Starting a business in Abidjan goes through CEPICI's one-stop shop. CEPICI itself publishes the list of fees and documents. This page repeats it, with the document's date (7 January 2026), and says what it does not specify.
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The essentials (information checked on 4 October 2026)
- Official fees: RCCM 10,000 FCFA, registry deposit certificate 5,000 FCFA, minutes 25,000 FCFA, import-export code 30,000 FCFA (if trading abroad), lease registration at 2.5% of rental value.
- Free of charge: online publication on the CEPICI website and registration with the Single Identifier (IDU).
- The lease contract and the minutes must be registered at the one-stop shop before the file goes online.
- Counter: CEPICI / GUFE, P.O. Box V152, Grand Siècle building, Pisam crossroads, Cocody Canebière; +225 25 22 01 79 20.
The fees, one by one
CEPICI's document sets out the fees for company creation: RCCM registration costs 10,000 FCFA, the registry deposit certificate 5,000 FCFA, the minutes (PV) 25,000 FCFA, and the import-export code 30,000 FCFA for anyone trading abroad. Lease registration is paid at 2.5% of the rental value, that is, the total rent over the lease term, with 500 FCFA of stamp duty per page. Online publication and IDU registration are free.
The total therefore depends on your file: a single "creation fee" figure does not apply to everyone. The document does not state the total cost of an LLC (SARL).
The documents
For a notarised branch, CEPICI's document lists documents you often find elsewhere: a photocopy of the manager's ID (national ID card, passport, consular card, resident card or identity certificate), a criminal record extract from the place of birth less than three months old (or a sworn statement for a manager born outside the Abidjan commercial court's jurisdiction, to be completed within 75 days), the commercial or professional lease contract in two copies, a title deed or a domiciliation contract, a location plan for the activity, and the signed single "Legal Entity" form. All documents in a foreign language must be translated by a sworn translator.
The exact list depends on the company's form: CEPICI states that a missing document leads to rejection of the file.
What the document does not say
It gives no processing delay: the "24 to 48 hours" in our earlier versions has no source in this document. It does not set the minimum capital of an LLC either, which falls under OHADA law and the articles of association.
Frequently asked questions
How much does creating a company at CEPICI cost?
RCCM 10,000 FCFA, registry deposit 5,000 FCFA, minutes 25,000 FCFA, plus the lease at 2.5% of rental value and, if needed, the import-export code at 30,000 FCFA (CEPICI, 7 January 2026).
Is the IDU paid?
No: registration with the Single Identifier is free of charge.
Where is the one-stop shop?
At CEPICI / GUFE, Grand Siècle building, Pisam crossroads, Cocody Canebière (address from the official document).
Official sources (checked on 4 October 2026)
- CEPICI, Amount of company creation fees and documents to provide, document of 7 January 2026.
- CEPICI, Company creation.