and choose.
- day 12
We check your documents
You upload the documents of each new owner and director in your account. Our compliance officer reads them, and a lawyer prepares the transfer for signature.
- day 13
The shares change hands
Our nominee and you sign the instrument of transfer, and the board approves it. The company enters you in its register of members and issues your share certificate.
- day 14
Your directors take office
The company appoints the directors you name, and ours resign. The secretary and the registered office stay with us, or you appoint a secretary and give an address in Cyprus.
- within 14 days5
We notify the Registrar
We file a form for each change through the Registrar's e-filing system. The secretary declares that it matches the company's own registers.
What we file after the transfer: forms, fees and time limits
We file each form inside its limit. A late HE57, HE4 or HE2 costs up to €50 on day one and €1 a day after, €250 at most.
| What changes | Form | Registrar's fee | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shareholder | HE57 | €20 | 14 days from the entry in the register of members |
| Directors and secretary | HE4 | €20 | 14 days from the change |
| Registered office | HE2 | €20 | 14 days from the change |
| Name, where you want a new one | Name approval, then the special resolution | €10 and €40 | 15 days from the resolution |
| Beneficial owners | Entry in the Registrar's online register | No fee | 45 days from the change |
A beneficial owner is a person who holds 25% plus one share of the company, or controls it by other means. After the sale that person is you.
What you sign and which documents you send
Documents
We prepare, you sign
- Instrument of transfer of the shares
- Resolutions of the company on its directors, secretary and office
- Special resolution on a new name, where you want one
Each new owner and director sends
- Certified copy of a valid passport
- Proof of address issued in the last 3 months
- Bank reference letter, or bank statements for 3 months
- CV or professional profile
- Source of funds declaration
You send them in your account. We check each document the day it arrives and tell you what is missing.
See the platformAfter the transfer: bank account, tax number, VAT and accounting
4 to 12 weeksCyprus bank account, from a complete application
A bank checks the people who own and manage a company before it opens the account, so the account follows the sale. We apply once the Registrar has issued the certificates of the new directors and shareholders. A Cyprus bank opens a bank account for the company in 4 to 12 weeks. A Wise or Revolut account takes 1 to 5 working days.
60 daysAfter incorporation to register for a tax number
A company registers with the Tax Department within 60 days of its incorporation and receives a tax identification number, which stays with the company after the sale. Where a company on our list has no number yet, we file the registration. Corporate tax is 15% of the profit.
€15,600Turnover in 12 months that makes VAT compulsory
A VAT application carries a document that proves taxable activity, such as a contract or an invoice, so the number comes with your first deal. The company registers once its turnover passes €15,600 in 12 months. We file the VAT registration application for €350.
from €290A month for the books and the yearly filings
We keep the books from €290 a month. Each year the company has its accounts audited or reviewed and files an annual return and a tax return: accounting in Cyprus.
Questions about a shelf company in Cyprus
Is a ready-made company the same as a shelf company?
Yes. Ready-made, off-the-shelf and shelf company are three names for one thing: a company registered in advance and sold with no trade behind it. An aged company is a shelf company with an older date of incorporation.
How long does it take to buy a shelf company in Cyprus?
One day from complete documents. We check your documents, you sign, and the company is yours on the day it enters you in its register of members. Your directors act for it from their appointment, and we notify the Registrar in the 14 days that follow.
Is it legal to buy a shelf company in Cyprus?
Yes. The sale is a transfer of shares under the Companies Law, Cap. 113. The Registrar's guidance on beneficial owners names shelf companies: each one declares its owners within 90 days of registration and again after the sale.
Can I change the name of a Cyprus shelf company?
Yes. You choose the name, and we apply for the Registrar's approval before the shareholders vote. After the filing the Registrar publishes the change in the Official Gazette. The company keeps its rights, its obligations and its date of incorporation.
Can a non-resident buy a shelf company in Cyprus without travelling?
Yes. One person or one company of any country can hold all the shares, and the law sets no rule on where a director lives. You sign the documents remotely.
Can a company be the buyer?
Yes. It sends its certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles, certificate of good standing, registers of directors and shareholders and a board resolution on the purchase. They come apostilled, in English or with an official translation.
Get a quote for your Cyprus company
Book a 30-minute call about your company
Your consultant Vladyslav Babaiev Opens in a new tab Business Setup Specialist
- We email you the Google Meet link.
- 30 minutes, free, no obligation to order.
- After the call we email you the checklist of documents for your country.
We reply by the end of the next working day with the cost and the dates for your case. The first call is free and confidential.
Also for a company in Cyprus
Company formation in Cyprus
A new company under your own name, three packages from €1,699
OpenNominee services in Cyprus
A director on the board in Cyprus, a registered shareholder and a secretary
OpenBank account in Cyprus
The application to a Cyprus bank, with an account in 4 to 12 weeks
OpenAccounting in Cyprus
Books, tax returns and the yearly accounts from €290 a month
OpenGuides to a company in Cyprus
All guides to a company in Cyprus
Updated 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Vladyslav Drapii, Founder.
