Why choose a Guatemala Corporation?

There are several types of Guatemala corporations available to be formed by foreigners, but it is the stock corporation that is of particular interest. The Guatemala stock corporation is an excellent instrument for providing privacy and anonymity to one's business dealings, and can be combined with other instruments in various jurisdictions to provide a sound asset protection strategy, in addition to other desired objectives. It can be formed by just two people/entities, of any nationality, and shares can be issued as blank stock certificates, giving control over the corportation to whoever hold them. As such, the identity of the true owner of the corporation can remain entirely confidential, with our firm's Guatemala lawyers acting as the required legal representative.

What makes the Guatemala corporation anonymous?

The Guatemala corporation is known as a "Sociedad Anónima", literally "Anonymous Society". It functions as a bearer share corporation; rather than having nominee shares, the ownership of the corporation is conferred through the physical possession of the stock certificates. The shares can be made out in blank, or to another corporation, or any other legal entity.

The Guatemala corporation shares can be held anywhere in the world, and ownership can pass to another person as easily as giving them the stocks. Since such transactions are not required to be reported, ownership can change hands multiple times without leaving any record.

How is a Guatemala Corporation formed?

The process for starting a Guatemala anonymous corporation is fast and straightforward, and does not require you to be present. There are no restrictions on foreign ownership of a Guatemala corporation. Only two legal persons, whether individuals or corporations, are required to form a corporation. The corporation must have a board of directors or an administrator, as well as a legal representative within Guatemala that we provide you.

A Sociedad Anónima in Guatemala requires a minimum paid-in capital 5000 GTQ (Guatemalan Quetzales), which our notary can deposit by opening a temporary bank acccount while the corporation is being registered. Once the deed of constitution is drawn up, the share certificates are issued.

At this point - within approximately seven to ten days - the corporation is provisionally registered with Guatemala's Business Registry (Registro Mercantil), and the company can begin to conduct its business. Our notary will take care of the remaining steps to finalize the corporation's registration, taking a total of one to two months.