Key facts
Key facts for business in Senegal
The short answer
We could not confirm the company registry’s website for Senegal. Tax authority: Direction Générale des Impôts et des Domaines (DGID). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Senegal before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (French-based, with customary and Islamic law in family matters) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Regional blocs | ECOWAS, UEMOA (WAEMU) |
| 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 1995 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1967 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 23 Mar 2023 |
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 Senegal
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Tax | Direction Générale des Impôts et des Domaines (DGID) – Directorate General of Taxes and State Property | dgid.sn |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) – Central Bank of West African States | bceao.int |
| Work and residence permits | Direction de la Police des Étrangers et des Titres de Voyage (DPETV) – Police nationale | policenationale.gouv.sn |
| Courts and justice | Cour suprême du Sénégal – Supreme Court of Senegal | coursupreme.gouv.sn |
| Official business procedures portal | eRegulations Sénégal | senegal.eregulations.org |
We could not confirm an official website for: registering a company, investment promotion. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
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: the national company registry.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Direction Générale des Impôts et des Domaines (DGID).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: the national investment agency.
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Direction de la Police des Étrangers et des Titres de Voyage (DPETV) – Police nationale.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Senegal 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 Senegal for business matters
Cabinet d'Avocats de Maître Ibrahima Niang
Dakar
Geni & Kebe
Dakar
Legalfield Avocats
Dakar
SCP Mame Adama Gueye & Partners (MAGP)
Dakar
SCPA Alama Lawyer (Welle & Associés)
Dakar
SCPA Etienne & Padonou
Dakar
Sunulex Lawyers
Dakar
7 firms in Senegal list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Senegal.
Checking a lawyer in Senegal
Who admits lawyers: Ordre des Avocats du Sénégal (Barreau du Sénégal)
Professional title: Avocat
Official roll: ordredesavocats.sn
Check the lawyer's name in the Tableau de l'Ordre published on the Bar's website (ordredesavocats.sn/annuaire_avocats).
Sources: ordredesavocats.sn, ordredesavocats.sn. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Senegal: questions
Is Senegal a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1995 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Senegal accept apostilles?
Yes – Senegal is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 23 Mar 2023 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Senegal?
West African CFA franc (XOF).