New Zealand

Capital City: Wellington

Population: about 4.1 million

New Zealand or Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud, is a country of two large islands and many smaller islands in the south-western Pacific Ocean. Among South Pacific nations, New Zealand has the largest and most industrialised economy and is second only to Papua New Guinea in population. New Zealand is notable for its isolation, being separated from Australia on the northwest by the Tasman Sea, some 2,000 km wide. The closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. The population of New Zealand is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Māori as the largest minority. Non-Māori Polynesian and Asian peoples are also significant minorities, especially in the cities.

Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented in the country by a non-political Governor-General. Political power is held by the Prime Minister who is leader of the Government in the democratically elected Parliament of New Zealand. The monarch's Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are entirely self-governing; Tokelau, which is moving towards self-government, and New Zealand's claim in Antarctica.

New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade—particularly in agricultural products—to drive growth, and it has been affected by global economic slowdowns and slumps in commodity prices. Since agricultural exports are highly sensitive to currency values and a large percentage of consumer goods are imported, any changes in the value of the New Zealand dollar has a strong impact on the economy. Its primary export industries are agriculture, horticulture, fishing, forestry and information technology. There are also substantial tourism and export education industries. The film and wine industries are considered to be up-and-coming.

Company Statute: Exempt Company.

Taxation: There is no taxation on any income, profits, dividends, investments or capital gains.

Shareholders/Members: Minimum number of shareholders is one.

Directors/Managers: The minimum number of directors is one. Directors may be natural persons or bodies corporate. They may be of any nationality and need not be resident in New Zealand.

Registered Office Required: Yes, must be maintained in New Zealand. There must be a New Zealand’s resident appointed as an agent.

Company Name: Must end the following words or abbreviations: Limited, Corporation, Incorporated, societe Anonyme or Sociedad Anonima the following works and their associated activities cannot be used: Assurance, Bank, Building Society, Chamber of Commerce, Chartered, Cooperative, Imperial, Insurance, municipal and Royal.

Annual Reporting: There is no requirement to file accounts but an annual return in the form of a simple declaration must be submitted.

Annual Report/Licence Fees: EUR 30