The Commercial Code of Mozambique

Mozambique's business registration process is streamlined through the One-Stop Shop (Balcão de Atendimento Único - BAU) and governed primarily by the Commercial Code (Código Comercial), approved by Decree-Law No. 1/2022 of May 25, which came into force in 2022 and partially repealed the previous Commercial Code (Decree-Law No. 2/2005 of December 27). 

This code regulates the formation, registration, and operation of commercial entities, defining acts of commerce, company types, and obligations for registration to ensure validity against third parties. Complementary laws include the Private Investment Law (Law No. 8/2023 of June 9), which facilitates foreign direct investment (FDI) and outlines incentives, and the Legal Entities Registry Regulations (Decree-Law No. 1/2024 of March 8), which introduced beneficial ownership registration requirements. 

The process is overseen by the Agency for the Promotion of Investment and Exports (APIEX) under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, with registration handled at Commercial Registry Offices (Conservatórias do Registo Comercial) or via the Electronic One-Stop Shop (E-BAU).

As of September 2025, no major regulatory changes to the core registration process have been enacted since the 2024 registry updates, though ongoing reforms (e.g., judicial and labor law revisions) may impact operations.

The World Bank's last Doing Business assessment (pre-2020) ranked Mozambique 138/190 for ease of starting a business, with an average of 17 days and 7 procedures, but APIEX reports faster timelines (10-30 days) via digital tools.

 Foreigners can own 100% of most entities without a local partner, except in restricted sectors like mining or fishing.