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Doing business
Doing business in DR Congo
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in DR Congo – 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 DR Congo
The short answer
We could not confirm the company registry’s website for DR Congo. Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in DR Congo before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French |
| Currency | Congolese franc (CDF) |
| Regional blocs | East African Community, SADC, COMESA, ECCAS |
| 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 2015 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1970 |
| 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 DR Congo
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Investment promotion | Agence Nationale pour la Promotion des Investissements (ANAPI) – National Agency for Investment Promotion | anapi.cd |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) – Central Bank of the Congo | bcc.cd |
| Work and residence permits | Direction Générale de Migration (DGM) – Directorate General of Migration | dgm.cd |
We could not confirm an official website for: registering a company, tax, 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: the national company registry.
- 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: Agence Nationale pour la Promotion des Investissements (ANAPI).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Direction Générale de Migration (DGM).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. DR Congo 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 DR Congo for business matters
Cabinet AMANI (Amani Law Firm)
Kinshasa
Cabinet André Kibambe & Associés
Kinshasa
Cabinet G. Muteba Kalala & Associés
Lubumbashi
Cabinet Hubert Dumbi & Associés
Lubumbashi
Cabinet Kabamba
Kinshasa
Cabinet Mavinga Declerc & Partners
Kinshasa, Matadi, Lubumbashi
DALDEWOLF RDC
Kinshasa, Kolwezi
Elite Law Firm
Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi
KBB Law Firm SCP
Kinshasa, Kolwezi, Lubumbashi
Ngaliema & Associés
Kinshasa
Shematsi & Associates Law Firm SCP
Kinshasa, Goma
Tshibangu Ilunga & Partners SCA
Kinshasa, Lubumbashi
12 firms in DR Congo list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in DR Congo.
Checking a lawyer in DR Congo
Who admits lawyers: Ordre National des Avocats (ONA) – Conseil National de l'Ordre, with provincial bars (barreaux)
Professional title: Avocat
Official roll: ona-rdc.org
Search the ONA's online annuaire (ona-rdc.org/annuaires) by bar and name; each entry shows whether the lawyer is on the tableau or a stagiaire.
Sources: ona-rdc.org, ona-rdc.org. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in DR Congo: questions
Is DR Congo a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 2015 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does DR Congo accept apostilles?
DR Congo 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 DR Congo’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in DR Congo?
Congolese franc (CDF).