Gambia Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Gambian Business

TL;DR. The Gambia’s company registry sits under the Registrar of Companies within the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE). The government portal at mci.gov.gm is in English (a material advantage for foreign buyers), but online search functionality for company data is limited. Certified documents require in-person application in Banjul or an agent. The Gambia is not on the FATF grey list and has shown governance improvement since 2017. Its small size keeps the compliance risk moderate.

Who searches for Gambian company information, and why it’s hard

The Gambia is the smallest mainland country in Africa, a narrow strip of land along the Gambia River surrounded almost entirely by Senegal. Its economy is driven by tourism, groundnut exports, re-export trade, and remittances. Foreign buyers engaging Gambian entities include West African regional traders, tourism sector operators, development finance institutions, and NGOs. The English-language environment (The Gambia is a former British colony) provides meaningful accessibility for English-speaking foreign buyers.

The search challenge is primarily one of scale: the Gambia’s company registry is not highly digitised, and the government portal provides limited public-facing company search. Certified documents require in-person engagement in Banjul or an agent. The small size of the local professional services market means options for in-country assistance are more limited than in larger West African economies.

Registry at a glance

Name: Companies Registry, established under the Companies Act 2013 (as amended). The Registrar of Companies is the official custodian.

Operator: The Registrar of Companies operates within the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE), sometimes also referred to as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) in older references.

URL: www.mci.gov.gm [VERIFY: Current operational status of the MCI portal and whether a public company search is available online as of 2026-05-17. The government has been developing digital services; the scope of public-facing company search for foreign users is uncertain.]

What is covered: The Companies Registry registers all commercial entities under The Gambia Companies Act 2013: private limited companies (Ltd.), public limited companies (PLC), companies limited by guarantee, external companies (branches of foreign entities), sole proprietorships (under business names registration), and partnerships.

Access model: Basic company searches may be possible through the MOTIE/MCI portal or through a Registry counter in Banjul. Certified extracts (certificate of incorporation, certificate of good standing, filed memoranda and articles) require either in-person application at the Registry office in Banjul or engagement of a local agent.

How to search

Step 1: Portal check. Navigate to www.mci.gov.gm. The site is in English. Look for a “Company Search” or “Business Registry” link. [VERIFY: Online search scope and any account requirements as of 2026-05-17.]

Step 2: Key identifiers. Gambian companies have a registration number assigned by the Registrar and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) assigned by the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA). If your counterparty has provided either, use them for verification.

Step 3: In-person or agent request. For certified documents, the Registry office is located in Banjul (the capital). Alternatively, engage a Banjul-based commercial agent or lawyer. Turnaround is typically 2-5 business days from application.

Step 4: Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) cross-reference. GRA at gra.gm manages tax registration. For additional verification, a tax clearance letter may be obtainable through local agents.

Step 5: Annual return status. Gambian companies are required to file annual returns with the Registrar. The annual return filing status is an indicator of compliance. Entities not filing returns may be subject to strike-off, which the Registry should reflect.

What you can find

With a certified extract from the Gambia Companies Registry, you can expect to find:

• Company name (and any trading name)
• Registration number and date of incorporation
• Company type (private Ltd., PLC, external company)
• Status: active, struck off, or in liquidation
• Registered office address
• Date of incorporation
• Business objects (as per memorandum of association)
• Share capital and structure (as filed)
• Directors: names and addresses (as filed in latest annual return)
• Shareholders: names and shareholdings (as filed in the latest annual return)

Financial statements and UBO data are not routinely filed with the Registry and are not publicly available.

What is missing

• Beneficial ownership: No public UBO registry in The Gambia as of mid-2026. The Gambia’s AML/CFT framework is developing, but a public UBO register has not been established.
• Financial statements: Not filed with or published by the Registry.
• Litigation records: Not available via the Registry. The High Court of The Gambia holds relevant court records.
• Annual return currency: The Gambia’s small private sector means that some companies may not file annual returns promptly, leading to potentially outdated director and shareholder data.

Pricing

Exchange rate reference: GMD/USD approximately 71:1 (May 2026, approximate). Verify at Central Bank of The Gambia (cbg.gm). Registry fees are payable in GMD cash or bank transfer.

English availability and practical access

The English-language environment is a genuine advantage for The Gambia. The MOTIE/MCI portal is in English, company documents are in English, and local lawyers and agents operate in English. This makes The Gambia one of the more accessible West African jurisdictions for English-speaking foreign buyers.

The small scale of the Banjul professional services market means that the number of qualified commercial lawyers and agents is limited compared to Lagos or Dakar. Allow time to identify and engage a suitable agent.

Alternatives when online access is limited

• In-country legal counsel: Banjul-based commercial lawyers. Several Gambian law firms handle company verification for foreign clients; the Law Officers’ Department directory may provide contacts.
• Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA): gra.gm for tax registration confirmation and TIN verification.
• Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG): cbg.gm for financial sector licensing, banks, insurance companies, microfinance institutions.
• ECOWAS: The Gambia is a member of the Economic Community of West African States. ECOWAS regional commercial frameworks provide context for cross-border trading counterparties.
• GIABA: The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa covers The Gambia and publishes mutual evaluation reports relevant to AML/CFT risk context.
• Open Ownership: The Gambia has not published a public beneficial ownership register as of mid-2026.

Compliance buyer notes

The Gambia is not on the FATF grey list. Its compliance risk profile has improved materially since 2017, when the Jammeh dictatorship ended after 22 years and democratic governance was restored under President Adama Barrow.

Key compliance considerations:

• Post-Jammeh governance improvement: The Gambia’s democratic transition since 2017 has brought improvements in rule of law, press freedom, and regulatory reform. However, institutional capacity in the AML/CFT area remains limited. Standard due diligence, not EDD, is typically appropriate for most Gambian counterparties.
• PEP awareness: Political exposure under the Jammeh era is documented through transitional justice processes. PEP screening should cover both the current Barrow administration and, for legacy relationships, any Jammeh-era political connections.
• Tourism sector: The Gambia is heavily dependent on European (particularly UK) tourism. Tourism-related businesses (hotels, tour operators, transport) are typical AML/CFT-sensitive sectors due to cash flows; standard sector-appropriate due diligence applies.
• Remittances: Material diaspora remittances, particularly from the UK and other European countries, flow through Gambian financial channels. Financial institutions with remittance exposure to The Gambia should maintain appropriate transaction monitoring.
• BICI structure: The Gambia uses the West African Monetary Institute framework (as an ECOWAS member); the dalasi (GMD) is an independent currency managed by the Central Bank of The Gambia.
• OFAC: The Gambia is not under any OFAC country sanctions program. Individual screening remains required.

For standard commercial counterparty due diligence in The Gambia, a certified Registry extract combined with PEP/sanctions screening and a tax registration check (via GRA) is typically sufficient under most compliance frameworks. Enhanced due diligence applies for financial sector, high-value, or government-linked counterparties.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment The Gambia (mci.gov.gm); Central Bank of The Gambia (cbg.gm); GIABA mutual evaluation assessments; FATF country page (fatf-gafi.org); African Development Bank Gambia country page (afdb.org).