Cameroon: technology regulation at a glance

Framework: CEMAC Financial Market Regulation (COSUMAF, December 2022); COBAC Directive prohibiting bank/financial-institution crypto activity (May 2022); BEAC monetary oversight; no standalone national Cameroon crypto law enacted

Cameroon has no dedicated national cryptocurrency law; individual ownership occupies a legal grey area, neither explicitly authorised nor prohibited. A regional CEMAC framework (December 2022) introduced authorisation requirements for VASPs, exchanges, custody, and ICOs under COSUMAF, while a separate COBAC directive bans all banks and financial institutions from facilitating crypto transactions. Cameroon has remained on the FATF grey list since June 2023, and BEAC is developing a sub-regional crypto-asset regulatory framework alongside a proposed digital CFA franc CBDC for 2026.

Framework: National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (SNIA) unveiled July 2025; Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MINPOSTEL); Personal Data Protection Law No. 2024/017 (December 2024)

Cameroon has no binding AI-specific legislation in force. In July 2025, the government adopted a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (SNIA) through its second National Consultations on AI (CONIA 2025), outlining a seven-pillar framework to make Cameroon a regional AI hub by 2040. A dedicated national AI legal framework, AI Authority, and Presidential Council on AI are explicitly planned under the SNIA but have not yet been enacted.

Framework: Law No. 2024/017 of 23 December 2024 relating to personal data protection in Cameroon; supplemented by Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on Cybersecurity and Cybercriminality. Supervisory authority: Personal Data Protection Authority (Autorité de protection des données à caractère personnel), mandated by the 2024 law but not yet operationally established as of mid-2026.

Cameroon enacted a comprehensive, GDPR-inspired personal data protection law on 23 December 2024 (Law No. 2024/017), becoming the 38th African country to adopt standalone data-protection legislation. The law introduced a broad set of data-subject rights and controller/processor obligations, with an 18-month compliance grace period expiring 23 June 2026. A dedicated supervisory authority is mandated under the law but had not yet become operational at time of research.

Framework: CEMAC Regulation No. 04/18/CEMAC/UMAC/COBAC on Payment Services (21 December 2018, in force 1 January 2019); Cameroon Ministry of Finance Decision No. 00000337/MINFI (28 February 2024); supervised by BEAC (central bank), COBAC (regional banking commission), and MINFI

Cameroon operates within the CEMAC regional payment services framework, which since 2019 has permitted non-bank entities to obtain payment institution licences to issue e-money and provide digital payment services. A 2024 national ministerial decision extended licensing obligations to electronic payment service providers and API-based payment facilitators. By mid-2025, the Ministry of Finance enforced a hard August 2025 deadline requiring all active fintechs to hold a formal licence or cease operations.

Framework: Decree No. 2007/255 of 4 September 2007 on conditions of entry, stay, and exit of foreigners in Cameroon; administered by the General Delegation for National Security (DGSN) under the Ministry of External Relations; visa applications processed via the official eVisa portal evisacam.cm

Cameroon has no dedicated digital nomad or remote-work visa. Remote workers can legally reside long-term via a Long-Stay (Work) eVisa, which leads to a DGSN-issued Residence Permit valid for two years and renewable; self-employed foreigners and those exercising liberal professions must additionally obtain a sectoral authorization from the relevant ministry. No golden-visa or residency-by-investment program exists.

Framework: Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime; ANTIC (National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies); ART (Telecommunications Regulatory Board); Law No. 2024/017 on Personal Data Protection; Ministerial Decision of 04 April 2025 on the National Electronic Communications Aggregation Platform (NECAP)

Cameroon regulates online content primarily through its 2010 Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Law, which contains vague 'false news' and 'public order' provisions routinely used to prosecute online speech and silence dissent. The government has imposed repeated internet shutdowns and social media blocks, most recently during the October 2025 post-election protests, a pattern that Freedom House classifies as 'Not Free.' A new Data Protection Law (No. 2024/017) was enacted in December 2024, and a 2025 ministerial decision mandates all public digital platforms to register on a state-managed aggregation infrastructure, deepening state control over the online environment.

Framework: Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on Cybersecurity and Cybercriminality; regulated by ANTIC (National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies) with an in-house CIRT

Cameroon enacted a dedicated Cybersecurity and Cybercriminality Law in 2010 (Law No. 2010/012), establishing a comprehensive legal regime covering electronic security, cybercrime offences, cryptography, and electronic certification, administered by ANTIC. In 2022 Cameroon acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, aligning its procedural framework with international standards. A Personal Data Protection Law (No. 2024/017, December 2024) added mandatory breach-notification duties, with a compliance deadline of June 2026.

Framework: OHADA Uniform Act on Commercial Companies and Economic Interest Groupings (AUDSC); Cameroon Investment Charter Law No. 2002/004; Investment Promotion Law No. 2013/004; CFCE (Centre de Formalités de Création des Entreprises) one-stop-shop regime

Cameroon permits foreigners to own up to 100% of shares in most sectors and uses a CFCE one-stop-shop that can issue core registration documents within 72 hours. However, the World Bank records 14 procedures and approximately 82 days to fully launch a foreign-owned limited liability company in Douala, above regional and global averages, and foreign investors must file a pre-operational investment declaration with the Ministry of Finance at least 30 days before commencing business.