How to create a company in Cameroon?
This information is taken from the article The Steps to Creating a Business in Cameroon.
Once reserved for professionals, the procedures for creating a business in Cameroon have been simplified in recent years, so that now anyone wishing to create a business can do so themselves. The procedure is simple and relatively inexpensive.
The creation of a company in Cameroon is done at the Centre for Business Creation Formalities (CFCE). The CFCE is represented in all regions of Cameroon.
The process of creation varies according to the type of business.
There are two main types of enterprises: natural persons or establishments and legal persons or companies.
Natural persons or establishments (ETS).
This is an ideal business form for entrepreneurs or traders who want to act alone without a partner. It does not require share capital and does not require articles of association. The assets of the company and the promoter are combined.
Legal persons or companies.
This is a form of company with a defined capital which requires the association of at least two persons. The partners can be adults or minors or even another company. The assets of the company and the partners are separate.
The documents to be provided to create an establishment in Cameroon are the following:
02 simple photocopies of the promoter's National Identity Card
Photocopy of the residence permit or passport for foreigners
Copy of the marriage certificate if applicable
An extract from the criminal record for the natives of the city or a declaration on the honor of a validity of 75 days to be withdrawn at the CFCE for the non-natives
A sum of 41,500F for the RCCM (Trade and Personal Property Credit Register) fees
Once collected, these elements must be deposited in the CFCE offices.
The taxpayer must return to the CFCE after at least one week in order to collect the documents for the creation of the company and the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register (RCCM).
Until 2020, the taxpayer card was also given to the company promoter at the time of the company's creation by the CFCE. However, the taxpayer card has been replaced by the registration certificate and can now be obtained online at www.impots.cm
The procedure for creating a limited liability company in Cameroon varies according to the capital of the company. Sarl's are classified into two categories:
a. Companies with a capital of between FCFA 100,000 and FCFA 999,999. They are also known as sous seing privé .
To set up a company under private signature, the following steps must be taken:
Preparation of statutes
The promoter must draft or have drafted articles of association for the new company and submit them to the Head of Centre for approval. The Articles of Association must be typed on both sides and initialled on all pages, and the last page must be marked as read and approved. The company's articles of association must be photocopied and produced in 6 copies, of which 4 must be stamped.
Filing of the company's creation file
Once the articles of association are ready, the complete file must be submitted to the CFCE. The documents to be provided for the creation of a company under private signature in Cameroon are
- Photocopies of the partners' identity cards or the birth certificate of minor partners
- An extract from the criminal record for those born in the town or a declaration on honour valid for 75 days to be obtained from the CFCE for those who are not born in the town.
- A map showing the location of the business with the telephone number marked on it
- The sum of 41,500 FCFA for the RCCM fees
- The sum of 13,175 FCFA representing the cost of legal announcements in the Cameroon Tribune
Once these elements have been gathered, they must be filed with the CFCE.
The creation of a company under seal therefore costs approximately 55,000 FCFA, to which must be added the stamp fees for the 4 copies of the articles of association.
The creation documents can be retrieved on average one week after the filing of the files. These include the RCCM (trade and personal property credit register) and the articles of association. Before, the taxpayer's card was also issued by the CFCE when the company was set up. Now a registration certificate, it can be obtained on the Internet through the website www.impots.cm
b. Companies with capital of CFAF 1,000,000 or more
For companies with a capital of 1 million or more, the promoter of the company must go to a notary to draw up the articles of association and the trade and personal property credit register (RCCM). The notary is responsible for preparing the articles of association and all the documents necessary for the creation of the company according to the information provided by the promoter(s) of the company.
Once these documents (articles of association and trade register) have been obtained from the notary, the taxpayer no longer needs to go to the CFCE to obtain the taxpayer's card or registration certificate. The taxpayer can issue the registration certificate himself via the internet at www.impots.cm.
Once the process of setting up the company has been completed at the CFCE or the Notary, the company promoter must then go to the tax centre to which he is attached to register his company and thus start paying taxes. The tax centre of each company depends on the location of the company.
The documents needed to register a company with the tax authorities are :
The Trade Register
The Statutes
Certificate of registration
The location plan
The lease contract
A sum of approximately 200,000 FCFA is required for this registration stage, including the payment of the lease which corresponds to 25% of the annual rent, either 150,000 for a rent of 50,000 FCFA. Once the registration process is completed, the location documents and the non-royalty are issued to the promoter, and the company must start making its declarations and paying its taxes every month.
Source: Fisca Finance : "The Steps to Creating a Business in Cameroon" 27 May 2021.
For more information, please consult the following links:
Formalities for creating a company in Cameroon: Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cameroon
setting up a company : Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Handicrafts (CCIMA)
Once reserved for professionals, the procedures for creating a business in Cameroon have been simplified in recent years, so that now anyone wishing to create a business can do so themselves. The procedure is simple and relatively inexpensive.
