REPRESENTATIVE OF AN OVERSEAS BUSINESS

In this section

Representative of overseas business

A visa for those intending to be the first commercial representative of an overseas business in the Isle of Man and UK, for instance by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary or a branch of the overseas company

This Isle of Man route remains open to new applications in 2023, and is unaffected by the closure of the equivalent route in the UK in 2022.

The Isle of Man offers many advantages as a first base for overseas companies requiring representation in the UK and Europe. This is typically by means of appointing a resident representative of their overseas business.

The Isle of Man is part of the same territory as the UK for customs and VAT purposes. As such, an Isle of Man company can efficiently import goods and benefit from low or zero corporate tax in the Isle of Man, with no need for goods to be brought physically to the Isle of Man.

A person coming to the Isle of Man as a first representative must be recruited and employed outside the Isle of Man and UK by a company based outside the Isle of Man and UK. The person must also have extensive industry experience and knowledge, and already hold a senior position within the company, with authority to make decisions on its behalf. However, the representative cannot be a major shareholder in the company.

Application under this category requires careful preparation of supporting documents from the overseas company, working with Kinley Legal, including financial projections and corporate data.

Due to the complicated documentation required, it is often worth assessing whether the representative route is best, or whether another route may be more appropriate.

Alternatives to this route can include the Worker route (including Intra-Company Transfer) and the British ancestry route. Kinley Legal can assess the circumstances of the business and the representative to ensure the most appropriate route is chosen.