Togo Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Togo Business

TL;DR. Togo’s official commercial registry is the RCCM (Registre du Commerce et du Credit Mobilier), accessible via the OHADA portal at rccm.ohada.org and supplemented by API Togo’s one-stop-shop at apitogo.tg. The interface is in French. Togo was removed from the FATF increased monitoring (grey) list in October 2024, reflecting improvements in its AML/CFT framework. Togo is one of the more digitally advanced OHADA registries in West Africa, though French-language access and account creation remain requirements.

What is the official Togo business registry?

Togo’s commercial registry is the Registre du Commerce et du Credit Mobilier (RCCM), established under OHADA’s Uniform Act Relating to General Commercial Law. Togo ratified the OHADA treaty on 14 June 1994 and is among the founding OHADA member states. The RCCM is administered by the greffe of the Tribunal de Commerce de Lome (Lome Commercial Court), with the Agence de Promotion des Investissements et de la Zone Franche (API Togo) providing the digital one-stop-shop for company formation and associated services.

API Togo, accessible at apitogo.tg, operates the Centre de Formalites des Entreprises (CFE), Togo’s one-stop-shop for business registration that combines RCCM registration with tax identifier (IFU) issuance, social security registration, and licensing formalities in a single digitized workflow. This integration makes Togo’s company formation process among the more efficient in the OHADA zone.

Online search access is available via the OHADA federated RCCM portal at rccm.ohada.org. Coverage for Togo on the OHADA portal is reasonably good for Lome-registered entities; API Togo’s platform also provides a company search interface for entities registered through its one-stop-shop. Togo’s OHADA compliance and digitization are generally rated positively by the World Bank’s Doing Business assessments.

The RCCM covers commercial companies (SA, SARL, SNC, SCS), individual traders, economic interest groups (GIE), branches of foreign companies, and moveable security registrations. Togo is also home to a free-trade zone (Zone Franche Industrielle, ZFI) and the Port of Lome, a major transshipment hub in West Africa.

Togo uses the XOF (CFA Franc West Africa) as its currency, shared with 7 other UEMOA member states. XOF is fixed to the EUR at 655.96.

What can you search?

The OHADA RCCM portal supports searches by:

• Corporate name (denomination sociale)
• Trade name (nom commercial)
• Abbreviation
• RCCM number
• Legal form

API Togo’s portal may additionally support searches by:

• Identifiant Fiscal Unique (IFU), Togo’s combined tax and business identifier issued through the CFE one-stop-shop

Results include: corporate name, RCCM number, IFU (where available), legal form, registration court, entry date, and formalities. Lome-registered entities have better digital coverage than entities registered in regional courts (Kara, Sokode, Atakpame, Kpalime).

[VERIFY: current availability and completeness of company data on both the OHADA portal and API Togo’s search interface.]

How much does it cost?

EUR/XOF: 1 EUR = 655.96 XOF (fixed peg). USD/EUR: approximately 0.92 (verify at BCEAO, bceao.int). Third-party extract prices sourced from Schmidt and Schmidt’s published tariff (verified May 2026). Official RCCM fees at the court level are published by the Tribunal de Commerce de Lome.

Do you need a local account or ID?

Account registration on the OHADA RCCM portal and API Togo’s portal requires an email address and basic contact information. No Togolese national ID is required for foreign users creating a search account. This makes Togo more accessible than some peers where local ID requirements apply.

For certified extract requests, API Togo’s digital platform or a local legal representative in Lome can process the request. No Togolese ID is required from a foreign party submitting an extract request through the digital system.

Is the website in English?

No. The OHADA RCCM portal is in French (with English navigation available via the lang=en URL parameter). API Togo’s portal is in French. All entity data, filing descriptions, and legal form labels are in French. No English-language interface is available at the registry level.

Compliance buyers should familiarize themselves with OHADA entity type terminology: SARL (private limited), SA (public company), SNC (general partnership), GIE (economic interest group). Certified English translations of RCCM extracts are available through intermediaries.

What’s the turnaround time?

OHADA portal search results for digitized Togo records are instant. Certified extracts ordered through API Togo’s platform or via intermediaries typically take 7 to 14 business days. For time-critical compliance workflows, a Lome-based legal representative can coordinate directly with the Tribunal de Commerce.

Is there an API?

No public API is available for Togo’s RCCM or API Togo’s platform as of May 2026. [VERIFY: current API availability.] Compliance platforms must rely on manual portal searches or local data partners.

