Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Africa |
| ISO 3166-1 | GH / GHA |
| Registry | Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) |
| Last updated | 2026-05-04 |
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Ghana and submit them as strings on the application body.| API field | Local name | Issuer |
|---|---|---|
businessInfo.taxId | TIN | GRA (Ghana Revenue Authority) |
businessInfo.businessEntityId | Registration number | ORC (Office of the Registrar of Companies) |
Sector regulators
BoG · SEC GH · NIC · FIC
Legal structures
| Local name | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Private Company Limited by Shares | Ltd | Closely-held company with 1–50 shareholders whose liability is limited to unpaid share capital; the default SME incorporation vehicle under the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992). Equivalent to a US LLC. |
| Public Company Limited by Shares | PLC | Share-capital company with no restriction on the number of shareholders, whose shares may be offered to the public; governed by the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992). Closest US equivalent: C-Corp. |
| Company Limited by Guarantee | LBG | Company with no share capital whose members’ liability is limited to a guaranteed contribution on winding up; used primarily by nonprofits, clubs, and professional associations under the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992). Closest US equivalent: Nonprofit Corporation. |
| Private Company Unlimited by Shares | PRUC | Closely-held company (1–50 members) whose members bear unlimited personal liability for company debts; used mainly by professional firms under the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992). Closest US equivalent: General Partnership (GP). |
| Business Name (Sole Proprietorship) | — | A single individual trading under a registered business name pursuant to the Registration of Business Names Act 1962 (Act 151); no separate legal entity, owner bears unlimited personal liability. Equivalent to a US Sole Proprietorship. |
| External Company | — | A body corporate incorporated outside Ghana that registers with the ORC to carry on business in Ghana under the Companies Act 2019 (Act 992), Part 9. Closest US equivalent: Branch/Rep Office. |
How documents combine
For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.| Evidence area | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Legal Registration | Certificate of Incorporation |
| Constitutive Documents | Constitution |
| Tax Registration | TIN Certificate |
| Operating Permit | Business Operating Permit |
| Ownership Records | Any one of: Constitution · Annual Return · Particulars of Shareholders |
| Governance Records | All required: Constitution + Annual Return |
| Signing Authority | Board Resolution |
| Address | Any one of: Lease Agreement · Utility Bill · Bank Statement |
Documents to collect
The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed.| Document | Proves |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Incorporation (ORC) | Legal Registration |
| Constitution (Act 992) | Constitutive Documents, Ownership Records, Governance Records |
| TIN Certificate (GRA) | Tax Registration |
| Business Operating Permit (Metropolitan) | Operating Permit |
| Annual Return | Ownership Records, Governance Records |
| Particulars | Ownership Records |
| Board Resolution | Signing Authority |
| Lease Agreement | Address |
| Utility Bill (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Bank Statement (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Sector-Specific License | BoG, SEC GH, NIC, FIC — Financial Intelligence Centre |
Collection notes
- Ownership Records: Structure is Constitution + (Annual Return OR Particulars of Shareholders). Constitution is always required; either ownership filing satisfies the share-record requirement depending on company vintage and filing status.
- Address: Lease (no time bound) OR utility bill OR bank statement, with utility/bank dated within 90 days.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
| Local role | Canonical API role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Director | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Minimum 2. At least 1 must be ordinarily resident in Ghana (Companies Act 2019, §171). |
| Authorized Signatory | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Person empowered to execute documents. |
Notes
- At least 1 of the minimum 2 directors must be ordinarily resident in Ghana (Companies Act 2019, §171).
- Constitution is a single document under Act 992, replacing the prior Memorandum + Articles.