Starting a Business · Equatorial Guinea
Starting a business in Equatorial Guinea: foreigner's guide (2026)
Equatorial Guinea shaded by its starting a business status
Equatorial Guinea operates under the OHADA commercial law framework and has implemented a one-stop shop (VUE) that reduced average registration time to approximately five business days. Foreign ownership in non-petroleum sectors is generally unrestricted, while the petroleum sector mandates at least 35% national ownership and one-third local board representation. Practical barriers — including in-person-only registration, a non-functional VUE website, and notarization requirements — moderate the overall ease for foreign entrepreneurs.
Key points
In non-petroleum sectors, there are no mandatory local-partner or minimum national-ownership requirements for foreign companies. The petroleum sector requires at least 35% Equatoguinean ownership and one-third of board seats held by nationals under Decree 72/2018.
Core steps are: (1) reserve a unique company name at the Commercial Registry; (2) notarise Articles of Association under OHADA rules; (3) submit to the VUE for simultaneous Commercial Registry (RCCM) and Tax ID (NIF) registration; (4) publish a company notice in the official legal journal; (5) register with the National Social Security Fund (INSeso). All steps must be completed in person — no functioning online portal exists.
A SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée) requires fully paid-up minimum share capital of XAF 1,000,000 (approx. USD 1,650) under the OHADA Uniform Act. A 2024 World Bank-noted reform proposed reducing this to XAF 5,000 to boost entrepreneurship, but confirmed full implementation has not been established.
The VUE one-stop shop reduced average registration to approximately five business days as of the US State Department's 2025 review, down from a prior 33 days. Persistent VUE connectivity issues between Malabo and Bata and website outages mean some applicants revert to traditional multi-agency processes lasting considerably longer.
Investment is governed by the Investment Law as amended by Decree 72/2018, which affirms guarantees for foreign investors against expropriation without compensation. Equatorial Guinea ratified the ICSID Convention in July 2024 (entered into force August 2024), providing access to international arbitration for investment disputes.
The US State Department's 2025 Investment Climate Statement notes lack of follow-through on transparency commitments, ministers and ruling-family members owning key businesses, and reported instances of officials abusing power in business disputes — material non-regulatory barriers for foreign investors beyond the formal registration process.
Equatorial Guinea - other topics
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →