What does it take to get a payment processing licence in Guinea-Bissau?
To hold a payment processing licence in Guinea-Bissau, you need the Établissement de paiement licence from Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO). In Guinea-Bissau, payment processing is licensed at the WAEMU (UMOA/UEMOA) level by the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) — the same rule applies across all 8 member states. Published minimum capital: XOF 100,000,000 for any of the payment services i)–vi); tiered by scope — aggregation-only XOF 10,000,000, initiation-only XOF 20,000,000, initiation + aggregation XOF 30,000,000 (Art 11); the agrément decision may fix a higher minimum. 1 entity currently holds a payment processing licence in Guinea-Bissau. Full requirements — minimum capital, local presence, timeline, local ownership, fees and ongoing obligations — are set out below in each instrument's own words, with source and date; amounts are in the statute's own currency.
“Payment processing” here is the normalized activity: Provide payment processing / payment solution services without holding customer funds. Providers in this category cannot keep customers' money.
Activity id (as used by the Afriset MCP): fintech:PAYMENT_PROCESSING
Établissement de paiement
Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO)| Requirement | As published | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum capital | XOF 100,000,000 for any of the payment services i)–vi); tiered by scope — aggregation-only XOF 10,000,000, initiation-only XOF 20,000,000, initiation + aggregation XOF 30,000,000 (Art 11); the agrément decision may fix a higher minimum Verbatim“il doit justifier d'un capital social au moins égal à 100 millions de francs CFA … il doit justifier d'un capital social au moins égal à 10 millions de francs CFA … au moins égal à 20 millions de francs CFA … au moins égal à 30 millions de francs CFA” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Local presence / incorporation | Constituted as a société anonyme, SARL or société coopérative; a single-shareholder (unipersonnelle) form is not permitted (Art 13) Verbatim“Les établissements de paiement sont constitués sous forme de société anonyme, de société à responsabilité limitée ou de société coopérative. Ils ne peuvent revêtir la forme d'une société unipersonnelle.” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Timeline | Deemed refused if the agrément is not granted within six (6) months of a complete application; extended to nine (9) months where a home-authority non-objection is required (Art 19) Verbatim“réputé avoir été refusé s'il n'est pas octroyé dans un délai de six (6) mois à compter de la réception par la Banque Centrale de la demande, accompagnée du dossier complet … Ce délai est porté à neuf (9) mois lorsqu'un avis de non-objection de l'autorité de contrôle d'origine du requérant est exigé.” | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Local ownership | No such requirement: The Instruction sets no local-ownership or nationality requirement | BCEAO, Instruction n°001-01-2024 relative aux services de paiement dans l'UMOA | 2024-01-23 |
| Fees | A value has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish it here. | — | — |
| Ongoing obligations | A value has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish it here. | — | — |
Requirements as published in the cited instruments — not legal or compliance advice. Capital and fees are shown in the currency the statute itself uses. Where a value is located but not yet verified, we show that it exists but don't publish the figure. Verify directly with the regulator.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04.
Who already holds this licence?
1 entity is on the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) register under the Établissement de paiement category — view the register .
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