Register a company in Eswatini

We do not promise that up front. The Registrar's list asks for directors' identity documents and EIPA's for certified passport copies. Eswatini is a party to the Apostille Convention. What the Registrar accepts from a founder abroad, and whether the filing can run entirely on a power of attorney, we confirm for your case before any work begins. Trading is a separate question: the trading licence needs inspected premises and, for a director who is not Swazi, a work or residence permit.

Registration starts from $2,300. The registered address (from $900 a year) is billed separately. With an EMI or online bank account, from $4,200. The trading licence costs SZL 50 to SZL 10,000, and the Ministry's trade portal estimates SZL 3,000 to SZL 5,000 for a typical services or manufacturing company. That fee, the E50 advertising fee and a work permit for a non-Swazi director (SZL 1,200 for 12 months up to SZL 6,000 for 60 months) are paid to the authorities on top.

The official figures disagree. Government pages say seven days and three days; the Ministry's trade portal says one. The name reservation comes first and holds for 60 to 90 days, depending on the source. Form J is due within 21 days of incorporation. Under a 2011 amendment the trading licence can be advertised and issued within three working days, and the revenue service decides on tax registration within 30 days. We have no official timeline to quote for permits, so start those early.

Corporate tax is 25% for year-ends after 31 December 2024, and a presumptive tax has been introduced for turnover of SZL 500,000 or less. Tax follows the source: foreign income is not taxed unless it is deemed to come from Eswatini. Before treaty relief, withholding tax is 15% on dividends paid to non-residents and on royalties and management fees. PwC's rate table shows 10% on interest, but PwC also reports that withholding on non-residents has been fixed at 15%, so we confirm that rate for your case. VAT is 15%. The 2024/25 budget announced a review of the registration threshold from E500,000 to E900,000, so we confirm the figure in force when you register. There is no statute of limitations on tax audits, and current practice is to look back four years.

That is what the second package is for. From $4,200 it adds an account with an EMI or online bank, opened remotely, with the KYC file and compliance onboarding prepared by us. Help with a local bank account is available on request, and local banks may ask directors to visit in person. Either way, plan early for the trading licence file, which asks for a bank statement proving the directors have enough funds to run the company. Exchange controls apply in Eswatini, and the banks administer them day to day.

No. This is the step to plan first. Under the Trading Licences Order no one may conduct business without a valid licence, and doing so risks a fine of E500, a year in prison, or both. You apply in writing to the licensing officer for your district. The file includes the Certificate of Incorporation, three copies of the Memorandum and Articles, a lease or title deed for the premises, a health department or city council inspection certificate, a bank statement and, for a director who is not Swazi, a temporary residence or work permit. The list also asks for the company's tax registration, while the tax registration asks for the licence, so the two are planned together. Licences expire every 31 December. Our package gives guidance on this step; the licence fees go to the authorities.

We have found none in the Companies Act. Shares must have a par value and each subscriber takes at least one. Capital does change the registration fee: the government's page runs from E625 for nominal capital up to E10,000 to E1,825 above E50,000, while the Ministry's trade portal lists E645 to E1,845 for the same bands. Those state fees are part of our registration price.

We have found no residence rule for directors in current law. A proposed Companies Bill would require at least one director resident in Eswatini. Its status is unconfirmed. If you want a resident director or local representative anyway, one is available on request.

No. Consent to do business on Swazi Nation Land is given only to indigenous Swazis and to companies wholly owned by them, and a trading licence for premises there needs the written consent of the Ngwenyama, the King. A foreign-owned company trades from premises it leases or owns elsewhere. On a farm or other private property, the licence file also needs the Minister's authority.

If you direct the company and are not Swazi, plan on it: the trading licence file asks for a temporary residence permit or a director's work permit. EIPA, the investment promotion authority, helps with 5-year work permits for company directors and 2-year permits for expatriate staff. The fees EIPA publishes are SZL 1,200 for 12 months, SZL 2,400 for 24 months and SZL 6,000 for 60 months. We give guidance on the application; the fees are paid to the authorities.