Insights · Guide
How to register a company in Rwanda as a foreigner
Ten steps from your first decision to a trading company with a tax number, a bank account and a first-year calendar. Written for founders who will own and run the business from Europe, the Gulf or the CIS, with every rule tied to the law that sets it.
Key takeaways
- Most foreign founders use a private company limited by shares under Law N° 007/2021 governing companies.
- There is no minimum share capital, but at least one director must reside in Rwanda (Arts. 7(4) and 157).
- Registration is online with the Office of the Registrar General, carries no government fee, and takes about six hours once the file is complete.
- The tax identification number and social security registration come with the certificate.
- Rwanda applies the Apostille Convention since 5 June 2024, except with Germany, which objected to Rwanda's accession.
- The investment registration certificate costs USD 500, has no minimum capital, and opens reduced tax rates and investor permits.
Sources: Law N° 007/2021 of 05/02/2021 as amended by Law N° 019/2023; Office of the Registrar General, FAQ and service charter; Law N° 006/2021, Art. 18; Rwanda Development Board.
Before you start
Registering the company is the shortest part of the process. The registry's work takes hours. Your work, which is deciding the structure, finding a resident director and preparing documents abroad, takes weeks. Most of the delays we see come from that first part, and nearly all of them can be avoided by deciding three things before any document is signed: who owns the company, who directs it, and what it will do.
This guide follows the order in which those decisions need to be made. Each step names the law or authority behind it. Where a rule differs by your country of residence, we say so. Where something cannot be predicted, such as how long a particular bank takes to open an account, we say that too.
Step 1. Choose the structure
Law N° 007/2021 governing companies, which replaced Law N° 17/2018, allows several forms: companies limited by shares (private or public), companies limited by guarantee, companies limited by shares and guarantee, unlimited companies, protected cell companies and, since 2021, community benefit companies. A foreign company can also operate through a branch or a country representative office, which must register within 10 working days of establishing a place of business in Rwanda.
For most founders the choice is between two forms. A private company limited by shares, in Kinyarwanda an isosiyete (company), is a separate legal person. It can have up to 100 shareholders and one or more directors. Shareholders' liability is limited to their shares. A branch, an ishami (branch), is part of the foreign parent. The parent is liable for its debts, and its accounts feed into the parent's.
Private company or branch
- Choose a private company if you want to ring-fence liability in Rwanda, bring in local or regional partners, or apply for the investment certificate as a Rwandan entity.
- Choose a branch if an existing company will deliver a contract in Rwanda and you want the client to contract with that company directly.
- Choose a holding or fund structure under the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) regime if the company will hold investments rather than trade. Our holding and KIFC page covers it.
Share capital is a short decision. There is no statutory minimum, and shares need not be fully paid on issue. Bearer shares, par-value shares and shares subject to calls are prohibited since Law N° 019/2023, Art. 3. We usually suggest a capital that reflects the first year's costs, because banks and counterparties read the figure even though the law does not set one.
Sources: Law N° 007/2021 of 05/02/2021; Law N° 019/2023 of 30/03/2023, Art. 3; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr; ENSafrica; Chambers Corporate M&A guide (2022); Germany Trade & Invest (2023).
Step 2. Solve the resident director
Every company must have at least one director who resides in Rwanda (Law N° 007/2021, Arts. 7(4) and 157). The rule applies to the company, regardless of who owns it. A foreign-owned private company with a board of one Spanish founder and one Kigali resident meets it. A board of two founders living in Madrid does not.
A company secretary is mandatory only for public companies (Art. 172). A private company can appoint one, and many do, but it is not required.
The resident director is a full director. The person signs the director consent, owes the duties of a director and appears in the company's register. Founders usually choose between three options: a team member who relocates to Kigali, a senior hire made in Rwanda, or a professional director appointed under a written service agreement that sets out scope, reporting and fees. We help with the third option through licensed partners in Kigali. We do not arrange nominee shareholdings or directors who act on undisclosed instructions.
The resident director is the decision we ask founders to make first, because the name goes into the registration file and into every bank form after it. A file that waits for a director waits for everything.
Sources: Law N° 007/2021, Arts. 7(4), 157 and 172; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
Step 3. Prepare documents at home
The Office of the Registrar General (ORG) publishes the documents it needs. For a private company they are:
- A passport or national ID for each individual shareholder and director.
