Africa's Only Spanish-Speaking Nation — Oil Wealth & Pristine Rainforests
The standard corporate income tax rate is 35% of net profit, with a minimum tax of around 1% of annual turnover acting as a floor. Oil and gas companies are taxed under a separate, generally heavier, petroleum regime.
Yes. Value-added tax (IVA) is charged at a standard rate of 15%, with reduced or zero rates for some essential goods and exports.
Broadly, if you spend more than 183 days in a year in the country, have your main home there, or your main economic interests are located there. Residents are taxed on Equatoguinean-source income and, in principle, employment income earned while resident.
No. The treaty network is very limited, so relief from double taxation usually depends on foreign tax credits in your home country rather than a bilateral treaty. Expatriates should get individual advice.
Taxes are assessed and paid in Central African CFA francs (XAF), the CEMAC currency pegged to the euro at 655.957 XAF per euro.
Yes — comprehensive international health insurance that includes medical evacuation is essential. Serious cases are routinely flown abroad for treatment, and evacuation is very expensive without cover.
Very much so. Equatorial Guinea has year-round, high-intensity malaria transmission. Take antimalarial prophylaxis, use repellent and nets, and treat any fever as a possible malaria case requiring prompt testing.
The La Paz medical centres in Malabo and Bata are generally considered the best-equipped facilities and are staffed with international doctors. For complex or specialist care, evacuation to Spain, France, or South Africa is common.
No. Use bottled or properly treated water for drinking and brushing teeth. Waterborne illnesses including typhoid and occasional cholera are a genuine risk.
Rarely. Equatorial Guinea is a strongly cash-based economy in CFA francs. Card acceptance is limited to a few international hotels and airline offices, and ATMs are unreliable, so keep cash on hand.
Spanish is the main language of daily life and officialdom. French and Portuguese are also official, and English is common only inside international oil companies. Functional Spanish makes life far easier.
It is workable but slower and more expensive than international norms. Mobile data via GETESA (Orange) or Muni is how most people connect; fixed broadband is limited.
Yes. Electricity and water supply can be intermittent, so private generators and water storage are widespread. Many expatriate compounds provide these; check before you move in.
General walking around cities is manageable with normal precautions, but never photograph government buildings, military, police, the airport, or checkpoints — foreigners have been detained for exactly this.