Starting a Business · Central African Republic
How to start a business in Central African Republic as a foreigner (2026)
Central African Republic shaded by its starting a business status
Starting a business in Central African Republic as a foreigner: moderate (OHADA Uniform Act on Commercial Companies and Economic Interest Groups (CAR is an OHADA member state); Investment Charter 2018 (Charte des Investissements de la République Centrafricaine); administered via the Guichet Unique des Formalités des Entreprises (GUFE-RCA)).
The Central African Republic permits up to 100% foreign ownership in most sectors under its 2018 Investment Charter, and channels company registration through the GUFE-RCA one-stop shop in Bangui. However, the GUFE remains only partially functional in practice, notarised statutes and multi-agency sign-offs are still required, and the country's fragile-state context significantly increases real-world complexity beyond the formal rules.
Key points
The 2018 Investment Charter (and preceding Investment Law No. 01-010) imposes no general cap on foreign shareholding; 100% foreign-owned entities are permitted in most sectors. The charter also guarantees the right to repatriate profits and capital.
The standard vehicle for SMEs and foreign investors is the SARL (société à responsabilité limitée), requiring a minimum fully-paid share capital of XAF 1,000,000 (approx. EUR 1,500) as set by the OHADA Uniform Act. A one-shareholder SARL is permitted under OHADA rules.
Key steps are: (1) reserve company name; (2) have a notary certify the statutes and capital declaration; (3) deposit capital in a bank and obtain a deposit certificate; (4) submit all documents to the GUFE-RCA, which coordinates RCCM commercial-registry inscription, NIF tax-ID issuance, and CNSS social-security registration. Official timelines cited are 7-10 days via the GUFE when documents are complete, though total elapsed time is commonly 15-30 days.
The GUFE was established by decree in December 2007 to consolidate business-formation formalities. The World Bank's Doing Business review noted that the GUFE operates as a single window in name only, not all agency formalities can be completed through it, requiring investors to make additional visits to agencies such as the tax directorate and social-security office.
The 2018 Investment Charter offers tax holidays and reduced duties in priority sectors (agriculture, mining, manufacturing). Membership in OHADA, MIGA, and ICSID provides a standardised regional corporate-law framework and investor-dispute mechanisms recognised by international lenders.
CAR is classified as a fragile and conflict-affected state; the World Bank's Business Ready 2024 report did not fully score CAR due to data limitations. Ongoing insecurity, very limited banking infrastructure outside Bangui, and a requirement for in-person notarisation make practical company formation significantly harder than the formal procedure suggests.
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