Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify an SVG Business

TL;DR. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) company registration is administered by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) at svgfsa.com. Basic name searches are available; certified extracts cost approximately XCD 50–100 (~USD 19–37). SVG is an OECS member and ECCU member with the XCD pegged to USD. It has an active offshore IBC sector. English-language, functional registry. SVG is not on the FATF grey list as of May 2026. [VERIFY: Confirm current FATF status.]

What is the official SVG business registry?

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the unified regulator responsible for licensing and supervising financial institutions, registering companies (domestic and offshore), and administering the Companies Registry. The FSA was established under the Financial Services Authority Act 2011 as a consolidated regulator, merging previously separate oversight functions.

Company registration in SVG is governed by the Companies Act (Cap. 143) for domestic companies and the International Business Companies (IBC) Act for offshore entities. The FSA administers both tracks. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a CARICOM, OECS, and ECCU member, sharing the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) with seven other ECCB territories. English is the official language.

The FSA’s main online portal is at svgfsa.com, which provides access to the companies register search as well as the list of licensed financial institutions. SVG consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines chain of smaller islands to the south (including Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, and Union Island), plus the Grenadine islands administered by Grenada to the east.

SVG has an active offshore financial services sector. Its IBC regime has attracted international registration of companies, though the SVG IBC sector has also attracted scrutiny for use by unregulated financial service providers (including forex and cryptocurrency-related entities advertising SVG IBC registration as a regulatory shield). Compliance buyers should be aware of this context when encountering SVG-registered entities in financial services.

What can you search?

The FSA online portal at svgfsa.com supports:

• Company name search (domestic and IBC entities)
• Registration number lookup
• Status information (active, struck off, dissolved)
• Licensed financial institution list (banks, insurance companies, money services, securities firms)

Results include: company name, registration number, legal form, date of incorporation, and current status. For detailed records including directors, shareholders, registered office, and filing history, a certified extract (certificate of incumbency or certified extract from the companies register) is required. The FSA also publishes alerts and warnings about unlicensed or fraudulent entities operating from SVG, which are worth checking for financial services counterparties.

How much does it cost?

The XCD is pegged at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 by the ECCB since 1976. Verify fees with the FSA directly before any transaction.

Do you need a local account or ID?

No. The FSA online portal is accessible internationally without registration or an SVG identity document. Certified extracts require formal requests to the FSA office in Kingstown (the capital) or through a local attorney. Foreign buyers typically engage a local attorney or corporate service provider for extract requests.

Is the website in English?

Yes. English is the official language of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and all FSA materials, the online portal, and company documents are in English.

What’s the turnaround time?

Online name searches are immediate. Certified extracts and formal document requests to the FSA office typically take 2–5 business days. For IBC-related inquiries involving registered agents, response times depend on the agent but most established agents respond within 2–5 business days.

Is there an API?

No public API is available from the FSA for programmatic company data access as of May 2026. Web-based and agent-based access only.

What you legally cannot do

The FSA terms of use and SVG’s data protection framework prohibit:

• Automated bulk scraping of FSA registry records for commercial redistribution
• Using director or officer personal data for unsolicited marketing or profiling
• Misrepresenting uncertified search results as certified official documents

For IBC entities: the IBC Act imposes confidentiality obligations on registered agents. Corporate records are not publicly available; authorised competent authorities can access them. The FSA Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) handles AML/CFT reporting and supervision.

For cross-border due diligence principles, see the Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

SVG IBC sector: compliance alert

This section is important for compliance buyers encountering SVG-registered financial services entities.

SVG has been popular as a registration jurisdiction for offshore financial service providers, particularly forex brokers, binary options platforms, and cryptocurrency trading platforms, that use SVG IBC registration as a marketing credential while operating globally. SVG IBC registration does NOT constitute a financial services licence. The FSA has issued multiple public warnings and maintains a list of entities falsely claiming SVG regulatory authorisation.

