The Application Process

Your guide to setting up a Cayman Islands Company of your own.

How it Works

CEC's expedited business licensing regime can have companies fully established within 4-6 weeks, including renewable five-year work/residency visas for staff which can be processed in as little as five days. A minimum capital investment is not required and permits, visas, trade certificates, and turn-key office solutions are conveniently bundled into affordable serviced packages.

As soon as your application is approved, you will be welcomed to the Cayman Enterprise City community and become owners and operators of your very own Special Economic Zone Company (SEZC).

What we'll need to know to get started:

The intended activities of your company, so we can reference the Special Economic Zone Act to ensure your business can be licensed.
How many team members you would like to place in your Cayman Islands office.
Your company's technology requirements.

After your business has established a physical presence, our team remains in a supportive role and is in constant contact to help companies grow. Packages are fully scalable, which means staff and office space can be added at any time without limitations or penalty fees.

The 5 Step Process

Evaluate your Business Fit

At this initial stage, you will be introduced to a Global Mobility Manager who will discuss the benefits of establishing a genuine physical presence and outline the application process. Your CEC contact will help to answer any questions you may have and evaluate whether your business is suitable for licensing into the CEC Special Economic Zones. Once you have decided to proceed, your lead contact will outline the next steps in detail and introduce you to local service providers such as law firms, banks, real estate agents, and other key business contacts to help you to establish your SEZ business.
At this step, you may also wish to visit our campus facilities, meet with CEC community members who have gone through the process, learn about our outreach and workforce development initiatives, discuss your office needs in detail, and review your options for growth.

Incorporate your Cayman Islands Company

This is typically done through a local attorney or corporate services provider, which you may or may not already have. We work with all local firms and are pleased to make introductions as needed. Once you have set up your Cayman Islands exempted entity you will be able to apply for a Zone Trade Certificate (ZTC), which will allow your entity to conduct business in the Cayman Islands, and Zone Employment Certificates (ZECs), which will allow you and your team members to work in the Cayman Islands.

Approve your CEC License Agreement

When details of your Special Economic Zone (SEZ) business have been confirmed, including company name, registered office address, chosen workspace solution, the term of your agreement, and your chosen start date, our team will create an account for you in CEC’s Online Portal. Once your online profile has been created, you will receive an email with a link to the portal and your login credentials. You can then log in to review and approve your CEC License Agreement. When your agreement is signed and uploaded back to the portal, you will receive a series of email notifications that will guide you through the onboarding process, and your CEC contact will introduce you to our Global Mobility Team, who will provide support throughout the application process. At this stage, you will also be asked to issue a deposit based on your chosen workspace solution. Please note that your deposit is held on account and fully refundable at the end of your term.

Apply for Zone Trade & Employment Certificates

To operate your CEC business, you will need to apply for a Zone Trade Certificate (ZTC) for your Special Economic Zone (SEZ) company. The CEC Client Experience team will assist you with the preparation of your application documents, with the gathering of all required due diligence documentation, and will review and file your application on your behalf. Once your ZTC application has been submitted to the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) it will take just under two weeks for your application to be processed. If SEZA requires clarification or additional information/documentation, to help them complete the approval process, they will communicate their request to you via the CEC Global Mobility team.

Move into the Zone!

Throughout the application process, the CEC team will be in touch to get your chosen workspace solution ready for you. As soon as your ZTC and ZEC(s) are approved, you will be ready to move in and join the CEC Community. Our serviced offices are fully furnished and thoughtfully designed so that you can plug in and begin working as soon as you arrive. Each new community member is welcomed into the zone by way of an onboarding session. You’ll meet the team, get acquainted with the campus, and receive access to our community website, which offers opportunities to connect with the wider CEC community and provides helpful resources.

What does SEZC mean?

Each company registered in Cayman Enterprise City’s special economic zones is required to include this designation, as in for example “ABC Trading SEZC”. The letters ‘SEZC’ in your company’s name designate it as a ‘Special Economic Zone Company’.

The SEZC designation confirms that your company has met the stringent licensing and due diligence screening requirements of The Special Economic Zones Act, maintains a genuine physical presence in the Cayman Islands within CEC’s award winning, globally recognised special economic zone, and is subject to ongoing regulatory oversight by The Cayman Islands’ Government’s Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA), which regulates all special economic zones in the Cayman Islands.

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