The most common question I get about Anjouan is some version of "what does it actually cost, all in, no surprises?" It is a reasonable question, and the fact that it is hard to answer from public sources is a real problem.

Most guides give a range so wide it is effectively useless. Or they quote the licence fee without mentioning the other costs that every operator will pay. Some list the annual regulatory fee as if that is the total, which it is not. This article gives you the full number, line by line, as it stands in 2026.

If you want to know whether Anjouan is affordable for your situation, you need actual figures. Here they are.

The Annual Regulatory Fee: What ALSI Charges

The Anjouan gaming licence is issued by ALSI (Anjouan Licensing and Services International). The annual fee structure has three components, each of which is fixed and published.

Annual licence fee: EUR 13,300 payable to the regulator.

ISP monitoring and backup service: EUR 1,700 per year. This covers the technical monitoring service that ALSI requires all licensees to maintain. It is not optional.

Compliance Officer authorisation: EUR 2,000 per person per year, with a minimum of one required. If you have a single designated Compliance Officer, you pay EUR 2,000. If you nominate two Key Persons, you pay EUR 4,000.

Those three figures together give you the annual base cost: EUR 17,000 per year. That is the recurring minimum you pay every year for as long as you hold the licence. It does not matter how much revenue the operation generates. There is no GGR tax on Anjouan. No revenue share. No variable regulatory cost. The annual cost is the annual cost.

First-Year Additional Costs: IBC Formation and Setup

The EUR 17,000 annual base does not cover the costs of setting up the corporate structure. Those are first-year expenses that do not recur at the same level.

Here is what to expect:

IBC incorporation government fee: approximately USD 200 to USD 300. This is the Anjouan government fee for registering the International Business Company. It is a one-off cost paid at incorporation.

Registered agent annual fee: EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,500 for a minimal registered address service, or EUR 3,000 or above for full corporate management. A registered address in Anjouan is mandatory; the level of service beyond that depends on your needs.

Due diligence fees (up to four directors and UBOs): EUR 1,700 as a bundled fee. This covers the background and identity verification ALSI runs on the people named in the IBC application.

Nominee director (if needed): approximately EUR 6,000 per year. Not everyone needs this. If you have a real director willing to be named on the corporate documents, the cost does not apply.

Nominee shareholder (if needed): approximately EUR 4,000 per year. Again, only relevant if you require confidentiality at the shareholder level.

Additional domains beyond the two included: EUR 500 to EUR 2,000 per domain per year. Your initial Anjouan licence covers two domains. Each additional domain costs extra.

Per-UBO due diligence (if not bundled): EUR 150 per person. Relevant if your structure falls outside the standard DD bundle.

Year 1 Total: Three Scenarios

The right first-year total depends on your structure. Here are three scenarios covering most operators who approach us at ICOS.

Scenario A is the minimum viable structure: one UBO, one director who is not a nominee, crypto-only (no additional domains), minimal registered agent. This is a lean operation run by a single founder.

Scenario B is more typical: two UBOs, two directors, dedicated Compliance Officer included in the base, one additional domain, a more substantive registered agent arrangement. This is the scenario most operators end up in.

Scenario C is the full-service structure: nominee director, nominee shareholder, full corporate management, multiple domains. This is usually chosen for privacy reasons or where the real UBOs do not want to be named directly on public records.

In all three cases: zero GGR tax. No revenue-based charge. Whatever revenue the operation generates in Year 1, the regulatory and corporate cost is fixed at the number above.

What Is Not in These Numbers

This section is where operators most commonly underestimate their total budget.

RNG and game certification: if you are using proprietary games or games that are not already certified to a recognised standard, you will need certification from a test laboratory such as GLI, iTechLabs, or BMM. Costs range from USD 5,000 to USD 20,000 or more depending on the number of games and their complexity. If you are using a white-label platform like SoftSwiss where the games already carry provider-level certification, you do not need operator-level certification, but you will need to obtain a copy of the provider's certificate for your files.

Payment processing setup: crypto is considerably cheaper to set up than traditional fiat processing. The difference in setup cost and ongoing fees is material for an early-stage operator. Budget this separately based on your specific payment stack.

Compliance document preparation: the AML policy, KYC procedures, responsible gaming policy, data protection framework, and related documents must meet ALSI's standards. If you are not writing these yourself, this is a consultancy cost. ICOS prices this separately from the licence application management fee.

Legal advice: contract review, legal opinions on specific questions, or formal legal advice on any aspect of the structure is a solicitor cost. It is not included in compliance consultancy and should be budgeted for separately if you need it.

Year 2 and Ongoing: What Renewal Actually Costs

After the first year, the setup costs drop off. What remains is the regulatory annual base and the ongoing corporate maintenance.

Annual licence renewal: EUR 13,300 to EUR 17,000 (same regulatory components as Year 1).

Due diligence renewal: EUR 1,700. Updated documents are required at each renewal. KYC and background checks do not carry over indefinitely.

Registered agent continuation: EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,500, depending on your arrangement.

Corporate maintenance: minimal beyond the above.

Year 2 and beyond total: approximately EUR 16,000 to EUR 20,000 per year, depending on your structure.

The renewal process itself takes five to ten business days from a complete submission. Start three to four weeks before your licence expiry date. Do not leave it later than that. Regulators do not grant informal extensions, and operating on an expired licence is not a position you want to be in.

How the Anjouan Cost Compares

At this point it is worth seeing these numbers against the two jurisdictions operators most commonly consider alongside Anjouan.

Anjouan is the lowest-cost offshore gaming licence currently available. That is a factual statement, not a marketing claim.

The trade-off is regulatory tier and payment processor access. Anjouan sits at Tier 3 in the informal industry ranking. Major payment processors and card networks treat it with varying degrees of scepticism. Some processors will not work with Anjouan-licensed operators at all. Others will, with higher reserves or stricter terms. If your payment stack is crypto-dominant or you are working with processors who accept Anjouan, this limitation does not affect you materially.

For operators who understand that trade-off, who are building from a cost-conscious position, and who have a realistic payment processing plan, Anjouan is a legitimate and functional option. The licence is real, the regulatory framework exists, and operators hold it without issue. The question is whether the limitations fit your specific situation.

Getting a Fixed Number Before You Commit

ICOS publishes fixed pricing for Anjouan applications. You will not get a "range" or a proposal that shifts after you have already committed to working with us.

If you have received a quote from another firm, compare it against these numbers. They reflect the actual ALSI fee schedule as it stands in 2026. Any figure a consultant quotes you that is significantly above these numbers should come with a clear explanation of what the additional cost covers.