Minimum Share Capital by Country: 55 Jurisdictions
The statutory minimum share capital is the first number every founder asks about, and it varies from a single cent (Estonia, the Netherlands) to EUR 25,000 for a German GmbH or EUR 35,000 for an Austrian GmbH. This table lists the minimum for the standard private limited company in each of the 55 jurisdictions we form companies in, with the local company form and the typical registry timeline. Capital is the money the founders put into the company; it is not a fee and it stays in the business.
How to read the table
The figure is the legal minimum for the private limited company form shown, in the local currency as written in the law. Several countries allow part of the capital to be paid after registration (Germany, Slovakia, Denmark), and a few have no fixed minimum at all (Ireland, Cyprus, France, the Czech Republic’s CZK 1). Where the law changed recently, the cell says so: Estonia abolished its EUR 2,500 minimum on 1 February 2023, Denmark cut the ApS minimum to DKK 20,000 in February 2025. Public limited companies (AG, SA, plc, a.s.) have higher minimums and are covered on the country pages.
| Country | Company form | Minimum share capital | Formation time |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU member state | |||
| Austria | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | €10,000 , at least €5,000 paid up at incorporation | 10 to 15 business days with digital notarisation |
| Belgium | BV/SRL (Besloten Vennootschap / Société à Responsabilité Limitée) | None , financial plan required | 10-15 business days |
| Bulgaria | OOD / EOOD (дружество с ограничена отговорност) | BGN 2 (~€1.02) | 3 to 7 business days (Commercial Register entry in 2 to 5 working days) |
| Croatia | d.o.o. (društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću) | €2,500 (min €625 paid before registration) | 2 to 4 weeks (court decision usually within 5 working days of filing) |
| Cyprus | Ltd (private company limited by shares under the Companies Law | €1 nominal , no statutory minimum | 10 to 14 working days |
| Czech Republic | s.r.o. (společnost s ručením omezeným) | CZK 1 | 10 to 15 business days (court entry typically 5 to 10 days) |
| Denmark | ApS (anpartsselskab) | DKK 20,000 (≈€2,680) , reduced Feb 2025 | Same day for CVR (digital) / 2 to 6 weeks end-to-end including banking |
| Estonia | OÜ (osaühing) | €0.01 per share; the former €2,500 minimum was abolished on 1 February 2023 | 24 hours via e-Residency portal (after e-Residency is issued) |
| Finland | Oy (osakeyhtiö) | €0.01 (no statutory minimum) | 2 to 5 working days via YTJ |
| France | SAS (société par actions simplifiée) or SARL (société à responsabilité limitée) | €1 , freely set in the statuts | 2 to 4 weeks; Kbis issued within 1 business day of a clean Guichet Unique filing |
| Germany | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | €25,000 (€12,500 paid up at registration) | 2 to 6 weeks (notary to Handelsregister entry) |
| Greece | IKE (Ιδιωτική Κεφαλαιουχική Εταιρεία | €1 | 1 to 3 days at GEMI; 7 to 14 days end to end |
| Hungary | Kft. (korlátolt felelősségű társaság) | HUF 3,000,000 (≈ €7,500) | 5 to 10 business days (court entry in 1 working day under simplified procedure) |
| Ireland | LTD (Private Company Limited by Shares) | No statutory minimum | 5 working days via Fé Phrainn A1 Online |
| Italy | S.r.l. (società a responsabilità limitata) | €10,000 (min 25% paid up; 100% if single shareholder) | 3 to 5 weeks end to end |
| Latvia | SIA (Sabiedrība ar ierobežotu atbildību) | EUR 2,800 (50% paid before registration) | 1 to 3 working days at the Register of Enterprises |
| Lithuania | UAB (uždaroji akcinė bendrovė) | €1,000 (25% paid before registration) | ~3 business days at the Centre of Registers |
| Luxembourg | SARL (société à responsabilité limitée) | €12,000 fully paid up | 2 to 4 weeks end to end |
| Malta | Ltd (private limited liability company) | €1,164.69 (20% paid up = €232.94) | 3 to 10 working days (24 to 72h at MBR once filing is complete) |
| Netherlands | BV (Besloten Vennootschap) | €0.01 | 3 to 5 business days at KVK; 1 to 2 weeks end to end |
| Poland | sp. z o.o. (spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością) | PLN 5,000 (≈€1,150) | 48 hours via S24 (online) |
| Portugal | Lda (Sociedade por Quotas | €1 per quota | Same day (Empresa na Hora) or 1 to 2 days (Empresa Online) |
| Romania | SRL (societate cu răspundere limitată) | RON 500 (~€100); RON 5,000 if turnover exceeds RON 400,000 | 3 to 5 working days at ONRC, 1 to 2 weeks end to end |
| Slovakia | s.r.o. (spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným) | €5,000 (min €750 per member) | 10 to 15 business days |
| Slovenia | d.o.o. (družba z omejeno odgovornostjo) | €7,500 , 25% (€1,875) paid before registration | Under 3 working days via SPOT |
| Spain | SL (sociedad de responsabilidad limitada) | €1 under Crea y Crece; €3,000 legal reserve built via 20% of profits | 4 to 8 weeks end to end; 1 to 2 weeks via CIRCE express |
| Sweden | AB (aktiebolag) | SEK 25,000 (≈€2,200) | 7 business days at Bolagsverket; 6 to 10 weeks end-to-end with banking |
| Europe, non-EU | |||
| Georgia | შპს / ShPS (shezghuduli pasukhismgeblobis sazogadoeba) | None | 1 business day at NAPR |
| Gibraltar | Ltd (private company limited by shares) | No statutory minimum; £1 nominal sufficient | 3 to 5 working days (24-hour expedited available) |
