Important to understand: entering international markets is not a one-off company registration, but a business architecture. The mistake of most entrepreneurs is that they treat registration as a “legal start” rather than as the basis for bank onboarding, licensing and further scaling.
Choosing a jurisdiction for business
There is no universal “best” jurisdiction in international practice — there is one suited to a specific business model. At COREDO we always start with classifying the business:
- IT / SaaS – priority for Estonia, Cyprus or the United Kingdom with a focus on IP structure and venture appeal;
- Trading and brokerage – Cyprus, Czech Republic, United Kingdom with licenses and access to EU payment rails;
- FinTech / payments – Lithuania, Singapore, UAE with strict AML and capital adequacy;
- Crypto / Web3 – MiCA jurisdictions in the EU or VARA in Dubai;
- Holdings and investments – Cyprus, Netherlands, UK with a network of DTT agreements.
Consider the tax regime, reporting requirements and geopolitics.
In practice, it is the bank onboarding that becomes the main “bottleneck” of international business. EU and Asian banks assess not only the country of registration, but also:
- the source of funds;
- transparency of the beneficial ownership structure;
- the economic rationale of the operations;
- the company’s readiness for AML controls.
Steps to register a company
Registration is not bureaucracy, but a strategic process.
The most common registration mistakes for companies abroad that the COREDO team encounters:
- registering “in one’s own name” without considering future investors or banks;
- lack of substance for declared international activity;
- template articles of association without corporate logic;
- ignoring AML requirements before applying for an account or license.
The solution developed by COREDO simplifies it to 4 stages.
Stage 1: Document preparation. Collect the founder’s passport, proof of address, and questionnaire. In jurisdictions like the United Kingdom or Estonia an online form is sufficient; in Dubai – notarised copies. Our experience shows: document errors can extend the process by weeks. We always verify translations and the apostille under the Hague Convention.
Stage 2: Submission and approval. In the Czech Republic submit to the Commercial Register online, in Singapore – via ACRA (1-2 days). For branches of foreign entities, as in the EU, prepare a board resolution and the articles of association. The COREDO team has completed 50+ such registrations, including the notification procedure in Slovakia, where we simultaneously make changes to the registers.
Stage 3: Bank account and address. Open a corporate account – in Estonia through LHV, in Dubai at Emirates NBD. Rent a registered office: in Cyprus from 500 € / year. COREDO’s practice confirms: integrate this with registration to avoid delays.
Stage 4: Post-registration. Obtain VAT, EIN, or an equivalent. In Singapore, GST registration. We support through to full operational readiness, opening acquiring for international payments.
Obtaining financial licenses: crypto and payments
Licenses are a barrier to entry, but also a competitive advantage. From an economic point of view, a license is not only a regulatory requirement but also a factor in increasing business value. In our observations, having a license increases a company’s valuation on average by 20–50%, and for FinTech and Crypto – up to 2–3 times compared to unlicensed counterparts.
Moreover, a license simplifies:
- Opening bank accounts;
- connecting to international PSPs;
- attracting institutional investors;
- scaling in other jurisdictions.
At COREDO we specialize in crypto (VASP in Estonia under MiCA), banking (EMI in Lithuania), forex (FCA in the UK) and payments (MAS in Singapore).
Process: regulator analysis (CySEC requires capital adequacy 730k euros), business plan, AML/CTF framework, fit-and-proper tests. Our approach is modular: we develop policies according to FATF Recommendation 15, integrate KYC/EDD. The COREDO team has obtained 20+ licenses, including a payment license in Dubai (DFSA) for a client from the CIS. We accelerated the process by 40% by providing ready-made templates compliant with PSD2 in the EU.
AML Consulting: protection against risks in real time
AML: not a formality, but a foundation of trust. Many entrepreneurs view AML as a cost. However, in reality a properly built AML framework reduces operational risks and accelerates growth.
Companies with transparent AML:
- experience fewer account blocks;
- pass bank checks faster;
- expand into new countries more easily;
- are protected from reputational losses.
Comprehensive support at all stages
COREDO offers end-to-end: from registration to annual compliance. Save time: we take on the routine — reporting, renewals, tax optimization (for example, IP-box in Cyprus with 2.5% tax). Trustworthy advice: choose a partner with 8+ years of experience in your regions.
At COREDO we build long-term relationships, turning challenges into opportunities.