Guinea-Bissau, formally the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a West African nation with a land area of 36,125 square kilometers (13,948 square miles) and a population of 1,726,000 people. It has borders with Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south.
Guinea-Bissau was originally a member of the Kaabu kingdom as well as the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom lasted until the 18th century, while the Portuguese Empire ruled over a few others from the 16th century. It was colonized as Portuguese Guinea in the nineteenth century. When the nation gained independence in 1973 and was recognized in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to avoid confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Since independence, Guinea-Bissau has experienced political instability, with just one elected president (José Mário Vaz) serving a complete five-year term. Umaro Sissoco Embaló is the current president, having been elected on December 29, 2019.
The official language, Portuguese, is spoken by only around 2% of the population as a first language, and by 33% as a second language. Nonetheless, Guinea-Bissau Creole, a creole based on Portuguese, is the national language and is also regarded as the language of togetherness. According to a 2012 research, Creole is spoken as a first language by 54% of the population and as a second language by 40%. The remaining speak a variety of African native languages. Guinea-Bissau has a wide range of faiths. The primary faiths practiced in the nation are Islam and Christianity. The GDP per capita in the nation is among the lowest in the world.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, as well as the now-defunct Latin Union.
Employees are entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave every year, which cannot be carried over, and the dates are set by mutual agreement. Annual leave is paid at 2.5 days each month of work for fixed-term employment contracts of less than one year.
Guinea Bissau observes the following public holidays:
New Year’s Day
Heroes’ Day
International Women’s Day
Labour Day
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Adha
Pidjiguiti Day
National Day
Readjustment Movement Day
Christmas Day
Employees are entitled to at least five paid sick days per year.
Employees who are female are entitled to 60 days of paid leave, which is paid by the employer unless the employee is covered by social security, in which case the benefit is paid by social security.
There are no provisions in the Guinea-Bissau law regarding paternity leave.
Other than the already mentioned terms for maternity leave in Guinea-Bissau, there are no other provisions in the law regarding parental leave.
At the end of a fixed-term contract, an employment contract may be cancelled by mutual consent, by the employer, or by the employee. Employers are banned from terminating an employee's employment based on a legal leave of absence.
During the probationary phase, a company may terminate an employee without providing notice or paying severance. Probation cannot last more than three months. Additionally, an employee may be removed without notice or severance pay for serious misbehavior, defined as activity that is related to work and has a negative effect on the employer's business. Employers must offer notice in advance of terminating an employment contract without cause and outside of the probationary period and must provide severance to the employee.
A notice period is only required in certain circumstances and is between one and three months.
The probation period cannot exceed three months if the employee is an executive or one month for all other employees. All employment contracts and letters of commitment should be issued to workers on probation within two days of the start of work.
Severance pay is at least three months' pay for an employee.
The standard workweek is 45 hours, divided into seven consecutive days of eight hours per day. Employers may schedule the weekly work period as six working days followed by a weekly rest day on Sundays; five and a half working days followed by a weekly rest day on Sundays; or five working days followed by a weekly rest day on Sundays.
Overtime hours are limited to two hours per day or 120 hours per year. Young workers, female workers, and disabled workers have the right to refuse overtime. Evening work is restricted to the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and is not permitted for young workers or female employees.
The national minimum wage in Guinea-Bissau is 19,030 CFA francs per month and applies to all forms of employment. Also, employees receive a monthly bag of rice on top of their pay.
The following benefits are administered in the companies in Guinea-Bissau:
Old-Age Benefits
Permanent Disability Benefits
Survivor Benefits
Sickness and Maternity Benefits
Workers’ Medical Benefits
Dependents’ Medical Benefits
In the case of a work-related injury, the following benefits are also administered:
Temporary Disability Benefits
Permanent Disability Benefits
Survivor Benefits
Guinea-Bissau is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
Guinea-Bissau is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
Guinea-Bissau is a tax-free jurisdiction. Corporations are not subject to income, capital gains, profit, or other types of direct taxes, regardless of their residency status.
The Guinea Bissau Visa Policy establishes the regulations and limits that govern the necessity of a visa to enter Guinea Bissau. A visa is a travel permission document needed by certain nations allowing visitors or residents to visit or remain in the country for a variety of reasons.
According to the Guinea Bissau Visa Policy, people of certain countries are permitted to visit and stay in Guinea Bissau without obtaining a visa or travel permission. To get access into the nation, they just need to display a valid passport at the port of entry.
According to the Guinea Bissau Visa Policy, passport holders from a few countries may visit Guinea Bissau and remain for a limited period of time for tourist reasons by applying for a Visa on Arrival.
The Guinea Bissau Visa Policy suggests that foreign people from the rest of the globe apply for an e-Visa before arranging a trip to Guinea Bissau. This is a streamlined approach for obtaining travel authorisation that may be completed online.
According to the Guinea Bissau Visa Policy, visa requirements may be decided based on the citizen's nationality, the length of the journey, and the purpose of the visit. Passport holders from around fourteen countries are not required to get a visa to visit Guinea Bissau for tourist reasons. Citizens from these countries are permitted to remain in the nation for a maximum of 90 days during a year.
Foreign people from around sixty-three countries are eligible to apply for a Visa on Arrival to visit Guinea Bissau. These citizens are allowed to remain in the nation for a maximum of 90 days after entering. This visa allows for multiple entries. That implies you may enter and exit the country as many times as you like throughout the visa's validity period.
The remainder of the world, according to the Guinea Bissau Visa Policy, needs an e-visa to visit Guinea Bissau. One hundred and fifty-two nations are eligible for an e-visa. This sort of visa is acquired by submitting an online application together with the necessary documentation.
Identification of the employer and employee
Place of work
Salary and the methods and ways of payment
Working hours
Annual leave duration
Any other term agreed between the parties
Date and signature
Employment contracts must be written, unless they are for a particular purpose with a length of less than 30 days. Employment contracts may be indefinite or for a set amount of time.
West African Financial Community franc (XOF)
Guinea-Bissau has implemented a one-stop-shop incorporation procedure, making it simpler to establish a subsidiary in the nation. However, the procedure is still location and entity dependent. States in the United States often have their own laws in addition to federal regulations, and the same may be said for individual towns or areas in Guinea-Bissau. That is why we advocate consulting with a professional that can assist you in finding the ideal location for your company.
Another thing to think about is the sort of entity you are. The Guinea-Bissau subsidiary legislation you must follow will vary depending on whether you are forming a limited liability company (LLC), a branch, a representative office, or another organization. It is critical to choose an alternative that is compatible with your company's objectives. Many businesses, particularly those that desire to engage in a variety of activities throughout the nation, prefer to establish as an LLC.
The following actions are required to establish a Guinea-Bissau subsidiary as an LLC:
1. All business statutes must be notarized.
2. Registering your business with the Commercial Registry
3. Obtaining a Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN)
4. Obtaining work permits for all of your international investors
5. Depending on your sector, you may need to get commercial, industrial, or tourist permits.
6. Receiving municipal inspections
7. Opening a bank account in the nation
The subsidiary laws for LLCs in Guinea-Bissau are usually beneficial. To incorporate, you must have at least one shareholder and one director. Your firm may be entirely foreign-owned, and your shareholders and directors are not required to reside in Guinea-Bissau. To complete the incorporation procedure, you must raise at least 1,525 EUR in start-up capital. You should deposit money into your in-country bank account as soon as you open it.
