TRUST COMPANY REGISTRATION IN NAMIBIA

Trust Registration Namibia

We assist clients with Trust Registration Namibia through a clear, professional, and guided process. In Namibia, a trust is a legal structure in which property or assets are transferred and administered by trustees for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. Trusts are commonly used for family wealth protection, estate planning, charitable purposes, and long-term asset management. The trust structure is made up of several key parties and elements:

  • Founder or Donor – the person who creates the trust and transfers funds or assets into it
  • Trustees – the persons appointed to manage and control the trust assets on behalf of the beneficiaries
  • Trust – the legal arrangement that holds the trust property under the terms of the Trust Deed
  • Assets – the property, funds, or other assets transferred into the trust by donation, sale, or upon death

A properly drafted Trust Deed is required for the registration of a Trust in Namibia. This document sets out how the trust will be governed and how the trustees must administer it in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

At GFI, we assist with Trust Registration Namibia from start to finish. Our team provides professional support with preparing the required documents and completing the registration process, making it simple and convenient for you to get started.

WHAT WE DO FOR YOU

What We Offer

Trust Registration Namibia is best handled through a clear, professional, and fully guided process. At GFI, we assist clients from start to finish with the preparation of the required trust documents, lodgement support, and practical guidance throughout the registration process. Trusts in Namibia are now governed by the Trust Administration Act 11 of 2023, which regulates the control and administration of trusts and repealed the older Trust Money Protection Act 34 of 1934. The related Trust Administration Regulations, 2023, also set out matters such as trust registration, trustee authorization, and lodgement fees.

Our service is designed to make Trust Registration Namibia efficient, well-managed, and convenient. We help reduce delays, support proper document preparation, and provide a professional experience for clients who want a trust structure that is credible, compliant, and built correctly from the start. At GFI, we make Trust Registration Namibia simple, premium, and professionally managed.

WHAT WE CHARGE FOR COMPANY REGISTRATION

Our Prices/Fees Structure

We charge a flat fee of ZAR 35,950, exclusive of VAT. Namibia VAT is charged at 15%, and the pricing exchange rate applied is 1 ZAR = 1 NAD. Each package includes Beneficial Ownership Filing for 1 founder, 1 trustee, and 1 beneficiary. Any additional beneficial ownership filings for founders, trustees, or beneficiaries are charged at ZAR 850 each.

Trust Registration | Once-Off Price

Standard Trust Registration

R 40,950.00 R 35,950.00
COMPANY REGISTRATION TIMELINES

How Long To Register

GFI completes Namibia company registrations efficiently and professionally within 90 days of receiving all required documents and payments. This timeline includes company name reservation with BIPA, auditor and lawyer appointments, and the preparation of a high-quality incorporation application for submission to BIPA Namibia. Throughout the engagement, clients receive detailed weekly status updates by email, ensuring full visibility on progress at every stage. Where any issue arises, the client is informed promptly together with a clear solution. Each client is also supported by a dedicated engagement manager, who remains accessible via WhatsApp and email for responsive, reliable communication.

DOCUMENTS & INFORMATION REQUIRED

What We Need From You

To register your Private Limited Company (Pty) Ltd in Namibia, please provide accurate and current information. Provide the following:

  • Original trust deed or notarial certified copy
  • Acceptance of Trusteeship
  • Acceptance of Auditor
  • Beneficiary declaration
  • Trustee(s) Identification
  • Founder(s) Identification
  • Trustee(s) Representative Identification
  • Mandatory for Organisation Trustee(s)
  • Beneficiaries Identification
  • Trustee(s) Phone, Address, and Email
  • Founder(s) Phone, Address, and Email
  • Representative(s) Phone, Address & Email
  • Bond of security by the trustees
    • If required by the Master of High Court
  • Final Certified Court order
    • If required by the Master of High Court
ID & PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

Important ID & Passport Rules

If you are a Namibian citizen, attach a certified copy of ID. ID must show:

  • Front and back
  • Clear and visible details

If you are not a Namibian citizen, attach a certified copy of passport. Passport must show:

  • Bio page
  • Clear and visible details

Certification/Notary rules:

  • Namibia residents: certification by Police or Commissioner of Oaths
  • Outside Namibia: passport must be notarized by a Notary Public
  • In all cases, the stamp must be less than 3 months old
PRIVATE LIMITED (PTY) LTD APPLICATION FORM

Registration Form

For faster assistance, please download and complete the Public Limited Company Registration Application Form in full, and then email the completed form to [email protected].

