The business culture is a mix of European and Latin-American nationalities and languages, making Curaçao the ideal hub for international operations wanting to conduct business with Latin America. Clients perceive the jurisdiction as a knowledgeable and price-competitive alternative to the Anglo-Saxon solutions in the Caribbean region. Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and an established, secure and reliable International Financial Center. For over 70 years, the Caribbean Island of Curaçao has shown its strength in its multilingual and highly educated workforce. Areas of Expertise: • Asset Protection & Estate Planning • Cross-Border Investment Structures • Trading Structures • Family Office & Fund Administration UNITED STATES XICO VENE COLOMBIA HONDURAS THE BAHAMAS CUBA NICARAGUA PANAMA LA COSTA RICA N D S E N D S E of Mexico Caribbean Sea orth acific cean N Atl O Curaçao International Financial Center
Transcript
The business culture is a mix of European and Latin-American nationalities and languages, making Curaçao the ideal hub for international operations wanting to conduct business with Latin America.
Clients perceive the jurisdiction as a knowledgeable and price-competitive alternative to the Anglo-Saxon solutions in the Caribbean region.
Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and an established, secure and reliable International Financial Center. For over 70 years, the Caribbean Island of Curaçao has shown its strength in its multilingual and highly educated workforce.
Areas of Expertise:• AssetProtection&EstatePlanning• Cross-BorderInvestmentStructures• TradingStructures• FamilyOffice&FundAdministration
Curaçao International
Financial Center: Connecting
Markets
Tropic of CancerTropic of Cancer
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UNITEDSTATES
Curacao(NETH.)
Aruba(NETH.)
MEXICO
Turks andCaicos Islands
(U.K.)
V E N E Z U E L A
C O L O M B I A
Martinique(FRANCE)
Virgin Is.(U.S.)
NavassaIsland(U.S.)
U.S. Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay British
Virgin Is.(U.K.)
HONDURAS
JAMAICA
THE BAHAMAS
Puerto Rico(U.S.)
DOMINICA
Anguilla (U.K.)
Saint Barthelemy(FRANCE)Saint-Martin(FRANCE)
Sint Maarten(NETH.)
CUBA
TRINIDAD ANDTOBAGO
SAINTLUCIA
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
HAITI
NICARAGUA
Montserrat (U.K.)
BELIZE
P A N A M A
SAINT VINCENT ANDTHE GRENADINES
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Cayman Islands(U.K.)
GUATEMALA
GRENADA
BARBADOS
Guadeloupe(FRANCE)
COSTARICA
GUYANA
BRAZIL
EL SALVADOR
Mos
quito
Coa
st
Bonaire(NETH.)
St. Croix Saba andSint Eustatius(NETH.)
IslaMona
Marie-Galante
IslaLa Tortuga
Isla Cozumel
Isla de laJuventud
AndrosIsland
NewProvidence
GrandBahama
GreatAbaco
Eleuthera
Crooked Island
Samana Cay
San Salvador
Rum Cay
Cat Island
Long Island
AcklinsIsland
Mayaguana
RAGGEDISLANDRANGE
Cay SalBank
(THE BAHAMAS)
Cay Lobos(THE BAHAMAS)
Guinchos Cay (THE BAHAMAS)
BIMINIISLANDS
Great Inagua
GreatExuma
Isla deMargarita
Isla de Aves(VENEZUELA)
SWAN ISLANDS(HONDURAS)
Isla del Coco(COSTA RICA)
Isla de Malpelo(COLOMBIA)
Isla de San Andrés(COLOMBIA)
CayosMiskitos
ISLASDEL MAIZ
ISLAS DELA BAHÍA
Isla de laProvidencia(COLOMBIA)
Tobago
Trinidad
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CORD
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Milwaukee Deep
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PUERTO RICO TRENCH
MIDDLE AMERICA TRENCH
SIERRA MADRE
Gulf o f M ex i c o
C a r i b b e a n S e a
No r thPa c if i cO c ean
Bahía de
Campeche
YucatanChannel