Key risk indicators for SVG-registered financial services entities:

• A company claims to be “licensed” or “regulated” by SVG but cannot produce an FSA financial services licence number verifiable on the FSA licensed institution register
• The entity is a forex broker, cryptocurrency exchange, or binary options platform registered as an IBC with no other regulatory licences
• The entity’s marketing materials cite SVG registration as evidence of regulatory compliance without specifying which regulatory authority issued a financial services licence

Before dealing with any SVG-registered entity in financial services, check: (1) the FSA licensed institution register at svgfsa.com for a valid financial services licence; (2) the FSA public warnings and blacklist page; and (3) other relevant jurisdiction-specific financial services licences (e.g., FCA, ASIC, MAS, CySEC) if the entity claims to be regulated.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• XCD is pegged to USD. Fixed at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 since 1976. No exchange rate risk.
• OECS/ECCB regulatory context. SVG is an OECS and ECCU member. Company law follows the OECS Model Companies Act framework. Banking supervision is regional through the ECCB.
• Domestic vs. IBC track. Domestic companies can operate within SVG. IBCs are offshore structures for non-resident ownership. For any SVG IBC counterparty in financial services, verify FSA financial services licence status separately from IBC registration status.
• UBO data is not public. Beneficial ownership information is held by licensed registered agents and reported to the FSA FIU under AML/CFT obligations. No public UBO registry. Request UBO declarations from the counterparty or their registered agent.
• FSA warnings and blacklist. The FSA publishes warnings about fraudulent or unregulated entities. Checking the FSA warnings page is a standard step for any SVG counterparty in financial services.
• FATF status. [VERIFY: Confirm SVG’s current FATF grey list status at fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/detail/Saint-Vincent-and-the-Grenadines.html before use. SVG is a CFATF member.]
• No CBI programme. Unlike some neighbouring OECS members (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not operate a Citizenship by Investment programme. SVG nationals obtained citizenship through birth, descent, or naturalisation only.

Alternatives if you cannot access the FSA directly

• FSA public warnings and licensed institution list (svgfsa.com): Essential cross-reference for any SVG financial services entity.
• OpenCorporates: May index some SVG company data; limited coverage. Indicative use only.
• Local attorneys: Kingstown-based corporate law firms experienced in FSA processes.

Local data suppliers

No major independent commercial credit bureau operates specifically in SVG as of May 2026. For credit risk assessment, engage a regional Eastern Caribbean law firm or use the SVG Chamber of Industry and Commerce for trade references.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the SVG FSA Companies Registry directly?

Yes. The FSA online portal at svgfsa.com is accessible internationally. Basic name searches are free. Certified extracts require formal requests to the FSA office in Kingstown, typically arranged through a local attorney. All materials are in English.

Is a SVG IBC registration the same as a financial services licence?

No. SVG IBC registration confirms only that the company is incorporated in SVG as an international business corporation. It does not confer any financial services regulatory authorisation. Entities claiming to be “licensed in SVG” for financial services must hold a separate FSA financial services licence, verifiable through the FSA licensed institution register. The FSA actively warns against entities misusing IBC registration as a regulatory credential.

Does SVG have a public beneficial ownership registry?

No. Beneficial ownership data is held by FSA-licensed registered agents and reported to the FSA FIU under AML/CFT obligations. There is no public UBO registry. Request UBO declarations from the counterparty or their registered agent for compliance purposes.

What is the XCD and why is it stable?

The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD, EC$) is the shared currency of eight ECCB member territories, including SVG. The ECCB has maintained the XCD peg at XCD 2.70 = USD 1.00 since 1976, backed by foreign exchange reserves. This makes it one of the world’s most stable and durable currency pegs. For compliance buyers, it means XCD fees can be converted to USD with confidence using the fixed rate.

Is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on the FATF grey list?

[VERIFY: Confirm current FATF status at fatf-gafi.org/en/countries/detail/Saint-Vincent-and-the-Grenadines.html. SVG is a CFATF member and participates in Caribbean AML/CFT mutual evaluations.]

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Financial Services Authority Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (svgfsa.com); Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (eccb-centralbank.org); FSA public warnings on unregulated entities; FATF SVG country page, [VERIFY current status]. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.