Key facts
Key facts for business in Togo
The short answer
Company registry in Togo: Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE). Tax authority: Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Togo before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (French-based, with customary law) |
|---|---|
| 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) | Not a party (checked October 2026) |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1967 |
| 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 Togo
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE) | cfetogo.tg |
| Investment promotion | Agence de Promotion des Investissements et de la Zone Franche (API-ZF) – Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency | apizf.org |
| Tax | Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR) | otr.tg |
| 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 Générale de la Documentation Nationale (DGDN) – General Directorate of National Documentation | dgdn.gouv.tg |
| Official business procedures portal | Investir au Togo (eRegulations) – Invest in Togo – online procedures guide | investirautogo.tg |
We could not confirm an official website for: courts and justice. 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: Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR).
- 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 et de la Zone Franche (API-ZF).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Direction Générale de la Documentation Nationale (DGDN).
- 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. Togo is not a party to the New York Convention – take advice on how a foreign judgment or award would be enforced.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Togo for business matters
Cabinet Loyauté | Avocats et Associés
Lomé
Cabinet Maître François K. Kombate
Lomé
SCP d'Avocats Monnatt
Lomé
SCP Toble & Associés
Lomé
SCPA Dogbeavou & Associés
Lomé
Thérèse Donu, Cabinet d'Avocats
Lomé
Zotchi Avocats
Lomé
7 firms in Togo list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Togo.
Checking a lawyer in Togo
Who admits lawyers: Ordre des Avocats du Togo (Barreau du Togo)
Professional title: Avocat
Official roll: barreaudutogo.tg
Look the lawyer up in the Barreau du Togo's online annuaire (barreaudutogo.tg/avocat), which lists members in good standing.
Sources: barreaudutogo.tg, barreaudutogo.tg. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Togo: questions
Where do you register a company in Togo?
With Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE) (cfetogo.tg). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Togo.
Is Togo a party to the New York Convention?
No, according to the UNCITRAL status table checked October 2026.
Does Togo accept apostilles?
Togo 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 Togo’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Togo?
West African CFA franc (XOF).