Requirements for An Independent Trustee

The Independent Trustee

The drafting of a trust deed, together with the manner in which the trust and its assets are administered, is critically important. A trust may be abused where a person creates the trust, transfers assets into it, and then continues to deal with those assets as though they remain personally owned. The appointment of a genuinely independent trustee helps demonstrate the founder’s true intention to establish a valid and properly administered trust.

For this reason, it is generally advisable to appoint at least three trustees, one of whom should be fully independent. This helps ensure balanced decision-making and reduces the risk of the founder, who may also be a trustee and beneficiary, exercising excessive control over the trust.

In Land and Agricultural Bank of South Africa v Parker (2005), the Court indicated that every family trust should appoint an independent trustee. In March 2017, the Chief Master also issued a directive requiring the appointment of an independent trustee for trusts classified as family business trusts. These are typically trusts established to protect family assets, where all trustees are beneficiaries and are related to one another.

Where no independent trustee is appointed in such cases, the Master of the High Court may refuse to register the trust. The independent trustee is also generally required to sign a sworn affidavit on appointment.

ANSWERS TO THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. In many cases, a Remote Company Bank Account can be opened without directors or shareholders traveling. However, some documents may still need notarisation, branch verification, or courier delivery depending on the bank’s requirements.

Support is currently provided for Namibia and South Africa.

Processing times vary by bank and by the completeness of submitted documents. With proper preparation, the process is often much faster than applying without guidance.

Yes. In most cases, all directors must sign the required documents in the presence of an authorized bank representative or a Public Notary.

Courier fees, notarisation costs, and other third-party charges are normally for the client’s account.

Pricing depends on the volume, complexity, and nature of the work. We offer flexible service tiers for businesses of all sizes and needs.

We work with Xero, QuickBooks, Pastel, and Zoho Books. We can also adapt to other suitable platforms.

We use internal data security controls, restricted access practices, monitored systems, and confidentiality measures to protect client information.

We currently provide Accounting, auditing, and tax filing services in Namibia and South Africa.

You can share documents by email, cloud storage, remote system access, or web-based accounting software.

Yes. However, many business owners prefer outsourcing to save time, improve accuracy, and focus on core operations.

Yes. Under the Namibia Companies Act, 2004, every company must appoint a company secretary. The secretary may be an individual or a corporate body, but must be resident in Namibia.

GFI can act as your Namibia company secretary. Our annual company secretarial support may include:

  • Preparing and filing annual returns
  • Safekeeping statutory company records
  • Liaising with Namibian authorities on your behalf
  • Filing changes to the company structure
  • Reminding you of important statutory deadlines

These services are provided at an additional fee, depending on the scope of work required.

Yes. Under the Namibia Companies Act, 2004, every company must have a registered office in Namibia from the date of incorporation.

To help you meet this requirement, GFI can provide our Namibia office as your company’s registered address. This address can be used for receiving official government correspondence, including:

  • Tax letters
  • Annual return notices
  • Other statutory communications

Many of our clients also choose to use this address on invoices, contracts, websites, and business cards, where appropriate.

Yes. In Namibia, companies are generally required to register for corporate income tax. VAT registration may also be required, depending on the nature and size of the business.
GFI can assist with tax and VAT registration, depending on the registration package you choose.

Not necessarily. GFI can assist with opening a Namibia corporate bank account without the client needing to travel.
Bank account opening can be a detailed and time-consuming process, especially where shareholders, directors, or signatories are based overseas. GFI helps manage the process and reduce the administrative burden, while supporting clients through the bank’s compliance and approval requirements.

If the directors are outside Namibia, the bank account opening documents must usually be signed and verified in one of the following ways:

  • In the presence of a Public Notary in the country where the director is located, or
  • At the nearest FNB branch, if arranged with the bank

Please note the following:

  • The account-opening documents must not be notarized or signed before an authorised FNB representative
  • The original signed documents must then be couriered to Namibia for processing
  • All notary and courier costs are for the client’s account

Once all required information has been received, GFI will prepare the bank account opening documents for signature. We will then send the documents directly to the nominated Public Notary or to the nominated FNB branch.

