Companies entering Cameroon or CEMAC
Subsidiary or branch, company formation, sector licences, agreements with local distributors and agents, and hiring local and expatriate staff.
International clients
Your lawyer in Cameroon,
wherever you are
For foreign companies, investors, traders, individuals and Cameroonians abroad. We advise in English or French, handle the matter on the ground in Cameroon, and report to you wherever you are, with the fee agreed in writing before we start.
Who we act for
Clients who need a lawyer in Cameroon, not necessarily in Cameroon themselves
Investors and lenders
Due diligence on Cameroonian companies, partners and land; structuring the investment; repatriating profits; taking security over assets.
Businesses trading with Cameroon
Imports through the Port of Douala, customs disputes, recovering unpaid invoices from Cameroonian customers, arbitration and enforcement.
Individuals and families abroad
Buying land or property, checking a title before paying anything, inheritance, powers of attorney, and cases before Cameroonian courts.
What foreign clients ask us most
Start with your question
- Setting up a company or subsidiary in Cameroon Read our guide
- Buying land or property as a foreigner or from abroad Read our guide
- Work permits and visas for staff
- Customs clearance and disputes at the Port of Douala
- Recovering money owed by a Cameroonian company
- Arbitration, and enforcing a foreign judgment or award Read our guide
- Protecting a trade mark in Cameroon and 16 other OAPI states Read our guide
- Investing in Cameroon and taking profits out Read our guide
Working with us from abroad
How a matter runs when you are not in Cameroon
- English & Français
- We reply to enquiries within one business day.
- Douala, Cameroon
01
Tell us what has happened
By e-mail, WhatsApp or the enquiry form, in English or French. We reply within one business day.
02
A first call
By video or phone, at a time that suits your time zone. We explain the options, the likely timetable and the cost.
03
Everything agreed in writing
An engagement letter sets out the work, the fee and how to pay it before anything starts. No surprise invoices.
04
We act on the ground
Registry searches, filings, meetings and hearings in Cameroon. We tell you exactly which documents we need, whether they must be certified or legalised in your country, and how to send them.
05
Written updates at every stage
You always know where the matter stands. Where you have lawyers at home, we work alongside them.
If you have been defrauded by someone in Cameroon
People abroad sometimes contact us after paying for land, goods, a business opportunity or a relationship that turned out not to exist. We can advise on filing a criminal complaint in Cameroon and give you an honest view of the chances of recovering money.
Be very careful with anyone, including people who claim to be lawyers, police officers or officials, who guarantees that your money will be recovered in exchange for an upfront fee. That is a common second fraud. Before paying any lawyer, check that they are registered with the Cameroon Bar Association, and ask for a written engagement letter.
Questions
Common questions from clients abroad
Yes. Most of our international clients never need to travel. We meet by video or phone and exchange documents electronically. Where a signature or an original document is needed, we explain how to provide it from abroad, often through a power of attorney.
Yes. We work in English and French, the two official languages of Cameroon, and can advise, draft and correspond in either. Cameroon’s legal system is itself bilingual and bijural, combining common law and civil law traditions.
Before any work starts, you receive a written engagement letter with the fee, what it covers and how to pay it. Defined work, such as forming a company or checking a land title, is usually a fixed fee; disputes are billed in agreed stages.
In most sectors, yes. The OHADA company law that applies in Cameroon does not reserve shareholding to nationals. Some regulated activities have their own licensing or ownership conditions, which we check at the start.
Foreigners can acquire rights over land in Cameroon, but the rules and approvals are not the same as for nationals, and the right approach depends on what you plan to do with the land. We check this, and the title itself, before any deposit is paid.