Business in Mauritania

A business in Mauritania can be established as a personne physique, meaning a sole trader without a minimum capital requirement, or as a personne morale with its own legal personality. Common legal forms include a SARL, a société à responsabilité limitée; a SA, a société anonyme; a GIE, a groupement d’intérêt économique without its own profit-making purpose; and a succursale, or branch, which has no separate legal personality. Other company forms may also be available. The business normally needs a local address. Typical registration documents include the Formulaire unique, an identity document or passport, proof of address, any required administrative authorization, statutes or Greffe evidence, a capital document where capital exceeds MRU 10,000, and a beneficial-owner declaration. Official tax sources generally use NIF for the tax identification number, while APIM FAQ materials may use NINE, so the required designation should be verified before filing. APIM’s Guichet Unique is a one-stop registration service that can combine registration in the Registre du Commerce, tax registration and CNSS social-security registration. Applications can be submitted online through Khidmaty, with identity verification through Houwiyeti. APIM states that a complete dossier can be processed within a maximum of 48 working hours, and the APIM service is free. The Greffe of the Tribunal de commerce charges 200 MRU for a personne physique and 500 MRU for a personne morale. Powers of attorney, sector licenses and other administrative approvals can create separate requirements or costs. The formal system is national, with practical concentration in Nouakchott; commercial registration is also handled in Nouadhibou and through wilaya courts or commercial chambers. The Code des Investissements under Loi 2025-006 generally covers legally established investments. Resale of unchanged goods, banking and leasing, insurance and reinsurance, mining, hydrocarbons and green hydrogen fall under separate sector legislation and should not be treated as covered automatically. An Investment Certificate requires an application. The dossier can include a good-faith declaration, beneficial-owner information, the source of capital, the project and its investment volume, a business plan and, where relevant, an environmental study. The Basic regime has an eight-year validity period. Investment incentives are not automatic. The Basic-SME category covers an investment of MRU 2,000,000 to MRU 30,000,000 with at least five direct jobs created within three years. The Intermediate category covers more than MRU 30,000,000 up to MRU 200,000,000 with at least 15 direct jobs within three years. Development Poles require at least MRU 2,000,000 and five or 15 jobs depending on the investment amount. The Structuring category requires more than MRU 200,000,000 and at least 50 jobs within three years. Basic benefits are valid for eight years, while Development Poles and Structuring benefits are valid for ten years. Decision periods are stated as 10, 20 or 45 working days depending on the regime. Possible benefits include customs and VAT relief, exemption from the Taxe sur les Opérations Financières, VAT refunds and a training tax credit of up to 70%. In principle, national and foreign investors receive equal treatment. Protection against expropriation, capital and profit transfers subject to tax and foreign-exchange rules, access to project land as a usage right, participation in public procurement and possible international arbitration are among the available protections or rights. These rules do not create an automatic right to land, financing or approval. During operation, the company needs to comply with tax and customs rules as well as company, quality, environmental and social requirements. Investment Certificate holders are expected to implement the project within three years, report the start of activity, submit annual project-progress and statistical information, allow inspections, use the Mauritanian chart of accounts and file annual accounts. The normal VAT rate is 16%, while exports are taxed at 0%. VAT returns are due monthly by the 15th of the following month. The income or corporate tax return is due by 31 March. For normal and Intermediate regimes, corporate tax payments are scheduled as 40% by 31 March, 30% by 30 June and the balance by 30 September. Businesses with turnover of at least MRU 30,000,000 have additional balance-sheet and supporting-document requirements and need a certified expert-comptable. The Direction Générale des Impôts issues a TVA certificate free of charge within two days according to its stated service information. APIM provides advice, formalization support, incentive guidance, aftercare and SME competitiveness support. TECHGHIL’s Guichet Entrepreneuriat has supported project promoters and SMEs since 2 April 2026. APIM’s core service is not independent legal advice, so a separate lawyer or other qualified adviser may be needed for company documents, contracts, liquidation or sector-specific issues. To close a formally registered business, the usual sequence begins with removal from the Registre du Commerce and confirmation of tax regularity, followed by tax deregistration or NIF radiation. The Direction Générale des Impôts states a maximum processing time of two days and no fee when the applicant provides an Attestation de regularite fiscale and an Attestation de radiation RC. Dissolution and liquidation follow the Code de Commerce and the Tribunal de commerce. Available portal information does not fully establish the detailed insolvency procedure, so the Tribunal or Greffe should be consulted locally. An Investment Certificate may be withdrawn after a cure period of at least 60 days for violations, and non-commencement within one year can also lead to withdrawal. Benefits and customs or tax reliefs may then become payable. Informal activity has no reliable unified formal exit procedure.