Skip to content 
For privacy-oriented founders, setting up a company in Europe often means balancing legal compliance with confidentiality. Nominee services provide a powerful solution, a trusted third party (the nominee) holds official titles while the real owners stay behind the scenes. In practice, this means your personal name is kept off public records, you remain the beneficial owner of the business without appearing in registries. Professional nominee directors and shareholders are appointed on your behalf, and all paperwork is handled by experts. This setup gives you a private EU nominee company that is fully legal, VAT-registered, and ready for trading across Europe. All while your identity stays 100% confidential.
Figure: Modern office environment – ideal to setup a confidential nominee company in Europe.
What is a Nominee company, and what’s involved in setup?
A nominee company structure means registering your business under the name of a professional “nominee” instead of your own. The nominee director and nominee shareholder appear on the official documents, so your name never shows up in government registries. You, as the beneficial owner, sign a private agreement giving instructions to the nominee company being setup. In effect, the nominee holds the legal titles (director, shares, bank signatory) on paper only. They act on your behalf under a power of attorney. But, you retain 100% control of the company’s operations and profits. In the eyes of the law, the arrangement is fully transparent to regulators (all beneficial owner data is recorded where required), yet your personal identity is shielded from the public eye.
For example, as one explanation notes, a nominee shareholder “is the registered owner of shares held on behalf of the actual beneficial owner. If the beneficial owner does not wish to publicize their information… they may choose a nominee”. Likewise, a nominee director within the company being setup is “appointed to the board… with little or no involvement in the running of the company” their name is on the register, but the real owner’s identity is kept private. This is entirely legal and common in many jurisdictions. The primary point is confidentiality. The nominee appears on filings instead of the client, so the client’s name stays off public records.
Why use a Nominee?
Nominee companies are popular with entrepreneurs, SaaS founders, e-commerce businesses, and crypto professionals who want privacy and full compliance. Key benefits include:
- Total anonymity on public records. The nominee’s name (not yours) is on company registries, shareholder lists, and company letterhead. Your personal name is kept “off public records” entirely. This provides a confidential company setup in Europe, perfect if you value discretion.
- Professional management. Experienced corporate services teams handle all filings, regulatory paperwork and ongoing compliance. We prepare and submit everything (including any required UBO reports) so you don’t have to. The nominee structure is “handled by professionals” at every step.
- Legal compliance. Nominee structures are fully legal in all covered jurisdictions when used properly. Your company follows local company law and anti-money-laundering rules, just with a nominee on record. For example, in Spain a nominee director is a “legally designated representative” and the arrangement provides confidentiality, while in Portugal there is no special restriction on using nominees at all.
- Real bank account and VAT registration. We open a real corporate bank account under the nominee structure. The account operates normally (in EUR, GBP, etc.) and the nominee is listed for official purposes. Meanwhile, the company is fully VAT-registered in the EU, including the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme if you do cross-border e-commerce. You get a genuine EU tax ID and can trade Europe-wide, with OSS handling EU VAT filings in one place.
- No UBO paperwork for you. In many countries, companies must report ultimate beneficial owners to a government register. In our nominee solution, the professional provider handles all UBO reporting. You stay completely private, no UBO forms required from you.
- Ease of sale/transfer. Because the nominee holds legal title, transferring or selling the company can be simpler. You change the underlying client agreement rather than rewriting public documents each time.
Taken together, a nominee director/shareholder structure gives you the advantages of an EU corporate presence and VAT compliance, without putting your name in the registry. Your business remains 100% yours in control and profit, but publicly it looks like it’s run by a local professional.
Our working hours: Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 6 PM GMT+4
Key services and benefits
To recap, our nominee company offering provides:
- Complete confidentiality – nominee names replace yours on all public records. Your identity stays off Companies House, commercial registries, and other lists.
- Local compliance – company is fully registered in the target country (Spain, Portugal, UK, Denmark, Sweden or Germany) under local law. We register the company (often as an LLC/GmbH/AB/Ltd/Lda/ApS/A/S etc.) and meet all requirements (e.g. minimum capital, registered address, statutory filings).
- Nominee Directors & Shareholders – professional nominees sit as company director(s) and shareholder(s) on paper. They follow your written instructions (formalized in a private trust or nominee agreement) but never act without your consent. The nominee “serves as a legal representative for the partners, providing … flexibility and operational autonomy while [you] retain ownership of the business”.
