How to Register a Business on the eBusiness Portal: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide walks you through registering a company on the eBusiness portal of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, from creating your account to receiving your Business Identification Number (UBI/BIN) and trade licence. Every step is done online, and each application is saved as a draft as you go, so you can stop and come back at any time.

Portal: eBusiness – Business Registration & Licensing  |  Fees: Fee Structure  |  Help: Contact us

The process at a glance

Registering a business is done in four stages. Each stage must be completed before the next one can start.

Stage	Portal service	What you get	Service fee	Processing time
1. Create an account	Sign up	A verified personal account and dashboard	Free	Immediate
2. Reserve a name	Business Name Reservation	A reserved company name, valid for 90 days	$20.00	Within 3 business hours
3. Register the company	Business Incorporation	Company entered on the national register with a UBI/BIN	$50.00	Within 3 business hours
4. Get a trade licence	Business License	The trade licence needed to operate	$200.00 – $4,000.00 (depends on licence type)	Within 3 business hours

Tip: once your name is reserved, you can use the Business Incorporation and License service to register the company and apply for its trade licence in a single application ($200.00 – $4,000.00).

Before you start

Gather your documents and details before you begin, so you can complete each application in one sitting. Photo: Iwaria Inc. / Unsplash

Have the following ready. Documents can be uploaded in PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG or PNG format, up to 10 MB each, and must be legible and signed where applicable.

• Identification: a valid ID document (Somali National ID from NIRA, or a passport), an email address and a phone number.
• One or more proposed business names, each with a short description of what the business does.
• The company type you want to register (see Step 2).
• Business details: industry sector and activities, business size, number of employees (male and female), target start date and accounting period end month.
• Registered office address in Somalia: Federal Member State, region, district, office address, business email and phone number.
• Share capital: share class, number of shares and nominal value per share.
• People: names and email addresses of directors, shareholders, beneficial owners and any other officials.
• Company documents: Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association and a Notary Certificate.
• Funds in your eBusiness wallet to pay the service fees.

Step 1: Create your account and sign in

1. Go to the eBusiness portal and sign up for an account, or sign in if you already have one.
2. Provide your email address and phone number, and verify your identity with your National ID or passport.
3. Once signed in, you land on your Dashboard. It shows your wallet balance, active licences, pending applications, licences and reserved names that are about to expire, and any applications that need corrections.

If you signed up with a passport and are a Somali citizen, you can link your National ID (NIRA) later from the dashboard for faster verification. You can also watch the short video Create Account – Somalia Business Registration System on the portal home page. For a picture-by-picture walkthrough of signing up, signing in and resetting your password, see How to sign up, sign in, sign out and reset password.

The menu at the top of the portal gives you access to everything you need:

• Dashboard – a summary of your account and recent applications
• Entities – the businesses registered under your account, with their UBI/BIN
• My Applications – every application and its current status
• My Licenses – your trade licences
• Document Vault – documents you have uploaded, ready to reuse in later applications

Top up your wallet. Service fees are paid from your eBusiness wallet. Select Top Up next to My Wallet on the dashboard to add funds before you submit an application. The Resource Center has a guide to topping up your wallet.

Step 2: Reserve your business name

Every company must reserve its name with the Registrar before it can be incorporated.

1. On the portal home page, scroll to Browse Services and open Business & Commerce.
2. Select Business Name Reservation. A summary shows the fee ($20.00), the processing time and the requirements. Select Start Application.

1. Eligibility. Read the requirements: the proposed name must be unique, a name search will be carried out, and the reservation is valid for 90 days. Select Proceed.
2. Business name. Type a proposed name and a short description of the business, then select Add. The portal checks the name straight away and shows whether it is AVAILABLE. You can add more than one choice in case your first choice is not approved.
3. Business type. Choose the company type. The portal shows the legal basics for the type you select, including the legal suffix your name must carry.
4. Business name format. By default the name is reserved with the full legal suffix (for example Hodan Fresh Produce LIMITED). You can instead tick Use the abbreviated legal suffix (LTD) or Use the name without a legal suffix. A green note confirms exactly which name will be reserved. Select Next.

Company types available	Notes
Private Limited Company	The liability of members is limited to any amount unpaid on their shares. The name must end with “Limited” or “LTD”, although the applicant may apply to dispense with the word “Limited”.
Unlimited Private Company	A private company whose members’ liability is not limited.
Limited Liability Private Company	A private company with limited liability.
Public Limited	A limited company that may offer its shares to the public.
Foreign Company	A company incorporated outside Somalia that is registering to do business here.

The portal displays the legal basics and suffix rules for each type when you select it.

1. Review. Check your name choices, business type and name format. If anything is wrong, select Go Back to edit it. When everything is correct, tick “I confirm that all information provided is accurate and that I am authorized to act on behalf of the business” and select Submit Application.

Your reservation is normally processed within 3 business hours. You can follow its progress under My Applications, where each application shows one of these statuses:

• Draft – started but not yet submitted
• In Review – submitted and being checked by the Registrar
• Correction Required – the Registrar has asked you to fix something; open the application, make the changes and resubmit
• Completed – approved
• Rejected – not approved (for a name, try a different choice)

The reservation lasts 90 days, so complete Step 3 before it expires.

