Liechtenstein trust cost turns on the structure more than on the country: the parties, the assets, the drafting and the trustee's yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Liechtenstein on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a Liechtenstein 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
Trust structure
Trust (Treuhänderschaft) under the PGR; deed names the trustee and beneficiaries[1]
Governing law
Persons and Companies Act (PGR); trusts have their own title[1]
Legal basis
Trust (Treuhänderschaft) provisions start at Art. 897 of the PGR[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 15,500
Trust set-up in Liechtenstein: 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 licensed 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
Foundation minimum capital
Standard foundation
USD 24,000
Foundation set-up in Liechtenstein: 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 licensed 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
Foundation minimum capital
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.
Set-up charges cover the work done before the first asset reaches a trust under the PGR. Each is a one-off line, and the written terms give the date it falls due.
Acceptance and structure design. Our identity and source-of-funds review, and the design work with your lawyer so the deed fits the structure.
Legal drafting. A law firm in the principality drafts the deed and letter of wishes. Each special clause or extra role adds time, because the lawyer checks it against the PGR.
Trustee acceptance. The trustee reads the file against the deed, runs its own checks and then accepts office.
Holding company. A holding company under the trust is priced as its own item, formed where the assets suit.
Your home-country lawyer and tax adviser send their own invoices. We cannot quote for them, but add them to your overall estimate of what the structure costs.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Once the deed is signed, the yearly work starts. The trustee charges for accounts, records, meetings and resolutions, and over a long-lived trust those lines can outweigh the one-off set-up.
Our own administration line pays for reporting to you, the annual check of identity papers and preparing each instruction you ask the trustee to carry out.
A change in the trust triggers an event charge, for instance a distribution, a newly named beneficiary or protector, an amended deed or the final wind-up.
A year with few movements is cheaper to run than one with frequent distributions or several bank accounts to monitor.
Expect the opening years to be heavier: accounts get opened and assets are transferred into the trust one by one.
Later peaks come when beneficiaries reach majority, when one of them moves to another country and when the trust ends.
Check what notice period applies when the trustee decides to change its fee terms.
Ask what the exit price is if the trust is ever transferred to a different trustee. The written terms should record the answer, and we raise the question for you.
If you compare providers, read the recurring lines with the same care as the opening fee, since they repeat every year.
Third-party costs
Part of the total is fixed by third parties, and every such charge is shown as a separate quote line. The main ones are:
Government charges in the principality, which the authorities set, not us.
Corporate services fees for any holding company in the structure.
Bank and brokerage charges on accounts opened in the trustee’s name.
Accounting or audit fees for any company under the trust, where its own law requires them.
Translation and certification of documents, since the official texts are in German.
These amounts change from time to time, and we confirm them in writing at the date of your quote. Which state charges apply to your structure is a point your lawyer confirms for your case.
What changes the total
Of everything you tell us, five answers shift the quote the most.
Factor
Why it matters
Kinds of assets
Shares in private companies, property and art need more work than cash
Holding companies
Each company adds formation, agent and accounting charges
Number of accounts
Each bank or brokerage relationship adds checks and reporting
Roles in the deed
A protector or adviser adds drafting and notices
Activity each year
Distributions and changes bring event charges
Basis: our pricing approach, 2026-11-05. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust or foundation; a quote for other lines follows the written terms of the trustee and the law firm.
A quote from us shows every line rather than one total, so you can see what the drafting and the record-keeping include.
Ask us with your plans in plain words, and we turn them into a quote. Before you commit, the written terms of the trustee and the law firm govern, not a summary on this page.
Our enquiry asks for the kinds of assets you expect to transfer, whether a holding company is involved and how many beneficiaries there are.
Say whether you want a protector or an investment adviser, since each role adds clauses to the deed.
You can request a quote at any time. Smaller points, such as who signs and in which language, are answered among our short answers.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Liechtenstein?
You pay for client acceptance and design, the legal drafting of the deed, the trustee's acceptance of office and any holding company under the trust. Your own lawyer and tax adviser charge you directly, outside our quote. Third-party charges, such as translation and certification, appear as separate lines.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Liechtenstein?
Yes, there are. After set-up, the trustee's yearly fee covers its office, accounts, meetings and resolutions, and events such as distributions or new beneficiaries are charged on top. For a trust that runs for decades, that recurring work can cost more than setting it up.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Liechtenstein?
Send us a short note on the assets you expect to move, any holding company in the picture, and the number of beneficiaries. We turn that into a quote showing every line rather than one total, and you see the trustee's and law firm's written terms before you commit to anything.
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.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
