How Much Does It Cost to Set Up a Company in Cyprus? Breakdown of Fees 2025

Understanding Cyprus Company Registration Costs

One of the most common questions people ask when they want to start a business in Cyprus is: "How much does it cost to register a company?"

It's a fair question, and one that deserves complete transparency. The price depends on the service provider you choose, but you can find prices anywhere from €1,200 to €3,000.

Many service providers advertise a registration fee without clearly separating government costs from their own legal fees. This can leave people confused about what they're actually paying for.

Two Main Types of Company Formation Costs in Cyprus

Company formation in Cyprus involves two different types of costs:

• Registrar of Companies fees - these are mandatory, payable to the government regardless of which service provider you choose
• Legal and professional fees - what you pay to your lawyer or service provider for handling the process

Understanding this difference is important because it helps you see where your money is going and evaluate whether you're getting fair value from your service provider.

In this article, I'll break down all the fees involved in registering and maintaining a Cyprus company.

Total Registrar of Companies Fees

The Registrar fees can vary quite a bit based on a few things. Filing fees vary based on the type of company (for example, filing fees of companies without share capital are higher), stamp duty fees also vary based on the amount of share capital of the company, and you will have to pay more if you want additional certificates beyond the usual ones.

However, in this article we'll talk about the most common way to set up a company. That is, a Limited Liability Company with 1,000 shares and the 4 basic certificates (Incorporation, Shareholders, Directors, and Registered Office), and a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. We'll call this a basic company setup.

The total Registrar fees for registering a basic company in Cyprus come in two options:

• €328 for standard processing, or
• €528 for expedited (fast-track) processing.

The €200 difference is the expedited fee which speeds up the processing time of the Registrar.

Name Application Fees

First things first, before you can register a company, you need to get your company name approved.

• Standard processing fee: €10
• Expedited processing fee: €30

How Long Does Name Approval Take?

With standard processing, expect to wait up to 2 weeks for an answer - whether approval or rejection. There's no guaranteed timeline since it really depends on how busy the Registrar is at that moment.

Most people just go for the expedited option (paying the extra €20) because you'll get an answer within 3-4 working days. It's worth it since a rejected name can really hold up your whole company formation process, forcing you to start over with a new application and new waiting period.

If it's approved, the name is reserved for you for 6 months. If you don't register a company with that name within that timeframe, you'll need to make a new application.

Choosing a Company Name

It's a good idea to choose a unique name so that it's not similar to existing companies or trade names, so you can avoid the extra fees for reapplying. Just to be sure, you can always use our Cyprus Company Name Search tool to check if the name you choose is similar to any registered names before you apply for it.

Keep in mind that most service providers include one name application in their incorporation package price, but they'll charge you extra if your name gets rejected and you need to apply again. This is another reason why checking name availability beforehand can save you money in the long run.

Stamp Duty Fees

Next up are the stamp duty fees. An important document necessary for the Registrar to approve the registration of the company is a fully stamped and signed HE1 document.

HE1 is a sworn declaration that must be filled and signed by a lawyer in front of a court clerk. By signing the HE1, the lawyer confirms that the incorporation of the company is in accordance with Cyprus company law's rules. Only licensed lawyers in Cyprus are allowed to sign this.

The stamp duty fees on the HE1 depend on the share capital of the company, so the higher the share capital, the higher the stamp duty fee. However, for a basic share capital of €1,000 (which is what most companies start with), the stamp duty is €53.

Registrar Filing Fees

Once your company name is approved, you have signed the memorandum and articles of association and your lawyer has prepared the HE1 form, they need to be filed with the Registrar of Companies. This involves several forms, each with its own fee:

• Registration of the Company fee - €105 (€205 for expedited)
• HE1 submission - €20
• HE2 (Registered office form) submission - €20
• HE3 (First Directors and Secretary form) - €20

In total, this comes down to €165 for basic registration time and €265 for faster processing.

Certificate Fees

When registering your company, your service provider will also order your company's certificates. While many options are available, you only need these four essential certificates along with the Memorandum and Articles of Association when setting up your company:

Essential Certificates & Costs

• Certificate of Incorporation
  • Free (Greek version)
  • English Certified Copy: €20 (€40 expedited)
• Certificate of Directors and Secretary: €20 (€40 expedited)
• Certificate of Shareholders: €20 (€40 expedited)
• Certificate of Registered Office: €20 (€40 expedited)

You can also get a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association for €40 (€60 expedited), which comes in Greek.

Why These Certificates Are Important

Yes, these certificates almost double the Registrar's fees, but they are essential. These certificates serve as official proof of your company's details. You'll need them to:

• Register with the tax department
• Open a bank account
• Deal with various government agencies

Issuance & Certification Process

The certificates are issued by the Registrar at the same time the company is registered. After that, they must be sent to the Registrar’s office to be signed and sealed.

• Certification Cost: No extra charge from the Registrar
• Courier Fees: Most service providers include this in their pricing

Optional Certificates You Might Need Later

There are other certificates available that you might not need immediately—except in special cases:

• Certificate of Good Standing
• Certificate of Capital
• Certified Copy of Certificate of Commencement of Business

Additional Documents in English

If you need the Articles of Association & Memorandum in English, the cost is €240. However, most businesses find they can manage without it.

