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Doing business
Doing business in Djibouti
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in Djibouti – linked to their own websites – plus the treaties that matter for contracts and disputes, and law firms there that list business work.
Key facts
Key facts for business in Djibouti
The short answer
Company registry in Djibouti: Office Djiboutien de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale (ODPIC). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Djibouti before you act.
| Legal system | Mixed (French civil law, Islamic law and customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French, Arabic |
| Currency | Djiboutian franc (DJF) |
| Regional blocs | COMESA, IGAD |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1977 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 2020 |
| 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 Djibouti
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Office Djiboutien de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale (ODPIC) | odpic.dj |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banque Centrale de Djibouti – Central Bank of Djibouti | banque-centrale.dj |
| Official business procedures portal | E-Gouvernement (egouv.dj) | egouv.dj |
We could not confirm an official website for: investment promotion, tax, work and residence permits, 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 national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Office Djiboutien de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale (ODPIC).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: the national tax administration.
- 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: the national immigration authority.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banque Centrale de Djibouti) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Djibouti 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 Djibouti for business matters
Cabinet Boulboul
Djibouti
1 firm in Djibouti list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Djibouti.
Checking a lawyer in Djibouti
We could not find an official online source for who admits lawyers in Djibouti. 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 Djibouti: questions
Where do you register a company in Djibouti?
With Office Djiboutien de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale (ODPIC) (odpic.dj). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Djibouti.
Is Djibouti a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1977 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Djibouti accept apostilles?
Djibouti 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 Djibouti’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Djibouti?
Djiboutian franc (DJF).