- Bank Account Setup – the company opens a corporate bank account (typically in EUR/GBP/DKK etc.) under the nominee structure. The nominee signatures are on the account; you can control it via powers of attorney. Funds and operations are just like a regular account.
- VAT & OSS Registration – the company is registered for VAT in the EU country and, if selling online, in the OSS scheme. This means you can sell goods or digital services anywhere in the EU from one accounting platform. European Union VAT rules (including the OSS one-stop portal) simplify cross-border VAT filings. Our service “includes VAT (including OSS VAT if needed)”, so you are ready for EU-wide e-commerce.
- Fully Managed by Experts – our team handles the entire process: company formation, nominee appointments, documentation, licensing, annual compliance and reports.
"You get a turnkey private company ready to trade, while we take care of all legalities and filings. No hassle for you."
Nominee companies across Europe
We offer nominee company formation in all major European jurisdictions listed, each with its own local structure:
Spain and Portugal
In Spain you would typically form a Sociedad Limitada (SL) or Sociedad Limitada Nueva Empresa (SLNE). Spanish law allows nominees for both directors and shareholders. A nominee director is seen as a confidential “legally designated representative”. Spanish company registries publish directors and shareholders, but with nominees their names appear instead of yours. (Spain also has a UBO register: beneficial owners above 25% must be recorded, but that information is not openly searchable by the general public.) Our Spanish nominee service provides a 100% private SL/SLNE setup.
In Portugal, the usual entity is a Sociedade por Quotas (Lda). Portuguese law similarly permits nominees; there is no special restriction on appointing nominee shareholders or directors. The commercial registry in Portugal discloses all directors and (for Ltda. and single-member companies) shareholders. Our nominee arrangement places a nominee on the shareholder register, so the nominee’s name is on the company certificate instead of the client’s. Portugal also maintains a Beneficial Ownership (RCBE) database where UBOs are logged (access is limited and only name/DOB are shown). You remain the true owner, while the nominee maintains the anonymity of your position in public filings.
Figure: Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf – sample European locale. Nominee companies in Spain (and Portugal) allow you to do business here with full legal compliance but without your personal name appearing in any registry.
United Kingdom
The UK has well-known privacy tools like nominee directors and shareholders. A UK Ltd (private company) must list directors and at least one shareholder at Companies House, and also keep a PSC register of persons with significant control. With a nominee, the nominee’s name appears on Companies House and as the PSC. The real owner remains anonymous to public search. In practice, a nominee shareholder “acts as a legal, unrelated, third party” holding the shares, and a nominee director’s name goes on the official documents. All UK filing requirements are still met (annual returns, accounts, etc.), but you never have to file under your own name. Our UK nominee service also includes VAT registration in the UK (or any EU VAT registration if needed) and corporate bank account setup. You gain a UK-private limited company effectively controlled by you, with your privacy fully protected.
Get the most relevant information about business life in Dubai
Denmark and Sweden
Denmark and Sweden are similar in that they are transparent economies but allow some privacy with nominees. In Denmark (ApS companies), there is no requirement for shareholders or directors to be local nationals. However, Danish law does require public disclosure: all shareholders (holding ≥5%) and directors are listed in the public shareholder register, and individuals with >25% ownership (beneficial owners) must be reported on a public UBO register. By using our nominee structure, the nominee becomes the listed shareholder and director, so your name never appears in the public Danish registers even though legal obligations are met.
In Sweden, limited companies (AB) also file details with the Bolagsverket (Company Register). Swedish rules are slightly more private on paper: the public register does not show names of private-company shareholders. It only shows the names of the board and managing director, and the share ledger is kept internally (though available on request). Beneficial owners still must be registered and published in the transparency register. Under our nominee plan, your nominee holds the shares and director seat in the official documents, so again your personal name is hidden in day-to-day records. This is a confidential company setup for a Swedish AB – the nominee’s identity appears in filings, while your ownership is kept discreet.
