Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Operator
Licence

Licensing > Operator Licence

Operator Licence

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Licensing & Registration Requirements

All businesses operating within an SEZ must be licensed by SEZA under the Special Economic Zones Act, 2022.

  • SEZA oversees the application and approval process for three types of licenses:
    Operator License – For entities responsible for developing and managing an SEZ.
  • SEZ Enterprise License – For businesses conducting approved commercial activities within an SEZ.
  • Single Zone Enterprise License – For businesses operating exclusively within a single SEZ while also managing its development.
  • Applicants must submit detailed business plans, financial projections, and compliance documentation as part of the approval process.

Eligibility Criteria

Schedule 4 of the SEZ Act prescribes the eligibility criteria for SEZ Enterprises, Single Zone Enterprises and Operators. We note that the said criteria were revised by virtue of the provisions of Legal Notice No. 116 of 2024

SEZ Enterprise/Single Zone Enterprise

An SEZ Enterprise and a Single Zone Enterprise must be incorporated or registered in Trinidad and Tobago in accordance with the Companies Act and comply with the following criteria:

Micro-Enterprise Small and Medium Enterprise Large Enterprise Single Zone Enterprise
Minimum new investments in the Zone made after 31 January 2022 and commenced within first two-year period of grant of licence US$10,000 US$50,000 US$1,000,000 US$1,500,000 in respect of:
  • Business Process Outsourcing
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Creative Industries
US$3,000,000 in respect of:
  • Manufacturing
  • Maritime Services
  • Aviation Services
  • Fish and Fish Processing
  • Agriculture and Agro Processing
  • Financial Service
  • Medical Tourism Services
  • Logistics and Distribution
Sales Turnover <TT$250,000 >TT$250,000 – <TT$10,000,000 >TT$10,000,000 >TT$25,000,000
No. of full-time employees physically present in the Zone 1-5 6-50 >50 >50

Operator

The following eligibility criteria will be applied to an Operator of a Zone:

Minimum new investments in the Zone-related buildings, machines, equipment, facilities and other necessary assets, made after 31 January 2022, and commenced within first two-year period of grant of licence. US$10,000,000

How to Apply

Follow these steps to apply:

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