Starting a Business · Cameroon
Starting a business in Cameroon: foreigner's guide (2026)
Cameroon shaded by its starting a business status
Cameroon permits foreigners to own up to 100% of shares in most sectors and uses a CFCE one-stop-shop that can issue core registration documents within 72 hours. However, the World Bank records 14 procedures and approximately 82 days to fully launch a foreign-owned limited liability company in Douala, above regional and global averages, and foreign investors must file a pre-operational investment declaration with the Ministry of Finance at least 30 days before commencing business.
Key points
Foreigners may own 100% of a Cameroonian company in most sectors. Restrictions apply in sectors deemed strategic or sensitive by the government. Joint ventures and public-private partnerships are also permitted.
Registration is centralised at the CFCE (operated under the API), with branches in Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Bamenda, Garoua and Maroua. Filing through the electronic portal mybusiness.cm simultaneously registers the enterprise with the Commercial Register (RCCM), Tax Authority (DGI/NIU), and Social Security (CNPS), with documents issued within 72 hours.
For a SARL (private limited company), minimum share capital is XAF 100,000 (reduced from XAF 1,000,000 under reform). For an SA (public limited company), the minimum is XAF 10,000,000. Both forms are governed by the OHADA Uniform Act.
Foreign investors must submit a written investment declaration to the Ministry of Finance at least 30 days before commencing operations. International traders must also separately register with customs authorities.
A foreign branch must be attached to an existing or newly created OHADA-member-state company within two years of creation (extendable once by ministerial exemption). The 2024 Finance Law introduced fees for such exemption applications.
The World Bank estimates 14 procedures and approximately 82 days to fully set up a foreign-owned LLC in Douala, exceeding Sub-Saharan African and global averages despite the 72-hour CFCE window for core documents. Manual registration remains common due to unreliable internet connectivity.
Timeline - major decisions & events
The World Bank's Business Ready 2025 report placed Cameroon in the bottom global quintile with an overall score of 58.75 (global average 66.32); the public-services pillar scored only 36.30, exposing a persistent gap between enacted regulations and the on-the-ground ease of starting a business.
World Bank B-READY ↗Prime Minister's Decree No. 2024/02374/PM restructured the Centre de Formalités de Création d'Entreprises (CFCE) network across six regional cities, mandating that all formalities previously spread across seven separate administrations be completed within 72 hours at a single counter.
Cameroon Ministry of Finance (MINFI) ↗A four-year project (September 2020–June 2024) led by the Ministry of SMEs and APME, backed by UNCTAD, the EU, and AFD, upgraded MyBusiness.cm to EasyBusiness.cm — enabling end-to-end online company registration and formalising over 25,000 businesses in targeted regions.
European Commission International Partnerships ↗The implementing decree for Law 2016/014 formally removed the mandatory notary requirement for creating sole proprietorships and LLCs with share capital between 100,000 and 999,999 FCFA, cutting both the cost and time of formal SME incorporation.
Nkafu Policy Institute ↗Law No. 2016/014 reduced the minimum share capital for Cameroonian LLCs from 1,000,000 FCFA to 100,000 FCFA and made notarised deeds optional for smaller companies, directly implementing flexibility introduced by the 2014 revised OHADA Act to remove barriers for micro and small enterprises.
OHADA.com ↗Cameroon's SME agency APME, with UNCTAD technical support and EU funding, launched MyBusiness.cm, the country's first online business-registration portal, allowing entrepreneurs to submit incorporation documents without visiting government offices.
UNCTAD ↗Adopted on 30 January 2014 in Ouagadougou and effective 5 May 2014, the revised Act introduced the Société par Actions Simplifiée (SAS) with flexible shareholder arrangements, formally recognised shareholders' agreements, and modernised corporate governance rules across all 17 OHADA member states including Cameroon.
Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor ↗Law No. 2013/004 replaced the 2002 Investment Charter's incentive provisions with 24 fiscal and customs measures and 10 special financial/administrative provisions to attract new business creation, covering SMEs, agro-industry, and exporters in priority sectors.
UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub ↗Cameroon adopted the UNCTAD eRegulations platform, publicly publishing the exact steps, costs, timeframes, and responsible officials for every business-creation and investment procedure, making Cameroon an early African leader in administrative transparency for entrepreneurs.
eRegulations Cameroon ↗Law No. 2002/004 replaced the 1990 investment ordinance, enshrining freedom of enterprise, equal treatment of national and foreign investors, and state facilitation obligations for business creation; amended by Law 2004/020 to refine incentive categories and protections.
WIPO Lex ↗The original OHADA Uniform Act standardised corporate forms (SARL, SA, SNC, GIE, etc.) and created the harmonised commercial registry (RCCM) across 17 African states; it became the primary statute governing how businesses are legally formed in Cameroon and remains so today in its revised form.
OHADA Uniform Act text via droit-afrique.com ↗As a founding signatory of the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa, Cameroon transferred jurisdiction over core commercial law to a supranational framework, providing investors with a predictable, regionally uniform legal environment for starting and operating businesses.
OHADA ↗Cameroon - other topics
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →