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How to start a business in Sierra Leone as a foreigner (2026)

Starting a business in Sierra Leone as a foreigner: moderate.

Sierra Leone permits 100% foreign ownership of companies with no mandatory local-partner requirement and no minimum share capital for private limited companies, and registration is concentrated at the OARG with SLIEPA acting as a one-stop facilitation centre. The legal regime is open, but practical formation still involves multiple physical steps (name search, OARG submission, TIN registration) and typically takes roughly one to three weeks, which keeps overall ease at a moderate level rather than fully frictionless.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Sierra Leone with other countries

Legal framework

Companies Act, 2009 (as amended); registration administered by the Office of the Administrator and Registrar General (OARG) / Corporate Affairs Commission, with facilitation by the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) and tax registration via the National Revenue Authority (NRA).

Key points: starting a business in Sierra Leone

  1. Foreign ownership

    Under the Companies Act 2009 a company can be formed with a single shareholder and single director of any nationality, none required to be resident; foreigners may own up to 100% with no mandatory local ownership. The government encourages (but does not require) joint ventures allocating at least 20% equity to indigenous Sierra Leonean partners.

    sierra-leone.org trade.gov

  2. Minimum capital

    No minimum share capital is required to incorporate a private limited company; public limited companies require a paid-up minimum (around US$11,300 equivalent) at incorporation.

    sierra-leone.org sliepa.gov.sl

  3. Where to register

    Companies register with the Corporate Affairs Commission / OARG; sole proprietorships, partnerships and cooperatives register with the OARG. SLIEPA operates as a one-stop centre to facilitate registration and obtain permits and licences.

    oarg.gov.sl sliepa.gov.sl

  4. Steps

    Core steps: search/reserve the business name at OARG, submit incorporation documents and pay fees (combined application plus the NRA ITAS form), collect the Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate, and obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) from the NRA before trading legally.

    oarg.gov.sl nra.gov.sl

  5. Timeline

    The OARG process is structured around roughly five steps; company formation commonly takes about one to three weeks, while sole-trader registration can be done in about 1-3 business days depending on OARG processing.

    oarg.gov.sl sliepa.gov.sl

  6. Sector licences

    Beyond incorporation, certain sectors (e.g. mining, fisheries) require sector-specific licences obtained from the relevant line ministries; SLIEPA assists investors in securing these permits and clearances.

    sliepa.gov.sl trade.gov

Sources

  1. oarg.gov.sl/
  2. oarg.gov.sl/business-register/
  3. sliepa.gov.sl/invest-in-sierra-leone/starting-a-business
  4. sierra-leone.org/Laws/2009-05.pdf
  5. nra.gov.sl/
  6. trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/sierra-leone-distribution-and-sales-channel
  7. trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/sierra-leone-market-entry-strategy

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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