MonaPassage
AnegadaPassage
WindwardPassage
Golfo deVenezuela
Embalsede Guri
Gulf ofPanama
Gulf ofParia
PanamaCanal
Lago deMaracaibo
Lago deNicaragua
No r thAtl a nt i c
O c ean
S t r a i t s o f F l o r i da
Río Orinoco
Río
Mag
dalen
a
Freeport
Belize City
Boa Vista
Armenia
Barranquilla
Bucaramanga
Buenaventura
Cali
Cartagena
Cúcuta
Ibagué
Manizales
Medellín
Montería
Pereira
Santa Marta
Valledupar
Villaviencio
Golfito
Liberia
PuertoLimón
Puntarenas SanIsidro
Bayamo
Camagüey
Cienfuegos
Guantánamo
HolguínLas Tunas
Manzanillo
MatanzasPinar delRio Santa Clara
Santiagode Cuba Santiago
SanMiguel
SantaAna
Sonsonate
Escuintla
Flores
PuertoBarrios
Quetzaltenango
Linden
Cap HaïtienGonaïves
Les Cayes
Choluteca
Comayagua
Danlí
El Progreso
La Cebia
SanPedro
Sula
Montego BaySpanishTown
Campeche
Cancún
Chetumal
Ciudad delCarmen
Comitán
Cozumel
MéridaPlaya delCarmen
Tapachula
TuxtlaGutiérrez
Villahermosa
Bluefields
Chinandega
Estelí
Granada Juigalpa
León
Matagalpa
PuertoCabezas
Balboa
Bocasdel Toro Colón
DavidLa
PalmaSantiago
Key West
Miami
Saint Petersburg
Tampa
PuntoFijo
Barcelona
Barinas
Barquisimeto
CiudadBolívar Ciudad Guayana
CumanáLa Guaira
MaracaiboMaracay
Maturín
Mérida
PuertoAyacucho
San Cristóbal
San Fernando
Valencia
The Valley
Saint John's
Oranjestad
Nassau
Bridgetown
Belmopan
Road Town
George Town
Bogotá
SanJosé
Havana
Roseau
SantoDomingo
SanSalvador
SaintGeorge's
Basse-Terre
GuatemalaCity
Georgetown
Port-au-Prince
Tegucigalpa
Kingston
Fort-deFrance
Plymouth
Willemstad
Managua
Panama City
San Juan
Gustavia
Basseterre
Castries
Marigot Philipsburg
Kingstown
Port of Spain
GrandTurk
Caracas
CharlotteAmalie
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CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
803520AI (G00800) 11-11
Scale 1: 12,500,000
Lambert Conformal Conic Projection,standard parallels 7°N and 24° N
Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative.
Inaddition,assetsareprotectedfromlitigation,fiscalerosion,politicalandoperationalrisks.TheassetsarefullyprotectedbybothCuraçaoandDutchlaw.Theprotectionofthebeneficiaryisguaranteed up to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands in The Hague.
CuraçaoisareputablejurisdictionwhichbenefitsfromclearadministrativepracticesduetoitsconnectionwiththeDutchKingdom.Furthermore,Curaçaoprovidesforahighlevelofconfidentialityduetothefactthatinformationonthepublicrecordiskepttoaminimum.CuraçaowillonlyshareinformationonagreedandtransparentprotocolsunderaTaxInformationExchangeAgreement(TIEA)reflectingtheOrganizationforEconomicDevelopment(OECD)standardsfortax information exchange.
Cross-Border Investment StructuresCuraçao provides solutions to international investors in a wide range of industries through tax efficientplanningandstructuring,andhasproventocreatethesestrategiesforbothinboundandoutboundinvestmentsmainlytoandfromLatinAmericaandEurope.
As an International Financial Center, Curaçao has in-depth expertise in the following areas:
• Asset Protection & Estate Planning• Cross-Border Investment Structures• Trading Structures• Family Office & Fund Administration
Curaçao offers competitive products and services for establishing efficient inbound and outbound structures related to, among others:
• FinancingandEquityInvestments
• InternationalBanking
• Aircraft Leasing
• Shipping
• IPLicensing
Considering the in-depth knowledge and experience of the professionals in Curaçao, investors and multinationalsarecontinuouslymakingoptimaluseoftheseproductsandservices,aswellasofCuraçao’sfiscalincentives.
