Fiji is one of the easiest Pacific Island markets to enter as a foreign investor — 100% foreign ownership is allowed in most sectors, the Companies Act 2015 is modern and workable, and the process is faster than in most comparable jurisdictions. But "easy" still means six distinct steps, three government agencies, and a handful of decisions that are expensive to unwind once made. This guide walks through what actually happens, in order, when a foreign investor starts a business in Fiji — and where most first-timers lose weeks they didn't need to lose.
Step 1: Choose Your Entity Structure
Most foreign investors incorporate a Private Limited Company. It allows up to 50 shareholders, limits your liability to share capital, and is the structure Fiji banks, regulators, and auditors are most familiar with — which matters more than it sounds, because unfamiliar structures move slower through every downstream step.
Two other structures come up regularly:
Foreign Branch — an extension of an existing overseas company rather than a new Fiji legal entity. Useful for multinationals that want a Fiji presence without a standalone subsidiary, but it takes longer to set up (1–2 weeks) and carries higher ongoing compliance overhead.
Sole Trader — only available to Fiji citizens and permanent residents, so it's off the table for most foreign investors on day one.
The right choice depends on your capital structure, your tax position back home, and whether you plan to bring in a local partner. If you're weighing this decision, our Entity Comparison tool puts the five Fiji structures side by side on tax, liability, cost, and compliance overhead.
Step 2: Reserve a Name and Incorporate
Incorporation runs through the Companies Office under the Companies Act 2015. You'll reserve a company name, prepare a Memorandum and Articles of Association, and lodge incorporation documents. Done cleanly — meaning your paperwork is complete on first submission — this step takes 7–14 working days and ends with a Certificate of Incorporation.
The most common delay here isn't the Companies Office — it's incomplete shareholder or director documentation going in. Get certified ID and any corporate shareholder documents ready before you start the clock.
Step 3: Register With FRCS, FNPF, and FNU
A newly incorporated Fiji company isn't yet allowed to trade or hire — it still needs:
A Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
VAT registration with the Fiji Revenue & Customs Service (FRCS)
PAYE registration, if you'll have employees
FNPF employer registration (Fiji's compulsory pension fund)
FNU Levy registration
Budget 5–10 working days for this block. It can run partly in parallel with Step 4, which is where most of the confusion for foreign investors actually sits.
Step 4: Visa Requirements, Not a Foreign Investment Certificate
There's no separate Foreign Investment Registration Certificate (FIRC) anymore — that requirement no longer exists, though it still shows up in older guides indexed online. Foreign investors register the company directly through the Companies Office, the same route as Step 2 above, with no extra certificate layered on top.
What does need handling here is immigration, not investment registration. If you or your team plan to be in Fiji to run the business, you'll need the appropriate Fiji visa (a investor permit, depending on your role) processed through Fiji Immigration. This runs on its own timeline, separate from company registration, so start it early if relocation is part of your plan. Confirm the exact visa category and current requirements for your situation with Alvin Kumar & Associates or Fiji Immigration directly.
There's a capital threshold tied to this too. Foreign investment into most sectors needs to meet a minimum of FJD $300,000, rising to FJD $500,000–$2,000,000 for a shortlist of restricted activities (hotels and resorts, real estate, fishing, tobacco manufacturing, and a few others). The minimum threshold amount needs to land in Fiji within three months of approval, with any remaining capital following within a year — and it's what Ministry Of Immigration checks before issuing your investor permit.
This sits under the Investment (Reserved and Restricted Activities) Regulations 2022 — see our sector-by-sector breakdown of which activities carry which threshold for the exact figure that applies to your activity.
Step 5: Open a Fiji Bank Account
Local banks (ANZ, BSP, BRED, HFC) require KYC documentation, and foreign-owned entities get closer due diligence than local ones. Expect 2–6 weeks depending on the bank and how complete your documentation is on first submission. This is usually the longest single step in the entire process — start it as early as your incorporation certificate allows, not after everything else is done.
Step 6: Set Up Ongoing Compliance
Once trading, a Fiji company carries recurring obligations: annual returns to the Companies Office, statutory accounts, a corporate tax return, monthly VAT and PAYE filings where applicable, and FNPF/FNU reporting. Most investors set up a compliance calendar at incorporation, not after the first missed deadline — it's the difference between a routine filing and a late-penalty conversation with FRCS.
What It Costs and How Long It Takes
A full formation package — incorporation, post-incorporation registrations, and bank account support — typically runs FJD $3,200–$7,000 as a one-time cost, for a business in the $100,000–$500,000 turnover range. Realistic end-to-end timeline is 3–5 weeks, excluding bank account processing, which is bank-dependent and often the pacing item. Use the Fee Estimator for a figure tailored to your business size and staff count.
What Foreign Investors Get Wrong Most Often
In order of how often we see them: skipping FNU Levy registration because it's the least well-known of the four registrations; opening the bank account last instead of first, which stretches the whole timeline; and chasing a Foreign Investment Registration Certificate (FIRC) that no longer exists, while leaving the actual visa application until too late.
FAQ
Do I need to be in Fiji to register a company?
No — most of this process can be run remotely, though bank account opening sometimes benefits from an in-person visit or a strong local introduction.
Can I own 100% of my Fiji company as a foreigner?
Yes, in most sectors. A small number of reserved activities have foreign ownership caps — worth confirming for your specific sector before you commit to a structure.
How long does the whole process take, start to finish?
Realistically 2–5 weeks accounting for incorporation, registrations, and bank account opening running in sequence and parallel where possible — faster if your documentation is complete at every submission.
Do I still need a Foreign Investment Registration Certificate (FIRC)?
No — the FIRC no longer exists. You register the company through the Companies Office, and if you're relocating to run the business, you'll need a Investor Permit instead. See Step 4 above.
How much do I need to invest to qualify as a foreign investor in Fiji?
FJD $300,000 for most sectors — higher (up to FJD $2,000,000) for a shortlist of restricted activities like hotels, resorts, and real estate. This is the threshold MCTTT checks before approving your investor permit depends on.
Next Step
Nothing above legally requires an advisor — but most foreign investors use one, because a single missed registration (VAT, FNU Levy, and annual FNPF reporting are the three most commonly missed) creates cleanup work later that costs more than the advisory fee would have. Alvin Kumar & Associates is a registered Fiji Tax Agent and handles this process end to end for investors from Australia, New Zealand, India, and China. Book a free 30-minute consultation or start with the Foreign Investor Toolkit for a guide specific to your country.