- For a corporate shareholder, a certified certificate of incorporation, its articles, and a board resolution approving the investment and naming the person who will act for it.
- A signed consent from each director.
- Shareholder resolutions on the formation, directors and registered office.
- The memorandum of association. Articles are optional; without them the default provisions of the law apply.
- Beneficial ownership information for every person who holds 25% or more of the shares or votes, directly or indirectly.
- A power of attorney if someone in Kigali will file on your behalf.
For a branch, ORG asks for the parent's registration certificate and articles, notarised (certified copies are accepted), and a notarised original board resolution appointing the representative in Rwanda.
Documents signed abroad must be notarised by a public notary, by a Rwandan embassy or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents that are not in English need a certified translation into English, the language in which the file is processed.
Sources: Office of the Registrar General, registration requirements; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr; Germany Trade & Invest (2023).
Apostille or legalisation, by country
Rwanda acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 6 October 2023, and it entered into force for Rwanda on 5 June 2024. Between two parties, an apostille issued in the country of origin replaces the chain of embassy legalisation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFFET) issues Rwandan apostilles through IremboGov.
There is one important exception for European founders. On 28 March 2024 Germany raised an objection to Rwanda's accession under Art. 12(2) of the Convention. The Convention therefore does not apply between Germany and Rwanda. German public documents need legalisation through the Rwandan embassy accredited to Germany instead of an apostille.
Some countries our clients come from are not parties at all. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are not parties, so documents from those countries follow the legalisation chain: notary, foreign ministry, and the Rwandan embassy.
| Where the document is issued | Route | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria | Apostille | Notarise, then apostille from the competent authority |
| Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom | Apostille | As above |
| Germany | Legalisation | Germany objected to Rwanda's accession on 28/03/2024 |
| Russia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye | Apostille | Certified English translation needed |
| Mauritius, Singapore, Morocco | Apostille | Parties to the Convention |
| UAE, Qatar | Legalisation | Not parties: notary, foreign ministry, Rwandan embassy |
Sources: HCCH, status table of the Apostille Convention, including Germany's objection of 28/03/2024 (reviewed October 2026); MINAFFET; Office of the Registrar General.
The mistake that costs a month is certifying documents before the structure is final. A resolution that names the wrong director or capital has to be signed, notarised and apostilled again. Fix the structure, then sign.
Step 4. Reserve the name
Law N° 007/2021 provides for name reservation in Arts. 36 and 37. The registry checks that the name is not identical or confusingly similar to an existing company and that it does not use restricted words. Reserving the name before documents are finalised means resolutions and powers of attorney carry a name that will be accepted.
We suggest two or three alternatives in order of preference. Names that suggest a regulated activity, such as banking, insurance or investment management, may need the relevant regulator's approval, so we check them before reservation.
Sources: Law N° 007/2021, Arts. 36–37; Office of the Registrar General.
Step 5. File online with the Registrar General
The application goes to the ORG through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) online portal. There is no government fee. A complete application is processed within about six hours. The company receives its certificate of incorporation, its tax identification number (TIN) from the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and its registration with the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) together.
The filing includes the registered office address in Kigali. Addresses use district codes: KG for Gasabo, KK for Kicukiro and KN for Nyarugenge. A company whose office is at "KG 7 Ave" is registered in Gasabo District, and that is where local matters, such as signage or trading licences, are handled. The umurenge (sector) office is the local administration for many of them.
Beneficial ownership is declared at the same time. Every shareholder must declare its beneficial owners under Art. 116 of Law N° 007/2021 as amended. The threshold is 25% of shares or votes under ORG guidelines of March 2023. Changes must be notified within 14 days. The central register is kept by the Registrar General.
Sources: Office of the Registrar General, FAQ and guidelines on beneficial ownership (March 2023); Law N° 007/2021 as amended by Law N° 019/2023, Art. 116; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
Step 6. Complete tax and social security registration
The TIN comes with the certificate. Other registrations depend on what the company does.
VAT
Registration for VAT, under Law N° 049/2023 as amended by Law N° 009/2025, is required once turnover reaches RWF 20 million in a year or RWF 5 million in a quarter. The rate is 18%, and exports are zero-rated. Voluntary registration lets a company recover input VAT before it reaches the threshold, which matters for a company that invests in equipment or premises early. Returns are monthly, by the 15th of the following month, or quarterly where turnover is RWF 200 million or less.
