Sudan Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in sudan, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Licensing Requirements for Professional Services
Last published date:

The general license allows U.S. academic institutions to establish and operate exchange programs with academic institutions in Sudan, as set forth in the general license.  The general license also authorizes, for the benefit of persons in Sudan, the administration by U.S. persons for professional certificates and university entrance examinations and the conduct by U.S. persons of professional training seminars in multiple subject areas on a not-for-profit basis.  In addition, the general license permits certain U.S. persons to conduct research in Sudan for noncommercial studies.  Finally, the general license also authorizes certain financial transactions and, subject to specified restrictions, the release of technology and software to Sudanese students attending school in the United States.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Sudan has put in place a relatively open investment legislative framework and many laws are in line with international good practices.  However, their implementation is often impeded by the absence of secondary legislation, insufficient institutional capacity, and lack of coordination between different levels of government.  Sudan’s investment authority lists the process by which businesses must register to operate in Sudan at: http://www.sudaninvest.org/English/Default.htm.

The website outlines procedures for companies that seek to invest, including forming and ending business relationships and license applications.  There is no online business registration process.  A foreign company seeking to start a business must:

  • Apply for registration with the Commercial Registrar and reserve a company name
  • Notarize the memorandum and articles of association
  • Notify the taxation chambers
  • Register with the Commercial Registrar
  • Apply for a tax identification number with the taxation chambers
  • Register for VAT with the taxation chambers
  • Register with the labor authorities
  • Enroll employees in social security with the Social Insurance Fund
  • Obtain a company seal from the Sudan Currency Printing Press Company.

Sudanese Legal Requirements

Despite the legal protections guaranteed under the National Investment Encouragement Act of 2013, there are foreign investment restrictions in the transportation sector, specifically in railway, freight transportation, inland waterways barge service, and airport operations.  Most telecommunications and media, including television broadcasting and newspaper publishing, are closed to foreign capital participation.  Foreign ownership is also restricted in the electrical power generation and financial services sectors.  In addition to those overt statutory ownership restrictions, a comparatively large number of sectors are dominated by government monopolies, including those mentioned above.  Such monopolies, together with a high perceived difficulty of obtaining required operating licenses, make it more difficult for foreign companies to invest.  During the CLTG, authorities were reviewing these regulations, signaling a desire toward commercial legal reform to better attract foreign direct investment.  However, these reforms efforts have stalled under military authorities.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility