Incorporating a company - identification requirements

Incorporating a company - identification requirements

For local businesses, all beneficial owners, controllers and significant persons of a company will be subject to identification requirements if we don’t already hold this information.

To incorporate a company as a local Jersey resident you need to provide one of the documents from both ‘Required 1’ and ‘Required 2’ below for each of the following:

  • Beneficial owners
  • Controllers
  • Significant persons:

   Directors

   Company secretaries

A suitable certifier must certify proof of identity and address. See below for suitable certification. The proof of identity and address must be uploaded with the incorporation application or your associated parties form to myRegistry.

Required 1

One of the following documents:

  • a full 10 year current passport
  • a current Jersey driving licence
  • other official documents bearing a photograph (such as a current national identity card) may be acceptable.

The name on the submitted identification documents will be checked against the details submitted on the form.

Required 2

Any document used to comply from this section must have been issued within three months of the date that the company incorporation is submitted.

You must provide one of the following document with the name and address, evidencing the Jersey residential address of the beneficial owners:

  • correspondence from a central or local government department or agency (e.g. Government of Jersey and/or parish authorities)
  • a letter of introduction confirming residential address from:
    • a relevant person that is regulated by the JFSC
    • a person carrying on a financial services business which is regulated and operates in a well-regulated country or territory
    • a branch or subsidiary of a group headquartered in a well-regulated country or territory which apples group standards to subsidiaries and branches worldwide, and tests the application of, and compliance with, such standards
  • an original Jersey utility bill e.g. electric, gas, oil, rates, telephone landline
  • an original bank statement
  • a tenancy contract or agreement

If you are unable to provide evidence of identity using the sources of evidence listed above, other official documents containing the required details of the applicant may be acceptable.

We will check your name and address against the company incorporation form. Ensure that all names currently used including any former names, such as a maiden name, are identified in the form.

Translation of identification documents

Our Registry officers must understand all identification documents. We may request an official translation if they are in another language.

When you must provide proof of identification and address

For individuals not listed as a beneficial owner or controller

By 30 April, 2021 you must provide the details of your company’s directors and secretaries. If an individual is not already listed on our register as a beneficial owner of the company, proof of identification and address must be provided in the transition application form. You must also provide this for controllers.

With incorporation documents

You must provide your proof of identification and address with your incorporation documentation via myRegistry.

You must upload a scan of your certified proof of identification and address.

For updating associated parties

You must provide proof of identification and address when you update your associated parties upon the addition of any new beneficial owners, controllers or significant persons.

When a company has been incorporated

It is not necessary to present identification documents once a person has incorporated a company provided the original documentation presented does not change.

Name change

You must advise us if a person changes their name. A copy of the original document confirming the change will be required. For example, divorce papers, marriage licence or deed poll. A suitable certifier must certify these original documents or copies.

Suitable certification

Acceptable persons to certify evidence of identity may include:

  • a member of the judiciary
  • a senior civil servant
  • a serving police or customs officer
  • an officer of an embassy, consulate or high commission of the country of issue of documentary evidence of identity
  • an individual who is a member of a professional body that sets and enforces ethical standards,
  • an individual that is qualified to undertake certification services under authority of the Certification and International Trade Committee. In Jersey this service is available through the Jersey Chamber of Commerce.
  • a director, officer, or manager of:
    • a person carrying on a financial services business which is regulated and operates in a well-regulated country or territory or
    • a branch or subsidiary of a group headquartered in a well-regulated country or territory which applies group standards to subsidiaries and branches worldwide, and tests the application of and compliance with such standards.

To decide whether a country or territory is well-regulated, you should consider:

  • the development and standing of the country or territory’s regulatory framework; and
  • recent independent assessments of its regulatory environment, such as those conducted and published by the International Monetary Fund.

You should try to secure a good quality copy of photographic evidence of identity that is certified.

When certifying, it is recommended that the following wording is used for documents falling within Required 1:

“I hereby certify that I have seen the original of this document and that this is a complete and accurate copy of that document (or extract of that document). I also certify that the photograph contained in this document bears a true likeness to the individual that has requested certification of this document.”

It is recommended that the following form of wording is used for documents falling within Required 2:

“I certify that this is a true copy of the original and that this document contains information on the [identity and/or residential address]* of [insert name]”.

The certifier must sign, date and provide their name, position or capacity, address and telephone number or email address at which they can be contacted.

Caution: Where a person is

  • connected to a higher risk country or territory
  • based in a different country or territory to that of the applicant
  • there is a reason to believe that certification may not be effective (i.e. the certifier is not identified as an acceptable person with reference to the list above)
  • the person was not subject to professional rules providing for the integrity of the certifier’s conduct (or equivalent)

we shall take additional steps to validate the credentials of the certifier and this may include considering factors such as:

  • the stature and track record of the certifier
  • previous experience of accepting certifications from certifiers in that profession or country or territory
  • the adequacy of the framework to counter money laundering and financing of terrorism in place in the country or territory in which the certifier is located
  • the extent to which the framework applies to the certifier.