Trading StructuresCuraçao offers international businesses a favorable location to conduct international trade activities, bothphysicalandvirtual,aswellasonlineservices.
Through laws in which the legal principles for the conduct of e-commerce and the processing of electronictransactionsaresetandtheestablishmentofmultipleE-zones,Curaçaohaspositioneditselfasaleadinge-commercehub.Curaçao’sredundantfiberconnectivityprovidesintercontinentallinkagesbymeansofmultiplesubmarinecablesanditstoptierdatacentersofferclientstheabilitytomaintaincriticalinformationassetsinareliableandhighlysecureenvironment.
Family Office & Fund AdministrationFamiliesareincreasinglyinternationallyfocused,mobileandawareofaneedforprivacyandprotection.Curaçaooffersahighlevelofconfidentialityandmanylegalentitiesthatcanbeusedtostructurefamilywealth,familybusinesscontinuityandfamilysecurity,makingitanideallocationforfamilyoffices.
Many(multi)familyofficeshavebeenoperatingfromCuraçaoforgenerations.DuetoitsstablepoliticalclimateaspartoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands,itsmoderntaxregimeanditsgeographic location close to Latin America, it is regarded as a safe haven for families to set up and manage their affairs from.
The jurisdiction is also regarded as one of the few jurisdictions in the world that can deliver the highest leveloffundadministrationservices.SincetheinceptionoftheQuantumFundfamilybyGeorgeSorosseveral decades ago, Curaçao has built a strong reputation and proven infrastructure regarding the administrationofinvestmentfunds.Mostrecognizedtypesoffundsfromdifferentjurisdictionsareserviced.Currently,thecombinedserviceprovidershaveatotalofapproximately250BioUSDofAssetsunder Administration, providing NAV calculation, accounting, investor relations and legal services.
Foritssize,Curaçaohasaconsiderablydiverseeconomy.Alongwithtourism,theinternationalfinancialservicessectorisamajorpillaroftheeconomy.Oilrefining,shiprepair,transshipmentand international trade also make an important contribution totheeconomy.
Why Curaçao?Autonomous Country within the Kingdom of the NetherlandsThefactthatCuraçaoispartoftheKingdomoftheNetherlandsprovides for a safe and secure environment and a high level of comfort aswellaspoliticalandeconomicstability.
Map: Central Intelligence Agency
Tropic of CancerTropic of Cancer
10
20
60708090
20
10
80 70 6090
UNITEDSTATES
Curacao(NETH.)
Aruba(NETH.)
MEXICO
Turks andCaicos Islands
(U.K.)
V E N E Z U E L A
C O L O M B I A
Martinique(FRANCE)
Virgin Is.(U.S.)
NavassaIsland(U.S.)
U.S. Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay British
Virgin Is.(U.K.)
HONDURAS
JAMAICA
THE BAHAMAS
Puerto Rico(U.S.)
DOMINICA
Anguilla (U.K.)
Saint Barthelemy(FRANCE)Saint-Martin(FRANCE)
Sint Maarten(NETH.)
CUBA
TRINIDAD ANDTOBAGO
SAINTLUCIA
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
HAITI
NICARAGUA
Montserrat (U.K.)
BELIZE
P A N A M A
SAINT VINCENT ANDTHE GRENADINES
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Cayman Islands(U.K.)
GUATEMALA
GRENADA
BARBADOS
Guadeloupe(FRANCE)
COSTARICA
GUYANA
BRAZIL
EL SALVADOR
Mos
quito
Coa
st
Bonaire(NETH.)
St. Croix Saba andSint Eustatius(NETH.)