For certain entities, such as Private Companies, Public Companies, and NGOs, the Memorandum and Articles of Association must be certified by a Notary Public who is a qualified legal practitioner.

For this reason, applicants registering these entity types are encouraged to engage a legal practitioner.

After registration, companies must continue to meet certain compliance obligations. These may include:

  • Filing annual returns
  • Paying annual duties
  • Notifying authorities of changes in ownership
  • Notifying authorities of changes in the financial year-end
  • Notifying authorities of changes in business activities
  • Reporting changes in share capital
  • Updating the registered office address
  • Applying for voluntary de-registration where applicable

Annual returns and annual duties

The Companies Act, 2004, requires active companies and close corporations to submit annual duty returns. Annual duties are payable to the Registrar at the end of the entity’s financial year.

Failure to pay annual duties is an offence and may result in penalties.

Entities with up-to-date annual returns and annual duties may qualify for a BIPA Good Standing Certificate.

Consequences of non-payment of annual duties

If annual duties remain unpaid, the entity may face the following process:

  • First reminder letter
  • Second reminder letter
  • Intended de-registration notice published in the Government Gazette
  • Final de-registration notice published in the Government Gazette
  • Deregistration and removal from the register

Voluntary de-registration

If a company or close corporation has ceased trading, the directors, members, or authorised representative should apply for voluntary de-registration.

The general process is as follows:

  • The applicant or agent submits a de-registration request to BIPA
  • BIPA reviews the application
  • If annual duties are outstanding, the owners are notified
  • If there are no outstanding issues, BIPA begins the de-registration process
  • Notifications are sent to the Receiver of Revenue and the Social Security Commission
  • If there is no objection, the de-registration is approved, published, and the entity is struck off the register

The main types of business entities that can be registered in Namibia include:

  • Defensive Name
  • Close Corporation (CC)
  • Private Company (Pty Ltd)
  • Public Company (Ltd)
  • Section 21 Company / Non-profit Association
  • External or Foreign Company

Because the registration documents can be complex, it is generally recommended that a legal practitioner assist with the process.

The usual process includes:

  • Drafting the required registration documents
  • Preparing the Memorandum and Articles of Association
  • Certification by a Notary Public
  • Tailoring the documents to the company’s specific requirements
  • Submission of the completed documents to BIPA with the prescribed fees

A Close Corporation (CC) is a business structure with the following features:

  • It is formed by a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 members
  • The members own and manage the business
  • Ownership is expressed as a percentage interest
  • The total percentage interest of all members must equal 100%
  • It is intended to operate for profit
  • It is a separate legal entity from its members
  • Members may be held liable in certain cases of negligence or misconduct

No. A company in Namibia can be incorporated with 1 director and 1 shareholder, and neither is required to be a Namibian citizen or resident.

There is also no minimum initial share capital requirement, and the client does not need to travel to Namibia to complete the incorporation.

Yes. Foreigners can register a company in Namibia.

A Namibian company may be incorporated with 1 director and 1 shareholder, and neither need be a Namibian citizen or resident. There is no minimum initial share capital requirement. In most cases, the client does not need to travel to Namibia to complete the process.

For further information about our company registration services in Namibia, please contact our in-house country expert

Ready to have your company registered?

Purchase your once-off company registration service today by clicking the “Order Now” button in the pricing table above. For more information or tailored guidance, you may also speak to one of our consultants using the contact details listed on our contact us page.

CONTACT US THROUGH ONLINE CHANNELS

WhatsApp, Email, Online Chat

  1. Chat online with a consultant by clicking the button at the bottom right of this website.
  2. Start a WhatsApp conversation by clicking the button at the bottom left of this website.
  3. Our preferred communication channels are WhatsApp and email.

Please note: All consultations, whether online or in person, are by appointment only. We strongly advise against scheduling appointments, as our experience shows many can be unproductive. Before booking an appointment, please make sure it is truly necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]