Starting a business in Guyana: foreigner's guide (2026)

100% foreign ownership is explicitly permitted with no requirement for a domestic partner under Section 5 of the Investment Act 2004. Wholly foreign-owned enterprises may be established in most sectors without any minimum local equity threshold.

Incorporation is filed at the DCRA under the Companies Act Cap. 89:01. Core steps are: (1) name search and reservation; (2) filing Articles of Incorporation and a Declaration of Compliance; (3) obtaining a certificate of incorporation; (4) Tax Identification Number from the Guyana Revenue Authority; (5) VAT registration; (6) National Insurance Scheme (NIS) employer registration.

Digitisation reforms have reduced business registration time from approximately three weeks to under one week; standard certificates of incorporation are typically issued within 3 business days, with expedited processing available for an additional fee.

There is no statutory minimum paid-up or authorised share capital under the Companies Act Cap. 89:01; the DCRA does not require a minimum capital figure before issuing a certificate of incorporation.

Foreign investors are prohibited from directly holding artisanal or small/medium-scale mining concessions; joint ventures with Guyanese nationals are required in that sub-sector. The Local Content Act 2021 imposes Guyanese participation requirements in oil and gas. Foreigners are generally restricted to owning no more than two acres of agricultural land.

The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) acts as a one-stop facilitation body, assisting foreign investors with administrative formalities including DCRA registration, land applications, work-permit processing, and liaison with sectoral ministries throughout the investment process.