Regulatory Blog

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority published a new Application Checklist for individuals and entities applying for licenses under Sections 5(1), 6(1), 6(4), and 6(10) of the Securities Investment Business Act. Applicants must complete the updated form, submit all required supporting documents and pay the prescribed application fee.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has introduced a limited-time Non-Compliant Directors' Amnesty Scheme, running from 16 September to 15 October 2025. This initiative allows eligible registered directors with over two years of unpaid fees (as of 31 August 2025) to settle outstanding annual fees and penalties at a discounted rate.

The Cayman Islands Department for International Tax Cooperation published an industry advisory, to inform that as of 29 August 2025, the Cayman Islands' Country-by-Country Reporting framework is accessible via the DITC Portal. Multinational Enterprise Groups with Cayman Islands Constituent Entities must re-register on the portal by 30 November 2025, to comply with CbCR regulations.

To ensure compliance and transparency, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority recently published several updates to its regulatory measures. These updates are critical for licensees, private funds and mutual funds operating within the jurisdiction.

Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the UK Government, alongside the member states of the European Union, the United States of America and other global stakeholders issued significant new sanctions. View a table of all the sanctions here

The UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have updated their sanctions lists to align with the latest UK measures against Russia.

Effective 27 June 2025, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority updated its Regulatory Handbook and Enforcement Manual.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority reinforced its commitment to the jurisdiction’s financial integrity through the recent issuance of several decision notices. These notices are the result of breaches of regulatory laws and requirements by various entities and individuals.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority updated the Virtual Asset Service Providers application form (APP 101-84-05) on the REEFS portal, effective 14 July 2025. These changes aim to streamline the registration, licensing, and waiver processes by adding new questions and clarifying document requirements, ensuring compliance with the Virtual Asset Service Provider Act (2024 Revision) and related regulations.

The British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands are leading jurisdictions for establishing regulated trustee businesses. Their regulatory oversight, tax-neutral environments and innovative trust structures continue to attract individuals and entities seeking to operate within a well-regulated trust framework.

On 3 July 2025, the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued four new Frequently Asked Questions and withdrew two existing ones.

On 17 July 2025, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation introduced new online forms for licence applications, reporting suspected breaches, and other key submissions like frozen asset reporting. This initiative aims to modernise and streamline processes, ensuring faster, more efficient and accessible services.