Republic of the Congo

Profiled in Brazzaville · Central Africa

4fit /10

A riverside capital facing Kinshasa across the Congo, backed by some of the least-disturbed rainforest on earth and the gorilla reserves of Odzala.

CapitalBrazzaville
LanguageFrench
CurrencyCentral African CFA franc (XAF)
Population6.1M

Cost of living

What a month costs

$1,000Comfortable single
$2,200Family of four
$5501-bed, central
$8Casual meal

Oil money makes Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire expensive for the region. The CFA franc is euro-pegged, and imported goods dominate retail.

The scores

How it rates for a moving family

Safety4
Infrastructure3
English3
Kids’ schools4
Integration5
Healthcare3
Residency path4
Tax4
Climate7

See and do

Top 10 in Brazzaville

  1. Basilique Sainte-AnneGreen-tiled modernist basilica in Brazzaville.
  2. Congo River rapidsThe cataracts below Brazzaville and Kinshasa.
  3. Odzala-Kokoua National ParkOne of Africa's oldest parks, known for forest bais.
  4. Nouabalé-Ndoki National ParkPart of the Sangha Trinational UNESCO site.
  5. Marché TotalBrazzaville's large open market.
  6. Case de GaulleWartime Free French headquarters, now the French residence.
  7. Poto-Poto School of PaintingInfluential mid-century art school.
  8. Les RapidesRiverside recreation area on the Congo.

Where to go

Weekend escapes

  1. Pointe-NoireAtlantic port city and the country's economic centre.
  2. Odzala-KokouaRainforest park with western lowland gorillas.
  3. Lésio-LounaGorilla reserve on the Batéké plateau.
  4. Loufoulakari FallsWaterfall on the Congo river west of the capital.
  5. Nouabalé-NdokiRemote UNESCO rainforest park in the far north.

Residency

Residence follows work or business permits, with oil operations governed by production-sharing contracts. There is no investor route.

Tax

Personal rates reach 40% and the corporate rate is 28%, with 18% VAT. Hydrocarbons are taxed separately. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.

Curious what you would actually pay? See the Republic of the Congo tax profile: income, corporate, VAT and exit rules →

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