International Corporate Transactions & Document Verification In The Bahamas

THE BAHAMAS is an international financial centre and major hub for the global shipping industry, ranking globally as number one for cruise ship registration and number three in total world tonnage. Both sectors are important areas of international trade for the country. Bahamian corporate vehicles are used extensively in both sectors giving rise to thousands of Bahamian International Business Companies ("IBCs") existing on the Companies Register. In the course of related global corporate transactions, the execution and legalization of corporate documents is a regular occurrence.

This article examines the basic requirements of the execution of documents by a Bahamian company. It also discusses the additional steps of notarizing, legalizing and apostilling such documents.