Practical Guide to Business Registration in Ivory Coast

Choice of business type

Create a commercial company - via the Business Formalities Desk

Create a branch - via the Business Formalities Counter

Create an Economic Interest Grouping - via the Business Formalities Desk

Parts to be provided at creation

  • Common parts whatever the form of company:

- One (1) copy of the identity document (CNI or passport) for nationals, or consular card for non-nationals, shareholders or partners,

- Two (2) copies of the Registered Lease Agreement or Certificate of Ownership;

- One (1) sworn statement signed by the applicant and one (1) extract from the criminal record,

- Map of location of the place of exercise of the activity.

  • Documents specific to the sole proprietorship and companies: See in the detailed creation file.

Creation procedures

- Choice of tax regime

- Choice of the name or corporate name of the company

- Withdrawal of incorporation forms if deeds under private seal or see notary

- Creation of the creation request file (see list of required documents)

- Payment of creation costs

- Submission of the constituted file

- Withdrawal of the incorporated company's file.

Creation time

24 hours

Output documents

  • Investor identification form
  • Certificate of registration at the RCCM (Register of Commerce)
  • Tax Declaration of Existence
  • Employer registration notification form (CNPS)
  • Copies of registered statutes
  • Samples of Registered Lease Agreement
  • And other registered documents related to the tax system

The costs

Search fees: 1,000 CFA francs or nil

Registration fees Lease contract: Rate of 2.5% of the amount of the rent over the lease period.

Trade Registry fees: 10,000 CFA francs

Import Code /Export. : CFAF 30,000

Days and Times

From Monday to Friday

From 07:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Useful links

http://www.cepici.gouv.ci/index.php#formalites_ent

https://www.225invest.ci/fr/vos_services/show-service-details.xhtml?id=1

https://www.youtube.com/embed/MngyKniF8n4

Contact information

Abidjan - Cocody, Grand Siècle Building, Technical High School Road, Carrefour PISAM, 2nd and 3rd floor

Tel: +225 22 01 79 00 / 01. Fax: +225 20 30 23 94

The basic approach to business creation

To create a business, promoters or investors must observe the following creation process:

1. Choice of Tax Regime

Identify the form of business to be created. The different legal forms of the company:

  • Sole proprietorships :

Business natural person;

Sole proprietorship with limited liability (SARL unipersonnelle)

  • SARL : Limited liability company, with several partners
  • SA : Public limited company.

2. How to choose?

- Evaluate its project, its ambitions and the constitution of its capital at creation.

- Anticipate the size of its activity (very small or significant turnover?

If you anticipate modest activity, the simplicity of sole proprietorship may be an appropriate choice.

- Need to involve other people in the development of your activity?

If you foresee it, you must opt for the creation of a company. The sole proprietorship is indeed not a suitable structure for associating with other people...

- Is your activity likely to generate losses?

If your business can generate losses, creating a company will allow you to better protect your personal assets, those of your spouse and your family.

3. The difference between these two main types of status

In the sole proprietorship, the company and the entrepreneur form one and the same person.

- Main advantage: its simplicity of constitution and operation.

- Main disadvantage: the unlimited liability of the entrepreneur, personal and professional assets being legally combined.

If the project leader decides on the contrary to form a company, he then gives birth to a new person, totally distinct, called a “legal person”.

- Main advantage: the patrimony of the creator is in principle protected in the event of a hard blow, the creditors of the company being able to seize only what belongs to the latter.

- Main disadvantage: he does not act in his own name, but in the name and on behalf of another person, the company. It is therefore necessary to put the forms in it, to be accountable and to be careful not to use the company's assets as if they were its own.