What you legally cannot do

OHADA registries prohibit bulk automated scraping. Commercial redistribution of RCCM records without authorization is restricted. Togo’s data protection framework (Loi no. 2019-014 portant code du numerique en republique togolaise, containing data protection provisions) governs use of personal data in registry filings. Director names and addresses may not be used for unsolicited commercial solicitation. Document access purpose for AML/KYC audit trail requirements.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• FATF grey list removal (October 2024). Togo was removed from FATF’s increased monitoring list in October 2024, following the earlier removal of Senegal (February 2024). This reflects genuine improvements in Togo’s AML/CFT technical compliance and effectiveness. Standard CDD now applies; EDD is not automatically required by Togo jurisdiction alone.
• IFU is the anchor identifier. The Identifiant Fiscal Unique (IFU) is issued through API Togo’s CFE one-stop-shop and serves as both the tax identifier and the primary company reference number in post-CFE registrations. Always collect the IFU from any Togo counterparty for entities registered after the CFE system was introduced.
• RCCM number for older entities. For companies registered before API Togo’s CFE system was fully integrated, the RCCM number (encoding court and year) remains the primary identifier. Both the RCCM number and IFU may co-exist for the same entity.
• Port of Lome transshipment hub. Lome’s deep-water port is a major West Africa transshipment hub, attracting shipping, logistics, and commodity trading companies. Port-sector counterparties may have complex international ownership structures. Apply standard UBO verification.
• Free-trade zone (ZFI). Togo’s Zone Franche Industrielle hosts manufacturers and export processors, often with foreign investors from Asia and Europe. ZFI-registered entities have different operational and regulatory characteristics from domestic commercial entities; verify ZFI registration status when relevant.
• ECOWAS membership. Togo is a full ECOWAS member. AML/CFT coordination in the West Africa region is through GIABA; Togo’s grey list removal reflects engagement with regional AML/CFT standards.
• Togolese legal system. Togo has a French civil law system. OHADA Uniform Acts are directly applicable. Company documentation is in French.

Alternatives if you cannot access the RCCM directly

• OHADA RCCM portal (rccm.ohada.org): covers Togo as one of 17 member states. Free at the search level.
• API Togo (apitogo.tg): the one-stop-shop portal with a company search function for entities registered through the CFE.
• Aggregator search: OpenCorporates has some Togo coverage. Treat as indicative only.
• Schmidt and Schmidt (schmidt-export.com): third-party intermediary offering certified RCCM extracts for Togo with English translation options.
• Local legal firms in Lome: recommended for certified extracts and complex ownership verification.

Local data suppliers

• Creditinfo West Africa: Creditinfo operates commercial credit reporting in West Africa and may have coverage of Togolese entities. [VERIFY: current Creditinfo Togo coverage and product availability at creditinfo.com.]

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Togo registry directly?

Foreign users can access the OHADA RCCM portal and API Togo’s portal for basic searches after email-based account creation. No Togolese national ID is required. Certified extracts can be ordered through API Togo’s platform or a local representative.

What is the RCCM number in Togo?

The RCCM number encodes the registration court and year, following the OHADA standard format. Lome-registered entities carry “TG-LME” as the court prefix. This remains the primary identifier for entities registered before the IFU-integrated CFE system; the IFU is used for more recent formations.

What entity types are registered with the RCCM in Togo?

SA (Societe Anonyme), SARL (Societe a Responsabilite Limitee), SNC (Societe en Nom Collectif), SCS (Societe en Commandite Simple), GIE (Groupement d’Interet Economique), individual traders, and branches of foreign companies, all governed by OHADA Uniform Acts.

Does Togo have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Togo does not operate a publicly searchable UBO register as of May 2026. Beneficial ownership requirements exist under Togolese AML legislation aligned with FATF standards, but UBO data is held by the Financial Intelligence Unit (CENTIF) rather than published publicly. Compliance buyers should rely on RCCM director and shareholder filings, direct counterparty disclosure, and supplementary verification.

Is Togo on the FATF grey list?

No. Togo was removed from the FATF grey list in October 2024. [VERIFY: fatf-gafi.org for current status.] Standard CDD applies.

What is the IFU in Togo?

The Identifiant Fiscal Unique (IFU) is Togo’s combined tax and business identifier, issued at company formation through the API Togo CFE one-stop-shop. For entities formed after the CFE’s introduction, the IFU is the primary reference number in addition to (or replacing) the RCCM number.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: OHADA RCCM portal (rccm.ohada.org), API Togo (apitogo.tg), FATF (fatf-gafi.org), BCEAO (bceao.int). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.