IslaMona
Marie-Galante
IslaLa Tortuga
Isla Cozumel
Isla de laJuventud
AndrosIsland
NewProvidence
GrandBahama
GreatAbaco
Eleuthera
Crooked Island
Samana Cay
San Salvador
Rum Cay
Cat Island
Long Island
AcklinsIsland
Mayaguana
RAGGEDISLANDRANGE
Cay SalBank
(THE BAHAMAS)
Cay Lobos(THE BAHAMAS)
Guinchos Cay (THE BAHAMAS)
BIMINIISLANDS
Great Inagua
GreatExuma
Isla deMargarita
Isla de Aves(VENEZUELA)
SWAN ISLANDS(HONDURAS)
Isla del Coco(COSTA RICA)
Isla de Malpelo(COLOMBIA)
Isla de San Andrés(COLOMBIA)
CayosMiskitos
ISLASDEL MAIZ
ISLAS DELA BAHÍA
Isla de laProvidencia(COLOMBIA)
Tobago
Trinidad
CORD
ILLE
RA
O
RIEN
TAL
A
N
D
S
E
SIERRA MADRE
CORD
ILLE
RA
O
RIEN
TAL
C A Y M A N T R E N C H
(deepest point of theAtlantic Ocean, -8605 m)
Milwaukee Deep
A v
e s
R i
d g
e
C a m p e c h e B a n k
A
N
D
S
E
G U I A N A H I G H L A N D S
G r e a t B a h a m a B a n k
PERU
- C
HIL
E
TREN
CH
PUERTO RICO TRENCH
MIDDLE AMERICA TRENCH
SIERRA MADRE
Gulf o f M ex i c o
C a r i b b e a n S e a
No r thPa c if i cO c ean
Bahía de
Campeche
YucatanChannel
MonaPassage
AnegadaPassage
WindwardPassage
Golfo deVenezuela
Embalsede Guri
Gulf ofPanama
Gulf ofParia
PanamaCanal
Lago deMaracaibo
Lago deNicaragua
No r thAtl a nt i c
O c ean
S t r a i t s o f F l o r i da
Río Orinoco
Río
Mag
dalen
a
Freeport
Belize City
Boa Vista
Armenia
Barranquilla
Bucaramanga
Buenaventura
Cali
Cartagena
Cúcuta
Ibagué
Manizales
Medellín
Montería
Pereira
Santa Marta
Valledupar
Villaviencio
Golfito
Liberia
PuertoLimón
Puntarenas SanIsidro
Bayamo
Camagüey
Cienfuegos
Guantánamo
HolguínLas Tunas
Manzanillo
MatanzasPinar delRio Santa Clara
Santiagode Cuba Santiago
SanMiguel
SantaAna
Sonsonate
Escuintla
Flores
PuertoBarrios
Quetzaltenango
Linden
Cap HaïtienGonaïves
Les Cayes
Choluteca
Comayagua
Danlí
El Progreso
La Cebia
SanPedro
Sula
Montego BaySpanishTown
Campeche
Cancún
Chetumal
Ciudad delCarmen
Comitán
Cozumel
MéridaPlaya delCarmen
Tapachula
TuxtlaGutiérrez
Villahermosa
Bluefields
Chinandega
Estelí
Granada Juigalpa
León
Matagalpa
PuertoCabezas
Balboa
Bocasdel Toro Colón
DavidLa
PalmaSantiago
Key West
Miami
Saint Petersburg
Tampa
PuntoFijo
Barcelona
Barinas
Barquisimeto
CiudadBolívar Ciudad Guayana
CumanáLa Guaira
MaracaiboMaracay
Maturín
Mérida
PuertoAyacucho
San Cristóbal
San Fernando
Valencia
The Valley
Saint John's
Oranjestad
Nassau
Bridgetown
Belmopan
Road Town
George Town
Bogotá
SanJosé
Havana
Roseau
SantoDomingo
SanSalvador
SaintGeorge's
Basse-Terre
GuatemalaCity
Georgetown
Port-au-Prince
Tegucigalpa
Kingston
Fort-deFrance
Plymouth
Willemstad
Managua
Panama City
San Juan
Gustavia
Basseterre
Castries
Marigot Philipsburg
Kingstown
Port of Spain
GrandTurk
Caracas
CharlotteAmalie
0 100 200 300 Kilometers
0 100 200 300 Miles
CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
803520AI (G00800) 11-11
Scale 1: 12,500,000
Lambert Conformal Conic Projection,standard parallels 7°N and 24° N
Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative.
