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Doing business
Doing business in Eswatini
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in Eswatini – 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 Eswatini
The short answer
We could not confirm the company registry’s website for Eswatini. Tax authority: Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Eswatini before you act.
| Legal system | Mixed (Roman-Dutch common law and Swazi customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, siSwati |
| Currency | Swazi lilangeni (plural emalangeni, SZL) |
| Regional blocs | SADC, COMESA |
| OHADA business law | No |
| 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 1971 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 6 Sep 1968 |
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 Eswatini
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Investment promotion | Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) | investeswatini.org.sz |
| Tax | Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) | ers.org.sz |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Central Bank of Eswatini | centralbank.org.sz |
We could not confirm an official website for: registering a company, 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: the national company registry.
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA).
- 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 (Central Bank of Eswatini) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Eswatini 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 Eswatini for business matters
We have not listed law firms in Eswatini that state business practice areas yet. Law firms in Eswatini · List a firm
Checking a lawyer in Eswatini
Who admits lawyers: High Court of Eswatini (admission and roll) and the Law Society of Eswatini (Swaziland)
Professional title: Attorney / Advocate
Confirm with the Law Society of Eswatini or the Registrar of the High Court, who keeps the roll of advocates and attorneys under the Legal Practitioners Act, 1964.
We could not confirm every detail from official sources, so use this as a starting point.
Sources: eswatinilii.org. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Eswatini: questions
Is Eswatini a party to the New York Convention?
No, according to the UNCITRAL status table checked October 2026.
Does Eswatini accept apostilles?
Yes – Eswatini is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 6 Sep 1968 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in Eswatini?
Swazi lilangeni (plural emalangeni, SZL).