Payroll
Once the company hires an umukozi (employee), it acts as umukoresha (employer) and withholds PAYE, the income tax on salaries, and pays RSSB contributions. Pension contributions are 6% from the employee and 6% from the employer from 1 January 2025, rising to 7% each from 1 January 2027. Occupational hazards cost the employer 2%, maternity 0.3% plus 0.3%, and community-based health insurance 0.5% of the employee's net pay. PAYE and RSSB are due by the 15th of the following month. Foreign staff contribute on the same basis.
Employment contracts, amasezerano (contracts), follow Law N° 66/2018 regulating labour. Probation is at most three months, extendable once by up to three months after a written evaluation (Art. 13).
Sources: Law N° 049/2023 of 05/09/2023 as amended by Law N° 009/2025 of 27/05/2025; Law N° 027/2022; Presidential Order N° 086/01 of 12/12/2024; Law N° 66/2018 of 30/08/2018, Art. 13; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (September 2026).
Step 7. Open the bank account
A konti ya banki (bank account) is opened after registration, because the bank needs the certificate and TIN. Nine commercial banks serve the market: Bank of Kigali, I&M Bank Rwanda, BPR Bank Rwanda, Equity Bank Rwanda, Access Bank Rwanda, Ecobank Rwanda, GT Bank, Bank of Africa Rwanda and NCBA Rwanda. All of them run know-your-customer checks under the anti-money laundering rules of the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR).
Expect to provide the company's registration documents, passports and proof of address for directors, signatories and beneficial owners, a description of the business and its expected flows, and evidence of the source of funds for the initial capital. Some banks ask to meet a signatory in person once. Timelines differ by bank and by the complexity of the ownership chain, so we do not plan a first invoice on a fixed date until the account is open.
Under BNR Regulation 42/2022 on foreign exchange operations, as amended by Regulation 89/2025, domestic transactions are priced and settled in Rwandan francs. A company can hold foreign currency accounts for cross-border flows. A common setup is one RWF account for local flows and one USD or EUR account for cross-border flows.
What banks ask first is the ownership chain, drawn on one page, with a passport for every person at the top. A clear chart with percentages answers half of the compliance questionnaire before it is sent.
Sources: National Bank of Rwanda; BNR Regulation 42/2022 as amended by Regulation 89/2025 (PKF East Africa, 2025). Bank list as published by BNR.
Step 8. Register as an investor, if it pays
The investment registration certificate, icyemezo cy'ishoramari (investment certificate), is issued by RDB under Law N° 006/2021 on investment promotion and facilitation. It has no minimum capital. The fee is USD 500, paid to a commercial bank after RDB issues an acceptance letter. RDB decides within two working days (Art. 18).
The certificate matters for three reasons. It is the gateway to the reduced corporate tax rates of 15%, 3% and 0%, each with its own conditions. It supports investor permits for the founder. And a company that has invested USD 250,000 may recruit three foreign employees without a labour market test. That figure is a threshold for hiring, not a minimum for the certificate.
Not every company needs one. A services company that will pay 28% and employs local staff may gain little. A holding, an exporter, a manufacturer or a founder who wants to live in Rwanda usually gains a lot. Our investment certificate page sets out the conditions for each rate.
Sources: Law N° 006/2021 of 05/02/2021, Arts. 12 and 18; Rwanda Development Board, investment registration; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (September 2026).
Step 9. Obtain permits
A uruhushya (permit, licence) may be needed at two levels. Some activities need a sector licence: financial services from BNR or the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), telecoms and transport from RURA, and so on. These are separate from company registration and can take longer.
Founders who want to live and work in Rwanda apply to the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) for an investor permit through Irembo. Permits are issued by sector: A1 mining, B1 agriculture, F1 manufacturing, O1 hospitality, W1 information technology, X1 transport and logistics, Z1 other. The fee is RWF 150,000 for a permit of up to two years. After two permits, a recurring investor permit costs RWF 250,000 for up to five years and requires a tax clearance. The application includes a CV, the business registration certificate, the investment certificate, a police clearance issued within the last six months and an application letter.
Staff from abroad apply for employment permits: H1 for occupations on the in-demand list, for three years, or H2 sponsored by the employer, for two years. Our permits and visas pages give the details.
Sources: Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, migration.gov.rw (reviewed October 2026); Fragomen immigration updates.
