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Mauritania: trade register, Journal Officiel and land registration

Last checked 7 November 2026 · 4 sources

Short answer

Mauritania's registre du commerce (trade register) is set by law 2000-05 on the Code de commerce, amended by law 2015-32 1. Local registers are kept by the greffe (court registry) of the competent court, and a central register is kept by administrative services 1. Anyone may obtain a certified extract 1. The investment agency APIM says registration takes 48 working hours with a complete file 2. The Journal Officiel is listed on the site of the government's general secretariat 3. Land rules rest on ordinance 83-127 of 5 June 1983 4.
Legal basis
Loi n° 2000-05 portant Code de commerce, amended by loi n° 2015-32 1
Local register
Greffe of the competent court 1
Deadline to register
Three months from opening or formation 1
One-stop shop time
48 working hours with a complete file, per APIM 2
Latest Journal Officiel listed on 7 November 2026
N° 2026-1616 of 30 October 2026 3
Land law
Ordonnance n° 83-127 du 5 juin 1983 4

Where to look

The table lists the official records this site could confirm for Mauritania.

RecordOfficial bodyOfficial siteWhat you can get
Local trade register 1Greffe of the competent court 1Filing where the main establishment or seat is located 1Certified copies, extracts and certificates of no entry 1
Central trade register 1Competent administrative services 1Consultation in the presence of the officer in charge 1Information centralised from the local registers 1
Company setup 2Agence de Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie (APIM) 2apim.gov.mr and the Khidmaty platform 2Commercial registry, tax and social security registration 2
Official gazette 3Ministère chargé du Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement 3msgg.gov.mr 3Journal Officiel issues and a digital portal 3
Land and state land 4Direction Générale de l'Administration Territoriale, Ministry of the Interior 4dgat.interieur.gov.mr 4Text of ordinance 83-127 4

The trade register

Under article 30 of the Code de commerce, the registre local (local register) is kept by the greffe of the competent court. The president of the court, or a judge named each year, supervises it 1. Under article 33, the registre central du commerce (central trade register) is kept by the competent administrative services. Article 34 makes it public, but it may be consulted only in the presence of the officer in charge 1.

Under article 77, natural persons must register within three months of opening the business or buying the fonds de commerce. Legal persons must register within three months of their formation 1. Under article 31, any person may obtain a certified copy or extract of the entries, or a certificate that no entry exists or that it was struck off 1. WIPO Lex gives 30 November 2015 as the amendment date of its consolidated version 1.

The APIM one-stop shop

The Agence de Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie (APIM, investment promotion agency) says its one-stop shop handles commercial registry, tax registration and social security registration 2. It says registration is completed within 48 working hours once all documents are filed, and online filing is possible through the Khidmaty platform 2.

The Journal Officiel

The Ministère chargé du Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement (ministry in charge of the government's general secretariat) lists Journal Officiel issues on its site. On 7 November 2026 the latest were n° 2026-1616 of 30 October 2026 and n° 2026-1615 of 15 October 2026 3. Its home page lists a notice on the launch of the digital portal of the Journal Officiel de la République Islamique de Mauritanie on 24 November 2025 3.

Land registration

Ordinance 83-127 of 5 June 1983 on land and state property reorganisation states that land belongs to the nation 4. Article 3 abolishes the traditional system of land tenure 4. Under article 24, registration of individual land rights is optional, but it becomes compulsory for certain transfers of ownership 4. Article 26 gives disputes over state land to the chambres mixtes (mixed chambers) of the regional courts 4.

No official Mauritanian source on court judgments, access to information or personal data protection was opened for this page, so these are left out.

Common questions

Who keeps the trade register in Mauritania?

The greffe of the competent court keeps the local register, and administrative services keep the central register 1.

How long do I have to register a business in Mauritania?

Three months from opening the business or forming the company 1.

Where can I read the Mauritanian Journal Officiel?

On the site of the ministry in charge of the government's general secretariat, which launched a digital portal on 24 November 2025 3.

Is land registration compulsory in Mauritania?

It is optional, but compulsory for certain transfers of ownership under ordinance 83-127 4.

Rules and fees change. Check the official source linked on this page before you act on it. Spotted an error? Email hello@maghrebregisters.com.

Sources

  1. WIPO Lex: Loi n° 2000-05 du 18 janvier 2000 portant Code de commerce, modifiée par la loi n° 2015-32 du 10 septembre 2015 (Law 2000-05 on the Commercial Code, amended by law 2015-32)
  2. Agence de Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie (APIM): Business Setup
  3. Ministère chargé du Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement, Mauritanie: Accueil (Home page)
  4. Direction Générale de l'Administration Territoriale, Ministère de l'Intérieur, Mauritanie: Ordonnance n° 83.127 du 5 juin 1983 portant réorganisation foncière et domaniale (Ordinance 83-127 of 5 June 1983 on land and state property reorganisation)

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