| Guernsey | Company limited by shares (Ltd / ARL) | No statutory minimum; par value or no par value shares permitted | 24 hours (2-hour and 15-minute expedited routes available) |
| Iceland | ehf. (einkahlutafélag) | ISK 500,000 fully paid | 3 to 5 business days for electronic ehf. filing |
| Isle of Man | 2006 Act Company (New Manx Vehicle | No statutory minimum | 48 hours (2-hour expedited route available) |
| Jersey | Ltd / ARL (private company limited by shares) | No statutory minimum; £10,000 authorised is customary | 5 working days (48h and 2h expedited available) |
| Liechtenstein | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | CHF 50,000 fully paid | 5 to 10 business days |
| Serbia | d.o.o. (društvo s ograničenom odgovornošću) | RSD 100 (~EUR 0.85) | 5 working days at APR; 2 to 3 weeks end-to-end for non-residents |
| Switzerland | GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) | CHF 20,000, fully paid before registration | 10 to 20 business days (Zug and Nidwalden faster) |
| United Kingdom | Ltd (private company limited by shares) | £1 nominal , no statutory minimum | 24 hours online (same-day option available before 3pm) |
| Middle East | |||
| Saudi Arabia | LLC (Sharikat That Mas'uliyah Mahduda | No statutory minimum; MISA typically requires SAR 500,000 for foreign-owned | 6 to 12 weeks (MISA licence plus CR plus activations) |
| United Arab Emirates | LLC (limited liability company; FZ-LLC in free zones) | No statutory minimum for a mainland LLC; free zones set their own | 5 to 7 days (free zone), 2 to 4 weeks (mainland LLC) |
| Asia and Turkey | |||
| Hong Kong | Private company limited by shares (Ltd) | None , 1 share of HKD 1 accepted; HKD 10,000 typical | 1 to 3 business days via e-Registry |
| Singapore | Pte Ltd (Private Company Limited by Shares) | S$1 | 1 to 3 business days via BizFile+ |
| Turkey | Ltd. Şti. (Limited Şirket) | TRY 50,000 | 3 to 5 business days in-country, 2 to 4 weeks remote |
| Africa and Indian Ocean | |||
| Mauritius | Ltd (private company limited by shares under the Companies Act 2001) | None , USD 1 typical; USD 1,000 advised for GBC | 2 to 3 days domestic / 5 to 7 days AC / 4 to 5 weeks GBC |
| Seychelles | IBC (International Business Company under the IBC Act 2016) | None , one share, any value, any currency | 24 to 48 hours |
| South Africa | (Pty) Ltd (Proprietary Limited | None , R1 nominal is standard | 1 to 7 working days via CIPC eServices |
| North America | |||
| Canada | Corporation (Inc. / Corp. / Ltd. under the CBCA or a provincial statute) | None | 1 business day federal or BC; 1 to 2 days Ontario |
| United States | LLC (limited liability company) | None, for LLC or C-Corp | 1 to 5 business days filing; EIN adds 1 to 3 weeks for non-residents |
| Caribbean and offshore | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | IBC (International Business Corporation) | None , statutory minimum is zero; standard authorised capital USD 50,000 | 5 to 7 business days via FSRC; 24-hour express for clean profiles |
| Bahamas | IBC (International Business Company) | None , statutory minimum is zero, standard authorised capital USD 50,000 | 48 hours Regular / 1 hour Express via Registrar General |
| Belize | BC (Belize Business Company | None , statutory minimum is zero, standard authorised capital USD 50,000 in 50,000 shares of USD 1 | 24 to 48 hours via BCCAR |
| British Virgin Islands | BC (BVI Business Company) | None , no statutory minimum | 24 to 48 hours via VIRRGIN |
| Cayman Islands | Exempted Company (Companies Act | None , typical USD 50,000 authorised | 3 to 7 business days via CORIS (1 to 2 days express) |
| Marshall Islands | NRDC (Non-Resident Domestic Corporation) | None , no statutory minimum | 24 hours via IRI |
| Nevis | Nevis LLC (Limited Liability Company under the Nevis LLC Ordinance 1995) | No minimum; 1 share minimum issued at incorporation | 1 to 3 business days at the FSRC; same-day express for clean profiles |
| Panama | S.A. (Sociedad Anónima) | USD 10,000 authorised, no paid-up requirement | 2 to 5 business days (1 day express) |
Frequently asked questions
Does the share capital have to be paid before the company is registered?
It depends on the country. Germany requires at least half of the EUR 25,000 GmbH capital in the bank before the notary files; Slovakia requires part of each contribution before filing; the Czech Republic, Ireland and Cyprus let you register with a token amount; Estonia requires the capital to be paid in before registration but sets no minimum beyond EUR 0.01 per share. The country page explains the exact rule and the proof the registry wants.
Which EU countries have the lowest minimum share capital?
Estonia and the Netherlands (EUR 0.01), the Czech Republic (CZK 1), Romania (RON 1), Ireland, Cyprus and France (EUR 1, no statutory minimum), Bulgaria (BGN 2). Lithuania (EUR 1,000), Latvia (EUR 2,800) and Poland (PLN 5,000) follow. The highest in the EU are Austria (EUR 35,000) and Germany (EUR 25,000).
Is a higher share capital better?
Only when a counterparty asks for it: banks, landlords and some licences look at paid-in capital as a solvency signal, and public tenders sometimes set a minimum. For most trading companies the statutory minimum is enough, and capital can be increased later by shareholder resolution.
Form your company with the right capital structure
We prepare the capital contribution, the bank confirmation or founder declaration the registry requires, and the filing itself, in any of the 55 jurisdictions above. Get a free quote or compare the cheapest EU countries to form a company.
