Company formation · Mozambique
Company formation in Mozambique
Register a Mozambican company with a team in Maputo. Name reservation, notarised articles, commercial registration, publication, tax number, social security and the operating licence — in the right order, with the waiting periods planned for.
Our office
Maputo
Common vehicle
Sociedade por Quotas (Lda)
Registry
CREL / BAU
Publication
Boletim da República
What is included
What we carry for you in Mozambique
Name reservation
The name request filed with the registry or the one-stop counter, with the activity and investment value stated.
Articles of association
The estatutos setting out purpose, headquarters, capital, governance and quota distribution, notarised.
Capital deposit
The provisional bank account and the deposit of the share capital agreed for the business.
Commercial registration
Definitive registration with the registry of legal entities and issue of the certificate.
Tax number and INSS
The NUIT from the tax authority and registration with social security and the provincial labour directorate.
Operating licence
The commercial or sector licence required before the activity may begin.
How it works
How a mandate runs
Step 01
Structure
Vehicle, shareholding, capital and registered office decided before filing.
Step 02
Prepare
Estatutos drafted and notarised; shareholder documents translated and legalised where they come from abroad.
Step 03
Register
Name, registry, capital deposit, NUIT, INSS and labour directorate, then the licence.
Step 04
Publish and operate
Publication in the official gazette runs its course while the operating set-up continues.
Local context
How incorporation in Mozambique actually works
A Mozambican incorporation begins with a name reservation filed with the registry of legal entities (CREL) or through the one-stop counter (BAU), stating the intended activity and the investment value. The articles of association are then notarised, the share capital is deposited in a provisional bank account, and the company is definitively registered.
The articles are then published in the Boletim da República, the official gazette. That publication is a formal step with its own waiting period, and it is the reason a Mozambican incorporation should be planned rather than improvised — the company can proceed with much of its set-up while publication runs its course.
Which vehicle
- Sociedade por Quotas (Lda) — the limited liability company most foreign investors use; one shareholder and one director suffice.
- Sociedade Anónima (SA) — for larger enterprises, requiring at least three shareholders.
- Branch of a foreign company — permitted, though a local subsidiary is usually preferred.
After registration
The company obtains its tax identification number (NUIT), registers with the National Social Security Institute and the provincial labour directorate once operations begin, and applies for the commercial or sector licence. Foreign ownership is permitted in most sectors.
Mozambican rates, quotas and timelines move, and the 2023 labour law continues to bed in. Our Maputo office confirms the current position before you commit.
Filed in Maputo
- Our own team in the registry queue
- Portuguese-language drafting and notarial work
- EOR available so hiring need not wait
- Legalisation, visas and freight on the same contract
- Telephone: +258 84 311 0901
Why Horizon
Mozambique is a project economy, and projects have deadlines
Gas, mining, infrastructure and agriculture set the clock in Mozambique, and a late entity or an unmobilised crew is measured in shifts lost. We carry Mozambique through establishment, workforce, procurement and freight under one agreement.
Maputo, and the corridors inland
The Maputo and Beira corridors carry cargo into the interior and into landlocked neighbours. Our freight desk works them as routes, not as line items.
Lei do Trabalho 13/2023, applied rather than quoted
The 2023 labour law changed how expatriate quotas and contracts are handled. We work to the instrument as the authorities currently apply it.
Lusophone documentation without translation loss
Filings, contracts and legalisation are produced in Portuguese by people who work in it, which removes an entire category of rejection.
Common questions
Company formation in Mozambique
What is the BAU?
The Balcão de Atendimento Único — the one-stop counter through which several of the incorporation steps can be filed, alongside the registry of legal entities (CREL). It shortens the path but does not remove the sequence: name, articles, capital, registration, publication, tax and social security, licence.
Why does publication in the Boletim da República matter?
Because it is a formal step with its own waiting period, and it is often the difference between a schedule that holds and one that slips. We plan around it: much of the operational set-up can proceed while publication runs.
Which company type do foreign investors normally use?
The Sociedade por Quotas (Lda), which needs a minimum of one shareholder and one director and limits liability to the capital invested. A Sociedade Anónima requires at least three shareholders and suits larger structures. A branch of a foreign company is possible, but a local subsidiary is usually preferred.
Is there a minimum share capital?
There is no fixed statutory minimum for the Lda; the capital should be set at a level consistent with the business and with what the bank and the registry will expect for your activity. We advise on the figure rather than defaulting to the lowest possible number.
Can foreign nationals own 100% of the company?
Foreign ownership is permitted in most sectors. Where a sector is restricted or licensed, we confirm the position before the structure is fixed rather than after.
Can you employ our staff while the company is being registered?
Yes, through our Employer of Record in Mozambique. The team can start legally while the incorporation and publication run, then transfer to your entity.
Begin with the objective. We will map the route.
Tell us the project, the site and the date it has to be running by. We return the entry model, the sequence and what each step depends on.