Belize: New Regulations on Nominee Directors and Shareholders

We wish to inform you of recent legislative developments in Belize concerning the regulation of nominee directors and nominee shareholders.

The Financial Services Commission (Nominee Shareholders and Directors) Regulations, 2025, introduce a new compliance framework governing the lawful provision and use of nominee services. These regulations significantly narrow the circumstances under which nominee arrangements are permitted.

Restriction on the Provision of Nominee Services

Under the new regime, nominee services may only be provided by:

• A Registered Agent that is duly licensed and holds the specific permit authorising the provision of nominee services; or

• An individual nominee who meets all the following eligibility criteria:

  • is appointed directly by the Beneficial Owner (BO);

  • acts for only one company; and

  • is a resident of Belize.

Any nominee arrangement that does not satisfy the above requirements will be deemed non-compliant.

New Reporting Obligations

The Regulations also impose enhanced reporting obligations on Registered Agents, including:

• mandatory disclosure of nominee relationships and nominee details to the competent authority; and

• by June 2025, submission of a formal declaration identifying:

  • all companies for which a nominee relationship or agreement exists; and

  • whether each such company complies with the new nominee requirements.

Further guidance and more detailed information will be circulated in due course.

We considered it important to notify you of these developments at an early stage. Should you wish to discuss this update or have any initial questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.