Step 10. Run the first year
A company registered in Rwanda takes on a calendar of filings from the first month. These are the ones every foreign-owned private company should plan for.
- Monthly, by the 15th: PAYE, RSSB and withholding tax for the previous month, and VAT if the company files monthly.
- Advance corporate income tax: three instalments, by 30 June, 30 September and 31 December for a calendar-year company.
- Corporate income tax return: within three months of year-end, with audited financial statements and transfer pricing documentation where it applies. The tax year runs January to December by default.
- Annual accounts: filed with the registry within seven months of the accounting reference date for a private company (Art. 142).
- Annual return: every year in the month the registry allocates to the company, signed by two directors or the sole member (Art. 143 as amended). A company that fails to file risks being struck off.
- Beneficial ownership: changes notified within 14 days.
- Records: kept for at least 10 years. The RRA can audit five years back, or ten where it suspects evasion.
Accounts follow IFRS for SMEs, or full IFRS for public-interest entities. We confirm whether your company needs a statutory audit before the first year-end, so the auditor is appointed in time. Our compliance calendar lists every date.
Sources: Law N° 007/2021 as amended by Law N° 019/2023, Arts. 142–143 and Art. 4; Law N° 027/2022; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries (September 2026); IFRS Foundation, jurisdiction profile Rwanda.
A worked timeline
The timeline below is illustrative. It assumes a Spanish founder setting up a private company with one corporate shareholder from Spain, a resident director already identified, and an apostille route. It shows how the weeks usually fall and where they go.
- Week 1. Structure agreed in writing, resident director confirmed, name alternatives chosen. Draft resolutions, consents and power of attorney prepared in English.
- Weeks 2 to 3. Founder signs in Spain. Notary certifies signatures and copies. Apostilles issued. Corporate documents translated into English by a certified translator.
- Week 4. Name reserved. Originals or certified scans reviewed in Kigali. Application filed online with the ORG. Certificate, TIN and RSSB registration issued once the file is accepted.
- Week 4 onward. Bank account application submitted with the certificate. Timing depends on the bank.
- Week 5. Investment registration application to RDB, decision within two working days, USD 500 paid after the acceptance letter.
- After the certificate. Investor permit application through Irembo, with police clearance obtained in Spain in the meantime.
For a German founder, add time for legalisation through the embassy. For a UAE or Qatar shareholder, add time for the legalisation chain. For a group with several layers of corporate shareholders, add time for beneficial ownership evidence at each layer.
Illustrative example based on the procedures and authority timelines cited above. Not a case study.
Geography: where you register
Sources: City of Kigali; Rwanda Development Board, Special Economic Zones.
The laws this guide relies on
Sources: Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda; ENSafrica; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr; HCCH.
Estimator
How long your file will take
Tick what applies to your company. The estimate covers preparation, registration and the investment certificate. Bank account timing depends on the bank and is not included.
Glossary
Terms you will see on the file
Questions
What founders ask about registration
Can I register a company in Rwanda without visiting?
Yes. The filing is online and documents are signed and certified in your country. A visit helps with the bank, and some banks ask to meet a signatory once.
Is there a minimum share capital?
No. Law N° 007/2021 sets no minimum, and shares need not be fully paid. Banks and counterparties still read the figure, so we suggest one that reflects your first year's costs.
Can the resident director be a foreigner?
Yes, if the person resides in Rwanda. The law looks at residence, not nationality. A founder who moves to Kigali on an investor permit can be the resident director.
Do I need an apostille?
For documents from most European countries, Russia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Mauritius and Singapore, yes. German documents need legalisation because Germany objected to Rwanda's accession. UAE and Qatar documents need the legalisation chain. We confirm the accepted form before you sign.
How much does registration cost?
The government charges no fee for company registration. The investment certificate costs USD 500 and investor permits RWF 150,000. Notary, apostille and translation costs arise in your country. Our own fee is fixed and quoted in writing; see pricing.
Do I need the investment certificate to start trading?
No. A registered company can trade without it. The certificate is needed for the reduced tax rates and investor permits, and helps when hiring foreign staff.
When must the company register for VAT?
Once turnover reaches RWF 20 million in a year or RWF 5 million in a quarter. Voluntary registration earlier lets the company recover input VAT on start-up costs.
What happens if the annual return is not filed?
The registry can strike the company off. The return is due every year in the month allocated to the company, so we put it in the calendar on the day of incorporation.