Sudan has fertile land, the waters of the Nile, livestock, minerals and a position between the Arab world and inland Africa. The Embassy welcomes German and Polish companies that want to explore business in Sudan and helps them find the right authority.
Download: Sudan Investment Prospectus 2021 (PDF, 20 MB)
Where the opportunities are
- Agriculture and livestock — large areas of arable land, water from the Nile and its tributaries, varied climate zones and wide natural pastures.
- Mining and energy — gold and other minerals, oil, and resources that are still unexploited.
- Industry — processing of farm products such as gum arabic, cotton, oilseeds and leather.
- Transport, storage and infrastructure — Sudan lies in the middle of the continent and on the Red Sea, so it can supply neighbouring markets with goods and services.
- Banking and services — a banking network across the country, with specialised banks for agriculture and industry.
Guarantees for investors
Sudan's investment law gives investors these guarantees:
- Equal treatment of investment capital, whether public, private, cooperative or mixed.
- A project cannot be nationalised, confiscated or expropriated, except by law and against compensation.
- Project funds cannot be seized or frozen, except by a court order.
- The investor may transfer the capital abroad if the project is not carried out, and may transfer profits and financing costs.
- The investor may import raw materials and export products.
- Projects can receive tax relief on business profits, land at no cost or at an incentive price, and customs privileges.
Setting up a business
The procedure depends on the sector. The usual forms are sole ownership, a partnership or a branch of a foreign company.
Registering a company
- Apply to the Commercial Registrar for approval of the proposed name.
- Submit the memorandum and articles of association.
- After the initial approval: set up the company's head office, hand in three copies of the articles stamped by the Taxation and Zakat chambers, and complete the form on the company's capital, the approval form and the publication form.
Registering a branch of a foreign company
- Application for registration to the Commercial Registrar
- Memorandum and articles of association of the parent company
- Registration certificate or founding documents of the parent company
- Written authorisation for a person resident in Sudan to receive legal notices
- Resolution of the parent company's board to open a branch in Sudan
- All documents authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the investor's country or by the Sudanese embassy there. See Document Authentication & Legalisation.
Registering a business name
- Application with the proposed names
- Business name registration form, notarised by a lawyer
- Approval of the competent authority
- The registrar then issues two certificates of incorporation, in Arabic and English.
Registering foreign capital
- Memorandum of association and registration certificate of the company, its business name and the investment licence
- For cash capital: proof of the transfer from abroad and the declarations of exchange into local currency
- For capital in kind: import certificates for the machines, equipment and devices
- For service capital: certified lists of the amounts paid, approved by a legal auditor resident in Sudan
Registering as an exporter or importer
- Final investment licence and business name
- Membership of the chamber of industry and commerce
- Bank letter with the project account number
- For companies: memorandum of association and certificate of incorporation, certified by the Registrar of Companies
- For individuals: commercial licence for the current year
Business visas
A business or investment visa needs a letter from the German company and an invitation from the partner company in Sudan. The requirements are on the page Entry Visa.
Contact
This page is a general guide. Laws and procedures change, so please confirm the current requirements with the Embassy or with the competent Sudanese authority before you commit funds. The Embassy's details are on the Contact page.