Labuan trust cost has three parts: the set-up work of the Labuan trust company and our team, the law firm's drafting, and third-party charges such as company formation. Yearly trustee and administration fees follow. This page explains each part; the quote form then gives an estimate.
The set-up fee for a Labuan (Malaysia) trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
Labuan Trusts Act 1996 (Act 554), as amended up to Act A1368 of 2010[1]
Registration
A Labuan trust may be registered with the Authority (section 12)[1]
Trustee requirement
A Labuan trust company must be one of the trustees (section 7)[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 7,500
Trust set-up in Labuan (Malaysia): the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Standard foundation
USD 9,000
Foundation set-up in Labuan (Malaysia): the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
The one-off cost of a Labuan trust is the work done up to the day it starts. That work is grouped into four parts.
Onboarding. Identity and source-of-funds checks on the settlor, the protector and anyone who controls the trust, plus the risk review before the Labuan trust company accepts.
Structure design. Agreeing with you, the trust company, the law firm and your tax adviser what the trust holds, who benefits and who has which powers.
Acceptance of office. The trustees’ resolution to act, opening the trust’s records and setting up reporting.
Asset transfer. Coordinating the bank account opening and the move of each asset into the trustees’ names.
The mix of assets drives how heavy each part is. Cash and listed holdings are light; an operating company, a property or an insurance policy adds legal steps, valuations and a new set of papers.
To see when each part falls, follow the order in the set-up guide.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Ongoing costs pay for running the trust every year. The trustees’ yearly fee usually covers the routine work:
holding the assets and keeping them separate from the trustees’ own;
trustee meetings and minutes for decisions and distributions;
trust accounts and an asset report that we send you;
periodic identity checks, scheduled by risk;
tax information reporting and record-keeping.
The Act requires a trust company based in Labuan to be one of the trustees (source: Laws of Malaysia, Labuan Trusts Act 1996, section 7).
In our service that company’s fee is shown in your quote next to ours.
You receive one estimate and one invoice route, not two separate negotiations. If you add a family member or a professional as a further trustee, any fee for that person is agreed with them and noted in the quote.
Not everything is covered by the annual fee; some work is billed only when it arises.
Such events include a distribution needing extra review, a deed amendment, a beneficiary or protector change, a handover to another trustee, and winding up the trust.
Work that falls outside the agreed scope is billed by time spent, and we tell you before we begin it.
Third-party costs
Third-party costs come from providers other than the trustees. They are either passed through at cost or billed to you directly, and your quote says which.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Drafting the deed and helping with your letter of wishes
Law firm
At set-up, and when the deed changes
Advice on your own tax position
Your tax adviser
Before signing, and when circumstances change
Forming and maintaining a holding company
Corporate services provider
At set-up, then every year
Registry charges on the transfer of certain assets
Government or registry
Can arise when shares or property move into the trust
Bank account, custody and transaction charges
Bank or custodian
Ongoing
Audit, if you want one
Auditor
Yearly, by choice
Basis: the items asked in our Labuan quote form, dated 2026-11-05. The set-up fee shown on this page is the fee for a standard trust or foundation; other lines are quoted after we review your case.
The Act also says a trust may be registered with the Authority (section 12). Whether you register, and whether any charge follows, is confirmed with your lawyer before the deed is signed.
Shares and property are the assets most likely to meet a duty or registry charge on the way in. The law firm confirms what applies to each of yours at the design stage, before the deed is drafted.
What the Labuan trust law permits and requires is explained on the law and features page.
What changes the total
Five factors shape the total more than any others:
Type of structure. A discretionary trust, a trust with reserved powers or a purpose trust each need different drafting and different ongoing work.
Value band of the assets. Our yearly fee is quoted by bands of asset value, because more value usually means more reporting and more review.
Kinds of assets. Cash and listed securities are simpler to hold than private company shares, property or insurance policies.
Number of beneficiaries and places involved. More people and more countries mean more checks, more reporting and more local advice.
Companies under the trust. Each holding company adds formation work and annual filings.
Two families with the same portfolio can be quoted differently, because the family around the assets changes the work.
To compare quotes fairly, read what each one includes. Note which services are inside the yearly fee and which are billed as events.
Also check whether the local trust company’s fee is inside the headline figure. A lower headline figure can leave more items outside the fee.
Written assumptions from every provider let you put the quotes next to each other.
Reporting adds work in some cases. The trustees collect tax residence forms and report what the rules require, so a trust with beneficiaries in several countries costs more to run than a simple one.
How to get a quote
A short questionnaire produces a quote. It covers the structure, the value band, the asset types, how many beneficiaries, whether a company sits under the trust, and the countries connected.
The estimate sets out its assumptions and shows the trustee’s part separately.
The figure is confirmed only once we have your documents in hand, as a detail in an asset or a family arrangement can change the work.
How much does it cost to set up a trust in Labuan?
The set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation is shown on this page. What you pay follows the structure, the value of the assets, which assets they are and where they sit. The quote form gives an estimate with its assumptions, which we confirm once your documents are in.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Labuan?
You pay for onboarding and structure design, the Labuan trust company's acceptance of office, the law firm that drafts the deed, and any company work. Bank and custody charges are separate. Your quote lists each item and who charges it.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Labuan?
Yes. The trustees charge a yearly fee for holding the assets, meetings, accounts, records, identity refreshes and reporting. Companies under the trust need annual filings. Events such as distributions or deed changes are charged when they happen. Your quote shows the trust company's share apart from ours.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Labuan?
Answer a short set of questions on the quote form: the structure, the value band of the assets, the kinds of assets, the people involved and the countries connected. You receive an estimate with its assumptions, and we confirm it once we have seen your documents.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
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