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

Foreigners can generally own up to 100% of a New Caledonian company and are subject to the same registration requirements as local businesses; there is no general FDI ownership cap, though sector-specific limits (e.g. land, national-security-linked activities) can apply.

Under Article L151-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code (applicable of right in New Caledonia), foreign investment in sensitive sectors touching public authority, public order, security or national defence requires prior authorisation from the minister of the economy; investing without it renders the operation null and exposes the investor to sanctions.

There is no legal minimum share capital for an SARL (or SAS); capital is freely set by the founders. For an SARL, at least one-fifth of cash contributions must be paid up at incorporation, with the balance within five years of RCS registration.

Formalities are centralised through the CFE of the relevant consular chamber and the online Guichet-entreprises de Nouvelle-Calédonie, which handle registration in the RIDET (unique identifier issued via ISEE) and the RCS.

Typical steps: choose the legal form, define the company's characteristics, draft the statutes (by private or notarial deed), make the capital contributions, publish a legal notice (e.g. Actu.nc, Légal Hebdo, DNC), and apply for RCS registration at the greffe of the Tribunal Mixte de Commerce de Nouméa within 15 days of starting activity (statutes must be registered within 3 months, or 1 month if notarised).

Once created, a business must pay quarterly contributions to the unified health and maternity insurance scheme (RUAMM) and an annual business tax called the 'patente'.