Germany
Germany is strict on transparency: all GmbHs must file the shareholder list with the local court, and since 2021 every company must declare its UBOs to the public Transparenzregister. However, nominee arrangements are still possible. In practice, the nominee’s name goes on the official shareholder list of the GmbH, and the nominee is the signatory for bank accounts etc., meaning everyday partners see only that person’s name. We then ensure compliance by submitting the nominee as the official owner on the Transparenzregister; you are the “ultimate beneficial owner” behind the scenes. As industry guidance notes, Germany’s transparency rules require companies to “disclose information about the ultimate ‘beneficial owners’”, so we report compliance accordingly.
"The result is a German GmbH where the formal titles are held by the nominee: your name is absent from the commercial register and marketing materials, giving you effective confidentiality."
Legal compliance and professional handling
All nominee services we provide are fully legal and compliant. Nominee directors/shareholders are permitted in the above jurisdictions and are commonly used for legitimate privacy and corporate planning. Importantly, the company must still comply with all local regulations, everything from corporate tax to anti-money-laundering laws. We ensure this by working with qualified lawyers, accountants and bankers in each country.
For example, EU law requires identifying beneficial owners to fight financial crime. In our structure, the professionals behind the nominee register your details in UBO databases as needed, but those registries are not freely public (access is limited to authorities or parties with legitimate interest. So you meet the regulations without your information being visible to the general public. As the Anti-Money-Laundering guide explains, “a nominee shareholder is…registered as the holder of shares on behalf of the actual (beneficial) owner. This arrangement allows the beneficial owner to remain anonymous in public records”. In all cases we use strict client verification and paperwork behind the scenes, but the public face of the company lists only the nominee’s details.
Our professionals handle every requirement: incorporation documents, nominee appointments, tax registrations, accounting setup, and annual filings. There’s no headache for you – you simply reap the benefits of a private EU company. As advertised on our site, “100% confidentiality – your name is not on any public registry” and the structure is “handled by professionals”. In short, you get an EU business that is VAT-registered and fully compliant, with your identity kept off public lists.
Use cases: Who needs a Nominee?
Nominee structures are ideal whenever you want a European base but value privacy:
- Cross-border e-commerce: A VAT-registered EU company lets you sell goods or digital services across the EU. With OSS VAT registration included, you report all EU sales via one portal. Customers and payment processors see an EU company name, but your personal name is hidden.
- SaaS and online tech: Software and subscription businesses often serve EU customers and need a local VAT identity. An anonymous EU company adds credibility, while your founders’ names stay confidential.
- Holding/Investment vehicles: Holding shares or intellectual property in Europe through a nominee corporation provides asset protection and discretion for global investors.
- Crypto professionals: Crypto businesses may prefer privacy and agility. EU nominee companies can hold crypto licenses or accounts, with KYC done via the nominee to maintain client anonymity.
- High-net-worth entrepreneurs: Individuals launching ventures or side businesses can separate personal risk and remain out of the spotlight using nominee services.
-
Available jurisdictions include Spain, Portugal, UK, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, each offering varying levels of public disclosure and nominee flexibility, all within legal frameworks.
-
The structure simplifies company sale or transfer, as legal titles stay with the nominee, requiring only a private agreement change instead of amending public records.
-
This setup provides both operational autonomy and legal transparency for regulators while shielding the founder’s identity from clients, competitors, and public databases.
Conclusion
Nominee services across Spain, Portugal, the UK, Denmark, Sweden and Germany let you build a confidential corporate structure in Europe. You get a real company with a local bank account and EU VAT status, but your name stays off public registers. All regulatory filings (including beneficial owner registrations) are handled by experts, and the nominee appears as director/shareholder in the paperwork. This solution is perfect for entrepreneurs, e-commerce sellers, SaaS companies, and crypto professionals who need privacy without sacrificing legality or compliance.
By leveraging nominee directors and shareholders, your business remains in full compliance with EU laws, yet your personal privacy is fully protected. The structure is transparent to regulators but confidential to the world. You can trade EU-wide, collect VAT, and operate normally, all under the cover of a private EU company. Our professional team will guide you through each step once you get into contact, so you can focus on growth while we keep your identity out of the public eye.
Discover how our nominee company services can secure your privacy. We handle everything from company registration to bank account setup and VAT/OSS registration. You’ll have a fully managed, compliant EU company that empowers your business ambitions without compromising on confidentiality.
