BVI Rights of Access Policy: Legitimate interest in beneficial ownership information

The Government of the British Virgin Islands has published its policy on how persons with a legitimate interest can access beneficial ownership information held on BVI companies and limited partnerships. This follows the enactment of the BVI Business Companies and Limited Partnerships (Beneficial Ownership) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, which came into force on 1 July 2025, and forms part of the BVI government’s continued commitment to implement international best practices for corporate transparency and to combat financial crime.

While the legislation is now in force, it will not take full effect until 1 April 2026, after a nine-month transition period. During this time, no requests for information will be processed, but the framework for implementation is in place. The Registry will begin accepting exemption applications on 2 January 2026.

We are currently awaiting further guidance from the BVI Registry on how the new regime will operate in practice. The official government update is available here.

Key aspects of the policy

Who can access information and what can they see?
Those applying must demonstrate a legitimate interest connected to anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, or counter-proliferation financing. If approved, they will be provided with the beneficial owner's name, month and year of birth, nationality, and the nature of their interest—where that individual owns or controls 25% or more of a BVI company or partnership.

Exemptions
Beneficial owners may apply to withhold their information in limited cases, such as where disclosure could:

• be against the public interest or national security
• expose the person to serious risk (e.g. fraud, extortion, violence), or
• involve a minor or someone lacking legal capacity

Exemption applications must include supporting evidence and can be submitted from 2 January 2026, before the Registry starts processing requests on 1 April 2026.

Notification of request
Where a valid request is received, the Registrar will notify the relevant legal entity that a request has been made.

Objections and appeals
Legal entities will have an opportunity to object to the disclosure. If an objection is overruled, the entity may appeal. No information will be shared while an appeal is ongoing.

Penalties
Misuse of information will attract penalties, including administrative fines for unauthorised use.

How can we help?

Our team is actively monitoring the situation and remain ready to support you through every step of the process. If you have any questions, are unsure whether an exemption may apply to you, or would like more information on how this may affect your BVI structure, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your usual Harneys Fiduciary contact or speak directly with the key contacts listed.