Strategically Located between Europe and the AmericasThecountryislocatedintheSouthernCaribbean,outsidethetraditionalhurricanebelt,atthecrossroadsofimportanttraderoutesandinproximitytoattractivemarkets.CuraçaoislocatedintheUDC-4timezone,thereforetheofficehoursofCuraçaoarealignedwithmostmajorbusinesscenters in the Americas.
The cultural mix of European and Latin-American nationalities provides for a multicultural business environment, combining the strengths of both Europe and Latin America.
Curaçao is geared toward facilitating international clients from both continents. Curaçao offers both civil and common law products and thus connects the civil and common law business culture. Moreover,notarydeeds,contracts,powersofattorneyandotherlegaldocumentscanbedrawnupandlegalizedinDutch,EnglishandSpanish. Multilingual & Highly Educated WorkforceProfessionalsworkingintheInternationalFinancialSectorofCuraçaoarehighlyeducatedandexperienced.Thefinancialservicesprofessionalshavein-depthknowledgeofthemostcomplexproductsinthefinancialarena,fromfinancialengineeringtoauditingmulti-nationallistedbusinesses, meeting the highest international standards and principals.
Curaçao’sfinancialservicessectorhasabroadbaseofaccounting,taxandlegalexperts. The top fourglobalaccountingfirmshavelongbeenpresentinCuraçao,insomecasesformorethan75years.Intotal,Curaçaoishometoover160accountants.
AlthoughthelegalsystemofCuraçaoisbasedoncivillaw,its200lawyersalsohavethenecessaryknow-how when it comes to common law structures.
Transparant & White-listed JurisdictionThe modern tax regime sets Curaçao apart from other jurisdictions in the Caribbean.
ThroughtheKingdomoftheNetherlands,CuraçaohasavastnetworkofBilateralInvestmentProtectionTreaties(BITs).Thesetreatiesapplytoallinvestmentsmadebyacompanyincorporatedin Curaçao, regardless of the ultimate shareholder of the investor, making Curaçao the perfect hub from which individuals and foreign companies can invest in foreign countries in the Central American, Latin American and Caribbean regions and vice versa.
High-quality and Prudential Regulation & Supervision ThefinancialinstitutionsonCuraçaoareundertherigoroussupervisionoftheCentralBankofCuraçaoandSt.Maarten.ThesupervisionisexecutedinclosecooperationwiththeCentralBankofTheNetherlands.Asaconsequence,theregulatoryandsupervisoryenvironmentinCuraçaoiscomparable to that of The Netherlands.
Sophisticated Legal SystemCuraçaohasanindependentandhigh-qualitylegalsystemwhichisbasedontheDutchcivillawsystem.AlthoughthelegalsystemofCuraçaoisbasedoncivillaw,italsoprovidespossibilitiesforcommon law structures like the Curaçao Trust.
TheCharterfortheKingdomoftheNetherlands,theleadinglegaldocumentwithintheKingdom,provides a guarantee for good governance and the protection of human rights. The Constitution of theNetherlandsandtheBasicLawsofthethreeothercountriesarelegallysubordinatetotheCharter.TheCharteralsoformsthebasisforthepossibilitytoappealtotheSupremeCourtintheNetherlands.
Well-Developed InfrastructureCuraçao has a well-developed infrastructure similar to other developed countries.
TheInternationalAirportofCuraçaohasdailyflightstoandfromEurope,theU.S.,Latin and Central America and the other Caribbean islands. The port of Curaçao is a major center for oil transshipment, shiprepairandbunkering.Theportfacilitiesincludeanoilrefinery,thelargestdry-dockintheCaribbean,freezone,containerportandbulkcargofacilities,andcruiseterminals.