The creation of a company in Cameroon is done at the Centre for Business Creation Formalities (CFCE). The CFCE is represented in all regions of Cameroon.
The process of creation varies according to the type of business.
Types of businesses in Cameroon
There are two main types of enterprises: natural persons or establishments and legal persons or companies.
Natural persons or establishments (ETS).
This is an ideal business form for entrepreneurs or traders who want to act alone without a partner. It does not require share capital and does not require articles of association. The assets of the company and the promoter are combined.
Legal persons or companies.
This is a form of company with a defined capital which requires the association of at least two persons. The partners can be adults or minors or even another company. The assets of the company and the partners are separate.
The process of starting a business
1. Establishments
The documents to be provided to create an establishment in Cameroon are the following:
02 simple photocopies of the promoter's National Identity Card
Photocopy of the residence permit or passport for foreigners
Copy of the marriage certificate if applicable
An extract from the criminal record for the natives of the city or a declaration on the honor of a validity of 75 days to be withdrawn at the CFCE for the non-natives
A sum of 41,500F for the RCCM (Trade and Personal Property Credit Register) fees
Once collected, these elements must be deposited in the CFCE offices.
The taxpayer must return to the CFCE after at least one week in order to collect the documents for the creation of the company and the Trade and Personal Property Credit Register (RCCM).
Until 2020, the taxpayer card was also given to the company promoter at the time of the company's creation by the CFCE. However, the taxpayer card has been replaced by the registration certificate and can now be obtained online at www.impots.cm
2. Companies (Sarl)
The procedure for creating a limited liability company in Cameroon varies according to the capital of the company. Sarl's are classified into two categories:
a. Companies with a capital of between FCFA 100,000 and FCFA 999,999. They are also known as sous seing privé .
To set up a company under private signature, the following steps must be taken:
Preparation of statutes
The promoter must draft or have drafted articles of association for the new company and submit them to the Head of Centre for approval. The Articles of Association must be typed on both sides and initialled on all pages, and the last page must be marked as read and approved. The company's articles of association must be photocopied and produced in 6 copies, of which 4 must be stamped.
Filing of the company's creation file
Once the articles of association are ready, the complete file must be submitted to the CFCE. The documents to be provided for the creation of a company under private signature in Cameroon are
- Photocopies of the partners' identity cards or the birth certificate of minor partners
- An extract from the criminal record for those born in the town or a declaration on honour valid for 75 days to be obtained from the CFCE for those who are not born in the town.
- A map showing the location of the business with the telephone number marked on it
- The sum of 41,500 FCFA for the RCCM fees
- The sum of 13,175 FCFA representing the cost of legal announcements in the Cameroon Tribune
Once these elements have been gathered, they must be filed with the CFCE.
The creation of a company under seal therefore costs approximately 55,000 FCFA, to which must be added the stamp fees for the 4 copies of the articles of association.
The creation documents can be retrieved on average one week after the filing of the files. These include the RCCM (trade and personal property credit register) and the articles of association. Before, the taxpayer's card was also issued by the CFCE when the company was set up. Now a registration certificate, it can be obtained on the Internet through the website www.impots.cm
b. Companies with capital of CFAF 1,000,000 or more
For companies with a capital of 1 million or more, the promoter of the company must go to a notary to draw up the articles of association and the trade and personal property credit register (RCCM). The notary is responsible for preparing the articles of association and all the documents necessary for the creation of the company according to the information provided by the promoter(s) of the company.
Once these documents (articles of association and trade register) have been obtained from the notary, the taxpayer no longer needs to go to the CFCE to obtain the taxpayer's card or registration certificate. The taxpayer can issue the registration certificate himself via the internet at www.impots.cm.
Registration of the company with the Tax Office
Once the process of setting up the company has been completed at the CFCE or the Notary, the company promoter must then go to the tax centre to which he is attached to register his company and thus start paying taxes. The tax centre of each company depends on the location of the company.
The documents needed to register a company with the tax authorities are :
The Trade Register
The Statutes
Certificate of registration
The location plan
The lease contract
A sum of approximately 200,000 FCFA is required for this registration stage, including the payment of the lease which corresponds to 25% of the annual rent, either 150,000 for a rent of 50,000 FCFA. Once the registration process is completed, the location documents and the non-royalty are issued to the promoter, and the company must start making its declarations and paying its taxes every month.
Source: Fisca Finance : "The Steps to Creating a Business in Cameroon" 27 May 2021.
For more information, please consult the following links:
Formalities for creating a company in Cameroon: Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cameroon
setting up a company : Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Handicrafts (CCIMA)
Updated on: 02/02/2023
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