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 pays. 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, including the figures we have confirmed against the ALSI primary-source pricing document dated 25 March 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 administered by ALSI (Anjouan Licensing and Services International) on behalf of the Anjouan Gaming Authority (AGA). ALSI publishes an all-inclusive annual regulatory fee, which is the figure most guides understate or split into pieces that look smaller than they are.

The all-inclusive ALSI annual regulatory fee for 2026 is EUR 17,828 per year.

That single figure covers:

• The annual gaming licence fee
• The Compliance Officer authorisation (one Key Person included)
• The compliance backup line that ALSI requires every licensee to maintain
• Two domains under the licence

It is the recurring minimum you pay every year for as long as you hold the licence. It does not vary with revenue. There is no GGR tax on Anjouan, no revenue share, and no variable regulatory cost. The annual cost is the annual cost.

If you want a second Key Person nominated as a Compliance Officer, that is approximately EUR 2,000 per additional person per year. Most operators only need one. If you want additional domains beyond the two included, those are EUR 500 to EUR 2,000 per domain per year, depending on the domain configuration.

First-Year Additional Costs: IBC Formation and Setup

The EUR 17,828 ALSI annual fee does not cover setting up the corporate structure. Anjouan licences are held by an Anjouan International Business Company (IBC), and the IBC has its own setup cost.

Realistic incorporation costs for 2026:

• IBC formation, end to end: EUR 2,500 to EUR 5,000. This covers the Anjouan government IBC registration fee, the registered agent fee for Year 1, the registered office, and the corporate documentation pack required to support the licence application. Anyone quoting you a few hundred euros is quoting the government component only and leaving the rest hidden.
• Due diligence on directors and UBOs: typically bundled. ALSI runs background and identity verification on the people named in the IBC application. If your structure has more than four named directors and UBOs combined, additional per-person fees apply (around EUR 150 each).
• Nominee director (only if needed): approximately EUR 6,000 per year. Optional. Most operators have a real director willing to be named.
• Nominee shareholder (only if needed): approximately EUR 4,000 per year. Optional. Same logic.

Anjouan does not have a paid-up share capital requirement. Whatever the IBC's authorised capital is on paper, you do not have to deposit it as equity to obtain the licence. That is one of the reasons Anjouan stays cost-competitive against Curacao and MGA, where capital obligations sit at six figures.

Year 1 Total: Three Scenarios

The right first-year total depends on your structure. Here are three scenarios that cover most operators who come to ICOS.

Scenario A is the minimum viable structure: one UBO, one director who is not a nominee, two domains included, single Compliance Officer, lean registered agent. A solo founder operation.

Scenario B is what most operators end up at: two UBOs, two directors, one additional domain, slightly more substantive registered agent service. The number to plan around if you want a realistic budget.

Scenario C is the full-privacy structure: nominee director, nominee shareholder, full corporate management, additional Key Person, multiple domains. Chosen where the real UBOs do not want to be named on public records.

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

What Is Not in These Numbers

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

This 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 need certification from a test laboratory such as GLI, iTechLabs, or BMM. Costs run 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 do need a copy of the provider's certificate for your files.

Payment processing setup. Crypto is materially cheaper to set up than fiat processing. The difference in setup cost and ongoing fees is significant for an early-stage operator. Budget separately based on your specific payment stack. Anjouan is well suited to crypto-first operations.

Legal advice. Contract review, formal legal opinions, or solicitor advice on any specific question is a separate cost. It is not included in compliance consultancy and should be budgeted for if you need it.

Platform and game provider fees. Whatever the platform charges, plus the per-game licensing or revenue share with game providers. Outside the scope of regulatory cost but a real line in your operating budget.

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 ongoing corporate maintenance.

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. ALSI does not grant informal extensions, and operating on an expired licence is not a position you want to be in.

How the Anjouan Cost Compares

These figures are worth seeing against the two jurisdictions operators most commonly consider alongside Anjouan. All figures are Year 1 totals including regulator costs, incorporation, and the ICOS application fee.

Anjouan is the lowest-cost offshore gaming licence currently available. That is a factual statement, not a marketing claim. That said, prospective licensees need to be aware of the ongoing dispute between Anjouan and the Comorian government, which has escalated to formal legal action by the Central Bank of the Comoros and public statements declaring the licensing bodies illegitimate. This is an active jurisdictional risk that could affect the long-term viability of any licence issued under the current regime. This issue is ongoing as of H1 2026.

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 do not get a "range" or a proposal that shifts after you have already committed to working with us. You get the number on this page, with no surprises at month three.

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, sourced from the ALSI Licensing Details and Requirements document dated 25 March 2026. Any figure a consultant quotes you that is significantly above EUR 27,828 to EUR 30,000 for a standard Anjouan structure should come with a clear explanation of what the additional cost covers.