If you are interested in opening an offshore bank account or availing of other offshore banking services, the first thing that you have to do is to find a reliable offshore service provider.  There are two kinds of offshore service providers -- the general and specialized providers.  But what is an offshore service provider?

Offshore service providers are companies that would assist you, the owner, in incorporating and registering an offshore company or trust.  These providers would also cover the offshore company administrative work in order to ensure that the offshore company would maintain credibility and operation in the offshore country where the company is registered.  They would provide you with a registered agent for your offshore company, follow up the review and renewal of the rules and regulations of the company, act as liaison between you and the offshore government, file and report obligatory requirements, and keep financial books and records.

They also provide other elective services which you could avail of in order to develop the offshore company’s functionality and in order to maintain the company’s confidentiality.  These would include custodial and communication services.  They would also assist you with securing special licenses for specific activities like offshore insurance and mutual funds.  There are also some providers that would provide you with legal and tax assistance advice.

When securing the service of an offshore service provider, there are some factors that you have to consider:

1.  Capability.  Determine the offshore service provider’s capability first before you actually hire them.  Check their performance record and the breadth of their knowledge in offshore financial service.  It is also good to determine their management skills in order to be sure that you are handing the reins over a capable hand.

2.  Trust and transparency.  Make sure that you can trust your service provider by checking if they are transparent in their service and that they would inform you of every action they would undertake.