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How to start a business in Gambia as a foreigner (2026)

Starting a business in Gambia as a foreigner: moderate.

The Gambia permits 100% foreign ownership with no mandatory local-equity requirements, and company registration can in principle be completed within one business day via the Single Window Business Registry online portal or at offices in Banjul and KMC. Despite these liberal formal rules, practical barriers including a GMD 500,000 minimum share capital for private limited companies, a USD 250,000 threshold for incentive certificates, endemic corruption, and the market influence of established local interests moderate the overall ease of entry for foreign entrepreneurs.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Gambia with other countries

Legal framework

Companies Act 2013 and Single Window Business Registration Act 2013, administered by the Registrar of Companies under the Ministry of Justice; Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency Act 2010 (GIEPA)

Key points: starting a business in Gambia

  1. Foreign Ownership

    No restrictions on foreign equity: foreigners may own 100% of a Gambian company. The GIEPA Act expressly makes no distinction between foreign and domestic investors and imposes no requirement for Gambian national shareholding at any stage.

    giepa.gm moj.gm

  2. Registration Steps & Timeline

    The standard process involves five steps: (1) company name reservation via the Single Window Business Registry (online or in-person); (2) preparation of Memorandum and Articles of Association by a legal practitioner; (3) submission of incorporation forms (SWR 7) to the Companies Department; (4) obtaining a Tax Identification Number from the Gambia Revenue Authority; (5) obtaining a municipal trade licence from the local council. The MoJ states all steps can be completed within one day at the Banjul or KMC offices.

    moj.gm easybusiness.gov.gm

  3. Minimum Capital

    Private limited companies require a minimum authorised share capital of GMD 500,000. Foreign investors seeking the Special Investment Certificate (SIC), which unlocks tax and duty incentives, must invest a minimum of USD 250,000 in a designated priority sector (domestic investors need only USD 100,000).

    giepa.gm moj.gm

  4. GIEPA One-Stop Facilitation

    GIEPA serves as the primary investor facilitation body and first point of contact. It issues Special Investment Certificates for qualifying projects in eight priority sectors (agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, tourism, energy, minerals, financial services, housing), conferring corporate tax relief, import duty waivers, and VAT exemptions.

    giepa.gm giepa.gm

  5. Foreign Branch Registration

    External (foreign) companies establishing a branch must register separately under the Companies Act 2013 by filing a board resolution or power of attorney designating at least one resident agent in The Gambia authorised to accept legal service of process.

    moj.gm

  6. Practical Challenges

    The 2025 U.S. State Department Investment Climate Statement notes that corruption and the strong influence of established local business interests, which have historically sought to block new market entrants with ties to senior officials, represent significant practical barriers despite the formally open legal framework.

    state.gov

Sources

  1. moj.gm/company-registration
  2. moj.gm/companies-division
  3. moj.gm/foreign-external-company-registration
  4. giepa.gm/invest-in-gambia/how-to-invest/
  5. giepa.gm/invest-in-gambia/incentives/
  6. easybusiness.gov.gm/
  7. mofea.gov.gm/business-registration-and-company-law/
  8. state.gov/reports/2025-investment-climate-statements/the-gambia/
  9. giepa.gm/about-giepa

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026