Equatorial Guinea company registration

DOING BUSINESS IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA IN 2023

pay fee by instalmentsbusiness setup without travelGuaranteed solutions

Since 2003, Healy Consultants Group PLC has assisted our Clients with forming their company in Equatorial Guinea. Our services include i) Equatorial Guinea business registration ii) government license registration iii) corporate bank account opening services in Equatorial Guinea iv) recruitment services v) visa strategies and vi) office rental solutions.

SummaryLimited Liability CompanySmall and Medium EnterprisesOil and gas companyFast business setup companyTourism companyBranch office
Also known asSARLPetites et moyennes entreprisesCompagnie pétrolière et gazièreSociété de configuration d'entreprise rapideSociété de tourismeSuccursale
Best use of company?All products and servicesHydrocarbons, logistics and other SMBsOil exploration and tradingAll products and servicesTourism development and related servicesProfessional services
How soon can you invoice Clients\sign sales contracts?16 weeks16 weeks18 weeks2 weeks16 weeks20 weeks
How soon can you hire staff?16 weeks16 weeks18 weeks2 weeks16 weeks20 weeks
How soon can you sign a lease agreement?2 weeks2 weeks2 weeks2 weeks2 weeks2 weeks
How long to supply corporate bank account numbers?4 weeks4 weeks4 weeks1 week4 weeks6 weeks
How long to supply company registration \ tax numbers?16 weeks16 weeks18 weeks2 weeks16 weeks20 weeks
Corporate tax rate on annual net profits?35%0%35%35%35%35%
Limited liability entity?YesYesYesYesYesNo
Government grants/incentives available?YesYesYesYesYesYes
Government approval required for foreign owners?NoNoNoNoNoNo
Resident director/partner/manager/ legal representative required?YesYesYesYesYesNo
Minimum paid up share capital?US$2,000US$2,000US$2,000US$2,000US$2,000US$1
Can bid for Government contracts?YesYesYesYesYesYes
Corporate bank account location?CCEI BankBanco Nacional de Guinea EcuatorialCommercial Bank Guinee EquatorialeSGBGE BankAfrican Development BankBGFI Bank
Can secure trade finance?YesYesYesYesYesYes
VAT payable on sales to local customers?15%15%15%15%15%15%
Average total business set up engagement costs?US$22,200Request a proposalRequest a proposalRequest a proposalRequest a proposalUS$23,850
Average total engagement period?5 months5 months6 months3 weeks5 months7 months

Equatorial Guinea company registration summary

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  • Advantages of Equatorial Guinea company registration

    guides to business registration in Equatorial Guinea for foreigners

    1. Registration of a limited liability company (LLC) in Equatorial Guinea requires i) a minimum of one shareholder and one director of any nationality and ii) minimum paid-up capital of US$2,000. Our Client will not have to travel to Equatorial Guinea to complete the process;
    2. The tax regime in Equatorial Guinea allows new companies to have the opportunity to benefit from tax holidays on corporate income tax during up to 15 years;
    3. Equatorial Guinea has experienced a tremendous boom in oil and gas production and is ranked as the 6th largest oil producer in Africa producing about 346,000 barrels of oil per day. This explains why the country’s economy is the relatively more developed than its neighbors’, with the second highest GDP per capita within Subtropical Africa;
    4. Equatorial Guinea is in the process of development and therefore there is need for i) technical support ii) training of local workers iii) consumer goods iv) infrastructure development in order to improve the standard of living of the entire country;
    5. Equatorial Guinea is a member of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) which promotes cooperation and business among member countries. Repatriation of funds and profits among member states is not subject to restrictions and does not require any prior government approval;
    6. The government had launched the National Development Horizon: 2020 initiative beginning from 2008 and ending in 2020 in the Equatorial Guinea. This initiative aims at i) economic diversification through promoting the sectors of fishery, agriculture, financial and tourism services, ii) poverty reduction as well as iii) infrastructural development in the nation by the year 2020.
  • Disadvantages of Equatorial Guinea company registration

    1. Corporate tax in Equatorial Guinea is high at the rate of 35% on all corporate profits. VAT is levied at the rate of 18%;
    2. Foreigners forming a company in Equatorial Guinea will face the typical difficulties encountered by Subtropical Africa businesses, including:
      • Businesses formed in Equatorial Guinea suffer from a lack of business opportunities due to a population of less than 1 million inhabitants. 60% of them furthermore live in the countryside;
      • In spite of the oil boom in Equatorial Guinea, 60% the population lives below poverty line and hence cannot afford to buy imported products;
      • The local administration is very inefficient and corrupt. According to the World Bank, it takes for instance an average of 5 months to start a business in Equatorial Guinea;
      • There are only three banks in Equatorial Guinea and they are controlled by the government. Entrepreneurs are unable to access financing due to high interest rates and lack of loan facilities.
    3. The national language of Equatorial Guinea is French. All business documents are therefore required must be translated into this language prior to incorporation. As most of the population is French-speaking, investors will also encounter communication problems with employees as well as Clients and suppliers when running their business in Equatorial Guinea.
    4. In accordance with Equatorial Guinea regulations, all foreign-owned Equatorial Guinea LLCs must have i) 35% of their shares held by Equatorial citizens and ii) one third of their directors must also be Equatorial Guinea citizens. Consequently, most of our Clients prefer to register a branch of their foreign business in Equatorial Guinea. Alternatively, Healy Consultants Group PLC can assist our Clients find nominee shareholders and directors to meet the above requirement;
    5. Equatorial Guinea has been poorly ranked as the 175th freest economy (out of 180 countries) in the 2018 Index of Economic Freedom. Moreover, it has been ranked 45th out of 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan African region in terms of its economic freedom. This is largely due to i) high levels of poverty in the nation due to uneven economic growth, ii) presence of weak institutions in the country which further deters the growth of its private sector and iii) tight regulations and bureaucratic hurdles in different sectors of the economy.

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Contact us

For additional information on our company registration services in Equatorial Guinea, please contact our in-house country expert, Mr. Petar Chakarov, directly:
client relationship officer - Petar
  • Mr. Petar Chakarov
  • Sales & Business Development Manager
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Equatorial Guinea Government