Frequently asked questions about registering your company

• Must I register my company in the Commercial Register?

  Yes, everyone who operates as a business on Bonaire must be listed in the Commercial Register. There are, by law, three types of registration: legal entities, companies and secondary establishments (or branches).

• When must I register my company in the Commercial Register?

  The law requires that you register your business in the Commercial Register within 7 days of starting your business activities. In reality, that means as soon as you present your company (e.g. you sign a contract with a supplier, you place the order in the name of your future company’s inventory or you apply for a permit). In such cases, you have already started your commercial activities and, accordingly, you need to be listed in the Commercial Register and have a Chamber of Commerce number.

• How much does it cost to register my company in the Commercial Register?

  The costs vary between cases. The law applies a table consisting of 13 scales (scale 1 to 13) which all have corresponding amounts for the registration fees. The minimum amount is 65 USD and the maximum is 600 USD. The scale in which your business is classified depends primarily on the volume of invested capital. Click HERE for the table and corresponding fees (in Dutch).
  Foundations, associations and Private Foundations (without any commercial activities) never have invested capital; they are automatically classified in scale 4 by law.

• How and when will I receive a Chamber of Commerce number?

  Once you have submitted your registration, it will be verified and checked for completeness. After all, it must comply with all the applicable legislation. If your registration is complete, your company will be listed in the Commercial Register. At that point, you will be assigned a Chamber of Commerce number. The number is unique and will remain linked to your company. That number is recorded on your extract and you must always state it on all your outgoing correspondence (such as invoices, quotations, etc.)

• Must I visit in person or can I register my company in the Commercial Register by email?

  You must always register your company in the Commercial Register in person. You must submit the legal Chamber Forms with the original signatures. We do not (yet) use electronic signatures on Bonaire; that is why you are obliged to submit the original copy (hard or paper copy) forms.

  There is no need to visit the Chamber of Commerce if you wish to register a legal entity in the Commercial Register. The civil-law notary will arrange the registration.