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

Starting a business in Guyana as a foreigner: easy.

Guyana permits 100% foreign ownership of companies with no statutory minimum capital requirement under the Investment Act 2004, which explicitly prohibits discrimination between foreign and domestic investors. Registration is handled by the DCRA under the Companies Act Cap. 89:01 and typically takes 3-5 business days following recent digitisation reforms reducing the prior three-week timeline. Sector-specific restrictions apply in artisanal/small-scale mining, oil and gas (local content obligations), and agricultural land ownership, but do not affect general business formation.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Guyana with other countries

Legal framework

Guyana Investment Act 2004 (Act No. 1 of 2004); Companies Act Cap. 89:01; administered by the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority (DCRA) and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest)

Key points: starting a business in Guyana

  1. Foreign ownership

    100% foreign ownership is explicitly permitted with no requirement for a domestic partner under Section 5 of the Investment Act 2004. Wholly foreign-owned enterprises may be established in most sectors without any minimum local equity threshold.

    sice.oas.org investmentpolicy.unctad.org

  2. Registration authority & steps

    Incorporation is filed at the DCRA under the Companies Act Cap. 89:01. Core steps are: (1) name search and reservation; (2) filing Articles of Incorporation and a Declaration of Compliance; (3) obtaining a certificate of incorporation; (4) Tax Identification Number from the Guyana Revenue Authority; (5) VAT registration; (6) National Insurance Scheme (NIS) employer registration.

    dcraguyana.com dcraguyana.org

  3. Timeline

    Digitisation reforms have reduced business registration time from approximately three weeks to under one week; standard certificates of incorporation are typically issued within 3 business days, with expedited processing available for an additional fee.

    state.gov state.gov

  4. Minimum capital

    There is no statutory minimum paid-up or authorised share capital under the Companies Act Cap. 89:01; the DCRA does not require a minimum capital figure before issuing a certificate of incorporation.

    dcraguyana.com expanship.com

  5. Sector-specific restrictions

    Foreign investors are prohibited from directly holding artisanal or small/medium-scale mining concessions; joint ventures with Guyanese nationals are required in that sub-sector. The Local Content Act 2021 imposes Guyanese participation requirements in oil and gas. Foreigners are generally restricted to owning no more than two acres of agricultural land.

    state.gov 2021-2025.state.gov

  6. GO-Invest facilitation

    The Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) acts as a one-stop facilitation body, assisting foreign investors with administrative formalities including DCRA registration, land applications, work-permit processing, and liaison with sectoral ministries throughout the investment process.

    guyanainvest.gov.gy guyanainvest.gov.gy

Sources

  1. state.gov/reports/2025-investment-climate-statements/guyana
  2. state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/638719_2025-Guyana-Investment-Climate-Stat
  3. sice.oas.org/investment/NatLeg/GUY/investment%20act.pdf
  4. investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-laws/laws/81/guyana-investment-act
  5. dcraguyana.com/companies1/
  6. dcraguyana.org/
  7. guyanainvest.gov.gy/
  8. 2021-2025.state.gov/reports/2023-investment-climate-statements/guyana/
  9. expanship.com/gy/blog/incorporation-requirements-in-guyana
  10. guyanainvest.gov.gy/about-us

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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