A practical, current walkthrough of registering a sole proprietorship or limited liability company through the ORC, with realistic costs and timelines.
The Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has digitised most of the registration journey. With your Ghana Card and a working phone, you can complete a sole proprietorship in an afternoon and a limited company in a few days.
Decide your structure first
- Sole proprietorship: cheapest and fastest. Good for testing an idea. You and the business are legally one.
- Limited liability company (LLC): protects your personal assets, opens corporate bank accounts, lets you take on partners. Recommended once revenue is regular.
What you'll need on hand
- Ghana Card (and Ghana Card numbers for any directors/shareholders).
- A proposed business name and one or two alternatives in case of conflict.
- Digital address (GhanaPostGPS) for the principal place of business.
- Email and phone number that you actually check.
The afternoon, step by step
Create an account on the ORC e-services portal, search and reserve your business name, complete the registration form (sole prop is a single page, LLC requires Form 3 and Form 4), pay the filing fee online, and download the certificate once approved.
Sole proprietorship fees are under ₵100. LLC filing fees plus stamp duty typically land between ₵350 and ₵650 depending on stated capital. Budget another ₵200-₵400 if you use an agent.
Don't forget the next two steps
- Register for a TIN (automatic with ORC registration in most cases) and confirm it with GRA.
- Open a dedicated business bank or mobile money account before your first sale.