Key facts
Key facts for business in Guinea
The short answer
Company registry in Guinea: APIP Guinée – Guichet Unique de l'Investisseur. Tax authority: Direction Nationale des Impôts (DNI). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Guinea before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (with customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French |
| Currency | Guinean franc (GNF) |
| Regional blocs | ECOWAS |
| OHADA business law | Yes – the OHADA Uniform Acts apply |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1991 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1968 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Not a party – documents usually need legalization |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Guinea
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | APIP Guinée – Guichet Unique de l'Investisseur | apip.gov.gn |
| Investment promotion | Agence de Promotion des Investissements Privés (APIP Guinée) – Agency for the Promotion of Private Investments | apip.gov.gn |
| Tax | Direction Nationale des Impôts (DNI) – National Tax Directorate | dni.gov.gn |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banque Centrale de la République de Guinée (BCRG) – Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea | bcrg-guinee.org |
| Work and residence permits | Direction Nationale de la Police de l'Air et des Frontières (Ministère de la Sécurité et de la Protection Civile) | mspc.gov.gn |
| Justice ministry (no court website found) | Ministère de la Justice et des Droits de l'Homme – Ministry of Justice and Human Rights | justiceguinee.gov.gn |
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by the OHADA Uniform Act on commercial companies and national rules.
- Register the business. Company registration: APIP Guinée – Guichet Unique de l'Investisseur.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Direction Nationale des Impôts (DNI).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Agence de Promotion des Investissements Privés (APIP Guinée).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Direction Nationale de la Police de l'Air et des Frontières (Ministère de la Sécurité et de la Protection Civile).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banque Centrale de la République de Guinée (BCRG)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Guinea is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Guinea for business matters
ADNA (Conakry office)
Conakry
Guilex Avocats
Conakry
Sydram & Saliou Bah Avocats Associés
Conakry
Sylla & Partners
Conakry
Thiam & Associés
Conakry
5 firms in Guinea list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Guinea.
Checking a lawyer in Guinea
We could not find an official online source for who admits lawyers in Guinea. Ask any lawyer you consider for their bar or law-society membership and admission details, and confirm them with that body or with the courts.
Questions
Doing business in Guinea: questions
Where do you register a company in Guinea?
With APIP Guinée – Guichet Unique de l'Investisseur (apip.gov.gn). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Guinea.
Is Guinea a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1991 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Guinea accept apostilles?
Guinea is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so foreign public documents usually need legalization – typically through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and Guinea’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Guinea?
Guinean franc (GNF).