Seychelles trust cost depends mainly on the structure, not a fixed tariff: the trustees, the assets, the drafting and the approved trustee's yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Seychelles 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 Seychelles 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
A Seychelles trust is of no effect unless made in writing (s. 8)[1]
Governing law
The Trusts Act (Act 34 of 2021) governs Seychelles trusts[1]
Perpetuity period
A Seychelles trust may continue indefinitely; no perpetuity rule applies (s. 15)[1]
Registration
An approved trustee registers a trustee appointment declaration (s. 11)[1]
Trustee requirement
Every trust must have an approved trustee; co-trustees may live abroad (s. 21)[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 5,500
Trust set-up in Seychelles: 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 One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
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 6,500
Foundation set-up in Seychelles: 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 One Pacific Trust or a partner trustee, confirmed in your quote.
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
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.
At set-up, you pay for work and for third parties. The work is ours and the approved trustee’s; the third parties are the law firm and the bank.
Most of the set-up price sits in four items:
client acceptance, identity checks and structure design, including screening each asset against the land rule (s. 10);
drafting of the written deed (s. 8) and your letter of wishes;
the approved trustee’s acceptance of office and its trustee appointment declaration (source: Trusts Act 2021, s. 11);
any holding company placed under the trust, with its own set-up costs.
Structure design comes first because it decides the rest. A purpose trust, for example, also needs an enforcer (s. 14), which adds a role to draft and to pay for.
The set-up guide shows the order in which these items happen.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
After set-up, the approved trustee’s yearly work is the largest recurring item. Every trust must have one (s. 21).
The yearly work covers accounts, minutes, identity refreshes and lodging the accounting records in Seychelles (s. 27).
Reporting for tax information exchange also falls under the yearly work. The tax and reporting page explains what the trustee files.
A trust here may continue indefinitely (s. 15), so plan for the yearly fee over decades, not only the first years.
Events are charged when they happen: a distribution, a change to the deed, a new co-trustee or a protector change. Ask for that list before you sign.
If you expect frequent changes, such as new beneficiaries or regular distributions, say so at the start. The estimate then reflects that work.
Third-party costs
Several costs are not ours. We name them early so that you can compare like with like.
Law firm. It drafts the deed, and its fee follows the drafting work.
Approved trustee. Its fee for the role is set in its own terms of business.
Registration. Any charge for filing the trustee appointment declaration appears as a separate line in your written estimate.
Bank. Account opening and yearly charges vary by bank and by the assets held.
Tax adviser. Your own adviser reviews your tax position at home and in Seychelles.
Time is the hidden cost, since some law firms charge for each revision of a draft.
Sending complete papers once, and agreeing the law firm’s scope before drafting, keeps those costs down.
What changes the total
Two Seychelles trusts can cost very different amounts. These factors move the total most:
Form. A discretionary trust, a purpose trust with an enforcer, or a trust above a holding company.
Assets. A listed portfolio is simpler to screen and transfer than a family company.
People and places. Each beneficiary and each country adds checks.
Co-trustees and a protector. Each extra office adds papers and meetings.
Your documents. Complete, current papers shorten the identity checks.
Banks set their own terms for trust accounts, and a slow account opening raises the time cost. Ask early which bank holds the assets.
How an estimate is built
An estimate has parts, and each part has an owner. This table shows the usual split.
Part
Who charges
When
Client acceptance, design and coordination
One Pacific Trust
At set-up
Acceptance of office, declaration and yearly work
Approved trustee
At set-up and each year
Drafting of the deed
Law firm
At set-up
Account and transfers
Bank
At set-up and each year
The table shows the usual split; amounts stay in your written estimate.
How to get a quote
Tell us the assets and the number of beneficiaries, and we prepare a quote.
It lists each part separately, so you can see which cost belongs to whom. It is not a binding offer, and we confirm it only after seeing the structure and the documents.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Seychelles?
At set-up you pay for client acceptance and design, drafting of the deed and letter of wishes, the approved trustee's acceptance of office, the registration step and any holding company. Yearly administration and bank charges follow. Each item is listed in the written terms.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Seychelles?
Yes. The approved trustee's yearly work, such as accounts, meetings, record keeping and identity refreshes, is charged under the terms you sign. Bank charges and adviser fees add to it. Ask for each yearly item in writing before you commit.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Seychelles?
Send us the assets in view and how many beneficiaries there are, and we prepare a quote that lists each part separately. Nothing is binding at that stage. The quote is confirmed once the trustee and the law firm give their written terms, before you commit.
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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