Step 3: Register (incorporate) your company

Once your name is reserved, you can register the company on the national business register.

1. From Browse Services, select Business Incorporation ($50.00). Check the requirements and documents needed, then select Start Application.
2. Eligibility. Confirm you have an active name reservation, your Memorandum and Articles of Association, the minimum share capital for your company type, and a registered office address in Somalia. Select Proceed.

The application form is split into six short sections:

1. Business Information. Choose your approved name from the Reserved Name list. If you have no active reservation, the portal shows Reserve a new business name instead, and you cannot continue until a name is reserved. Then select your memorandum type: the company will adopt the model articles of association; it will adopt some of the model articles and has prepared its own articles; or it has prepared its own articles of association.

1. Business Details. Select your industry sectors and business activities, business size category, premises capacity, total number of employees (and how many are male and female), target business start date and accounting period end month. Also answer whether the company is a subsidiary or branch of another company, and whether it was formed by a merger, amalgamation or acquisition.

1. Business Address. Enter the registered office: Federal Member State, region, district, office address, business email address, phone number and website (optional).
2. Share Capital. Enter each class of shares (for example Ordinary) with the number of shares and nominal value. The portal calculates the total shares and nominal capital in USD. Use Add New Category for additional share classes.

1. Owners. Record everyone involved in the company:
   • Directors – answer whether you are a director yourself; if you are, you are added automatically. Add any other directors.
   • Shareholders – use Add New Shareholder (or Import Shareholders) and enter the number of shares each person holds. A counter shows how many of the company’s shares have been allocated; make sure all of them are.
   • Beneficial Owners – add the people who ultimately own or control the company.
   • Other Officials – add any other officials of the company.

1. Documents. Upload the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association and Notary Certificate. Choose Upload New Document for a file on your computer, or Select from Vault to reuse one you uploaded before. New uploads are saved to your Document Vault automatically.

1. Review and submit. Check every section, go back to correct anything that is wrong, tick the declaration and select Submit Application. The service fee is paid from your wallet.

Registration is normally processed within 3 business hours. If the Registrar needs changes, the application is counted under Corrections Required on your dashboard; open it, make the changes and resubmit. Once approved, the company appears under Entities with its UBI/BIN and an Active status.

Step 4: Apply for your trade licence

A registered company needs a trade licence before it can operate. Import, export, retail and other activities each have their own licence type and fee.

Importers and exporters need the licence that matches their trade activity. Photo: Abdalla Emiir / Unsplash

1. From Browse Services, select Business License and then Start Application. You must already have a registered business entity with a BIN.
2. Entity Selection. Choose your company from My Entities, or use UBI Lookup to find it by number. The portal shows the verified company details (UBI/BIN, company type, registered activity, TIN and status) and links them to the application automatically.

1. License Configuration. Choose the ministry and the type of licence your business activities require. Use Add Another License if you need more than one.
2. Review and submit. Check the details, confirm the declaration and submit. The licence fee is paid from your wallet.

Examples of trade licence fees:

Licence	Category	Fee
Retail Shop (Dukaamada Tafaariiqda)	Retail & E-Commerce	$200.00
Kiosk (Goobaha Ganacsi ee Yaryar)	Retail & E-Commerce	$200.00
Standard Goods Export (Dhoofinta Badeecadaha Caadiga ah)	Export	$150.00
Export of Livestock, Fish and Agricultural Crops	Export	$150.00
Foodstuffs Import (Soo-dejinta Cuntada)	Import	$300.00
General Non-Foodstuffs Import	Import	$500.00
Import of Medical Products & Health Equipment	Import	$500.00
Import of Fuel and Gas	Import	$500.00
Combined Import and Export	Import & Export	$1,000.00
Precious Minerals Export	Export	$1,000.00

See the full, current list on the Fee Structure page.

After registration

• Check your registration. Anyone can confirm that a business or licence is genuine on the Verify Business & License page by entering the business name, UBI or licence number.
• Keep your company compliant. File the Annual Return each year (no fee), and notify the Registrar of changes using the Business Address Change, Business Name Change ($10.00), Appointment of Directors or Change of Business Particulars services.
• Watch your expiry dates. The dashboard shows licences and reserved names that are expiring soon.
• Licensed before 2021? Businesses licensed before the Incorporation Law of 2021 should use the Business Regularisation service ($50.00) to claim their existing name record, complete their registration details and obtain a trade licence.

Tips for a smooth application

• Your progress is saved automatically as a draft, so you can leave and resume from My Applications. Use Discard Draft only if you want to delete an application and start again.
• Add more than one name choice in case your first choice is not approved.
• Make sure the company name on your documents matches the reserved name exactly, including the legal suffix.
• Scan documents clearly and keep each file under 10 MB.
• Top up your wallet before you submit, so payment does not hold up your application.

Need help?

Support is available by phone, live chat and email if you get stuck. Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash

The support team can help you in Somali, Arabic and English.

• Contact Center: Saturday to Thursday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Email: [email protected]
• Office: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Villa Somalia, Mogadishu
• Live chat and help: Contact us
• Guides and FAQs: the Resource Center, including How to reserve a business name and How to register a business