TheportofCuraçaoisnaturallyshelteredandofferssafe,fast,efficientandreliablehandlingofbothshipsandcargo,providingreliable,safeandefficient24-hourservicefromastrategicallylocated point in the Southern Caribbean with direct connections to European, North and Latin American countries.
Service ProvidersCuraçao’s international financial services providers offer products and services tailored to the needs of high net worth individuals, families and closely held businesses, up to and including internationally listed corporations.
Trust Service ProvidersBecauseofCuraçao’sstrongtraditioninthisniche,clientsperceivethejurisdictionasaknowledgeableand price-competitive alternative to the Anglo-Saxon solutions in the region. Curaçao is home to over 90trustserviceprovidersandallmajorcorporatemanagementprovidersthatofferdomiciliationandmanagement to all sorts of international clients. (www.cifa-curacao.com)
International BanksCuraçaohasavarietyofinternationalbanksfromdifferentregionsintheworld,withastrongpresence of international banks from Latin America. The international banks conduct a wide range of international banking transactions for individual, institutional and corporate clients throughout theworld.Inaddition,theinternationalbanksofferabroadrangeofcommercialbankingservices,includingforeigncurrencybankaccounts.Curaçaohasabeneficialtaxregimetofacilitateinternational banks operating from Curaçao. (www.ibna.an)
Fund AdministratorsAsrecentlyas2008,Curaçaowasnamedthenumberonelocationforhedgefundadministrationservices,outperformingjurisdictionslikeSingapore,HongKong,Luxembourg,theNetherlandsandtheCaymanIslands.Theprice/qualityratio,well-educatedandexperiencedstaffandstronglegalandregulatoryframeworkarethereasonswhyCuraçaocanprovidehighqualityfundadministration. (www.cifa-curacao.com)
DCSX – Dutch Caribbean Securities ExchangeDutchCaribbeanSecuritiesExchange(DCSX)istheinternationalsecuritiesexchangeinCuraçaoandlistsbonds,equityandfunds.TheDCSXislicensedbytheMinisterofFinanceandhasasetofwell-definedrulestoregulateandsupervisethemarketanditsparticipants.Becauseofitsefficientlistingprocedure,therigoroussupervisionbytheCentralBankofCuraçaoandSt.Maartenanditscivillawlegalframework,theDCSXisquicklybecomingalistingdestinationofchoice,especiallyfor Latin America. (www.dcsx.an)
Curaçao: Fast FactsGeographic coordinates: 12 10 N, 69 00 W
Government type: AutonomouscountrywithintheKingdomoftheNetherlands,andthelargestofthe5islands thatformtheDutchCaribbean.TheDutchmonarchisheadofstateandislocallyrepresented bytheGovernor.
AMS-IX Caribbean – Internet ExchangeCuraçaoishometoAMS-IXCaribbean,thebiggestinternetexchangeintheregionandanimportantpeering point in the exchange of electronic data from Latin America to the rest of the world and vice versa.AMS-IXisanintegralpartoftheAmsterdamInternetExchange(AMS-IX).Withalmost600InterconnectedIPnetworks,AMS-IXisthelargestInternetExchangeintheworld,givingitadominantpositioninglobalInternettraffic.(cw.ams-ix.net)
South America
North AmericaEurope
Curaçao
CIFA: Curaçao International Financial Services Association
CIFA(CuraçaoInternationalFinancialServicesAssociation)is the representative association of companies active in the internationalfinancialservicessectorofCuraçao.CIFAprovidesauniqueopportunityforitsmemberstodiscussinternationalfinancialservicesissues.Italsoactsasasoundingboardforandadvisesgovernment,regulatoryagenciesandmonetaryauthoritiesoninternationalfinancialservicesissues.
CIFA initiates and endorses the development of new concepts, products and services by actively lobbying for new state-of-the-art laws and regulations (fiscal, corporate and compliance).
CIFA’svisionistomakeCuraçaothegatewayofchoice,bothinboundandoutbound,forcross-borderinvestmentsandinternationalfinancialservicestransactionswithLatinAmerica,theUS,Europe and Asia.
CIFA Business Development ServicesA.M. Chumaceiro Boulevard 3Curaçao