Expedited Fee (Faster Registration)

Like I mentioned before, the standard Registrar fees are €328 for a basic company setup, or €528 if you go with the expedited option.

So is paying that extra €200 worth it? Well, it really comes down to how quickly you need your company up and running.

The truth is that there's no guaranteed timeframe for either option. It depends on how busy the Registrar is at the time. But paying that expedited fee definitely puts your application in a priority queue. Typically, an expedited registration takes about 6-8 working days, including the name application process.

It's pretty interesting how service providers handle this. A lot of them don't even tell their clients about the expedited option, they just automatically charge for it.

Others do the opposite, they register without the expedited fee but don't mention it to you. That's even worse because you might be comparing their prices with other providers who actually include the expedited fee.

At EasyCorporate, we give you both options so you can decide if that extra €200 makes sense for your situation. Some people just aren't in a rush to get their company registered and are happy to wait a bit longer. If that's you, why not save €200 in the process?

Legal & Professional Fees

Let's talk about the professional fees you'll pay to the service provider handling your incorporation. That's usually a law firm or corporate service provider. If you're using an accounting firm, unless they have a lawyer in-house, they will outsource the incorporation to a lawyer.

Under Cyprus law, only lawyers licensed by the Cyprus Bar Association can prepare and sign company incorporation documents. This means you can't legally do it yourself to save money, even if you wanted to.

What's Included in Most Formation Packages

A basic company formation package typically costs between €1,200-3,000 and usually includes:

• Name availability check and application
• Preparation of all registration documents
• Filing with the Registrar of Companies
• Getting the necessary certificates and certifying them

Beware of Cheap Offers

Be cautious about exceptionally cheap offers. Some service providers advertise very low incorporation fees but then charge extra for services that should be included, such as obtaining company certificates.

This is why it's important to ask for a detailed breakdown of what's included in the quoted price. Ask specifically about:

• Are all government fees included or charged separately?
• Does the price include all necessary certificates?
• Is there an annual maintenance fee, and what does it cover?
• Are there any other hidden costs I should be aware of?
• Is VAT included in the price?

Understanding VAT on Legal Fees

Most service providers in Cyprus don't include VAT in their quoted price. You'll typically see something like "€1,500 plus VAT." VAT is currently 19%. However, keep in mind that VAT is only charged on service fees.

Government fees, including Registrar fees, are not subject to VAT. So when calculating the total, you should only add VAT to the service provider's fees. This is why it's important that your invoice clearly separates these two amounts.

Service providers generally don't include VAT in their prices because VAT isn't usually an actual cost for businesses, as you can get it refunded once you register your company for VAT.

Still, at EasyCorporate, we believe in transparency, which is why our Pricing Page displays both figures, with and without VAT.

Ongoing Maintenance Costs

Some people focus solely on the initial setup costs, overlooking the ongoing costs of maintaining a Cyprus company. This is a mistake that can lead to budget surprises down the road. The annual company levy of €350 has been abolished since 2024, so the main maintenance costs to worry about are Accounting & Auditing.

Accounting Fees

Every Cyprus company needs proper bookkeeping and financial management. The costs typically include:

• Basic bookkeeping: €80-150 per month
• VAT returns (filed quarterly): €100-200 per return
• Payroll services: €20-50 per employee monthly

The exact amount will depend on your business volume and complexity and of course, the accounting firm you choose. A company with many transactions will naturally incur higher accounting fees than one with minimal activity.

Auditing

Unlike other jurisdictions, Cyprus requires all limited companies to undergo an annual audit. This is often a surprise cost for entrepreneurs coming from countries where small companies are exempt from audit requirements.

Audit fees for small companies generally range from €1,000-2,000.

Exemption Criteria:

Nevertheless, Companies meeting both of the following criteria are exempt from full statutory audits:

• Annual turnover: Less than €200,000
• Total assets: Less than €500,000

Instead, these companies can choose to have their financial statements reviewed rather than audited. Keep in mind that only licensed statutory auditors or audit firms can perform these reviews.

While this option still comes with a cost, it's typically lower than what you'd pay for a complete statutory audit.

Nominee Services (Optional)

This is less common and only applicable to those that want nominee services, which is either using a service provider as Director or Secretary in your company or using their address as the registered office address of the company. These are charged annually and range somewhere between €2,000-3,000, but again it depends on your service provider.

However, if you're a small company, there's not much benefit in nominees. You can just handle all the roles in the company yourself and only worry about accounting and auditing.

How to Avoid Hidden Fees

After helping hundreds of people set up their businesses in Cyprus, I've seen many get caught by surprise with unexpected costs. Here's how to protect yourself from hidden fees:

Final Thoughts: Budgeting Realistically

This guide should help you budget properly for setting up a company in Cyprus and understand what you're actually paying for.

Keep in mind that trying to save money upfront by cutting corners often leads to complications and higher costs down the road. It's smarter to work with reputable service providers who are transparent about their fees and can properly support your business.

Here at EasyCorporate, we believe in transparent pricing with no hidden fees. All our fees are clearly displayed in our Pricing Page. Our online incorporation platform allows you to track the entire registration process while saving up to 40% compared to traditional law firm fees.

Ready to register your Cyprus company? Submit your order now or schedule a free consultation with us to discuss your specific needs and get a detailed cost breakdown tailored to your business.