Congo, Democratic Rep. of the

Doing Business In Congo, Democratic Rep. of the

  1. In Doing Business 2013, the Democratic Republic of Congo is ranked 181st out of 185 economies, recording a 1 point decrease compared with last year. This decrease reflects lower scores in 5 indicators.
  2. According to the latest Enterprise Surveys (2010), the top 3 obstacles to running a business in the Democratic Republic of Congo include Access to Finance, Electricity, and Practices of the Informal Sector. Only 10.7% of firms have a line of credit or loan from a financial institution, compared to the regional average of 22.7%. Even if a firm is able to obtain a loan, it must put up collateral worth 261.0% of the value of the loan on average, compared to the regional average of 158.3%.
  3. According to the World Bank’s Governance Indicators (2010), the Democratic Republic of Congo is below the 10th percentile for all indicators.
  4. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has an economic freedom score of 41.1, making it the 172nd freest economy in the 2012 Index. Its overall score is 0.4 point higher than last year, reflecting marginal increases in its scores for monetary freedom and investment freedom. The DRC is ranked 44th out of 46 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its score is far below the regional average.*

Source: World Bank

Visa Information

All visitors to Congo need a visa. You can buy a 15-day, multiple-entry visa to Brazzaville on arrival for approximately US$70, but you must have your yellow fever certificate with you. Visa applications from embassies abroad can be issued the same day or by the next day. You can also get a visa on arrival in Brazzaville if you come by boat from Kinshasa.
Visas for onward travel
If at all possible, procure your onward travel African visas from your home country before departure. This is especially true for Angolan visas which require a letter of introduction from a person in-country first. The easiest visa to get in Congo is for the Democratic Republic of Congo a short hop across the Congo River. You should also be able to pick up a visa for Gabon here.

Business Etiquette

General Business Hours

Business hours are 8am to noon and 2pm to 3pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to noon Saturday.