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Benin
Africa
Lucky Nomads World Index
57.83 / 100
Global rank
#177
Corporate tax
30%
Personal tax
30%
Lucky Nomads Proprietary Indices
22 scoring dimensions scored independently using a deterministic methodology built on primary sources and structured analytical inference.
- SafetyShield Index6.7 / 10
- Affordability Index7.8 / 10
- Entry Ease Index4.9 / 10
- Tax Freedom Index5.5 / 10
- WiFi Index5.3 / 10
- Admin Ease Index5.1 / 10
- Healthcare Index4.3 / 10
- City Comfort Index4.1 / 10
- WeatherComfort Index5.5 / 10
- Banking Index5.5 / 10
- GeoStability Index6.2 / 10
- Justice & Order Index5.1 / 10
- Quality of Life Index5.2 / 10
- Open Society Index5.0 / 10
- Flight Index2.1 / 10
- Environmental Quality Index5.3 / 10
- English Index2.8 / 10
- Wealth Protection Index7.1 / 10
- AI Access Index5.8 / 10
- Economic Openness Index5.8 / 10
- Market Depth Index5.4 / 10
- ClimateShield Index6.0 / 10
Country snapshot
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Population (approx.)
- 13,000,000
- Area (km²)
- 112,622 km²
- Currency code (ISO 4217)
- XOF
- Currency name
- West African CFA franc
- Main airport IATA code
- COO
- Airport name
- Cadjehoun Airport
General facts
- Minimum monthly cost
- From $1,036/month
- Main languages
- French
- Jurisdiction type
- Country
- Region
- Africa
- Web TLD
- .bj
- Phone calling code
- +229
Web TLD and phone codes are general references and can differ for territories or special numbering plans.
Tax system
- Marginal CIT (corporate income tax)
- 30%Very highWorldwide
- Marginal PIT (personal income tax)
- 30%HighWorldwide
Corporate taxation basis: Worldwide. The country generally taxes worldwide income of resident companies.
Resident companies taxed on worldwide income but foreign-source industrial and commercial profits arising from a foreign permanent establishment are exempted by domestic statute. Foreign-source passive income (dividends, interest, royalties, capital gains) remains taxable. Anti-avoidance under Article 45 CGI restricts deductibility of payments to entities in low-tax jurisdictions where the burden is below half of the Benin equivalent.
Standard 30 percent IS rate. Reductions for newly created companies (25 percent off year 1) and full IS exemption for 5 to 17 years under the Investment Code privileged regimes (A, B, C). Special Economic Zones (GDIZ flagship) grant a comprehensive tax holiday up to 15 years. Sole proprietors with turnover below fall under the 5 percent Taxe Professionnelle Synthetique.
Personal income tax basis. Worldwide. Resident individuals are generally taxable on their worldwide income, subject to relief under applicable tax treaties.
Tax domicile triggers worldwide taxation. Domicile is established by permanent home, principal place of residence, or center of economic interests in Benin. Non-domiciled individuals are taxed only on Benin-source income. Foreign income already taxed abroad may be relieved under the limited treaty network (France, Norway, UK, WAEMU multilateral framework, ECOWAS).
Progressive 0 to 30 percent IRPP applied via the Impot sur les Traitements et Salaires (ITS) under Article 125 CGI 2022. Monthly brackets: 0 percent up to , 10 percent up to , 15 percent up to , 20 percent up to , 30 percent above. No flat tax regime for HNWI or newly resident individuals. The first monthly are fully exempt since the 2022 reform.
Tax percentages here are editorial reference figures for comparison, not individualized tax advice.
Special tax regimes
For companies
Benin Investment Code Privileged Regimes (Regimes A, B, C and Special Regimes)
AvailablePrivileged regime granting corporate tax (IS) exemption, advance payment (AIB) exemption, minimum income tax exemption, business license exemption…
Benin Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Regime
AvailableFree-zone regime granting full exemption from corporate income tax, dividend withholding, VAT, real estate contributions, registration duties,…
Benin Startup Tax Relief for Newly Created Companies
AvailableTax relief for newly created companies (sociétés nouvelles régulièrement créées) and start-ups.
Benin Synthetic Professional Tax (Taxe Professionnelle Synthetique, TPS)
AvailableForfait simplified tax regime for sole proprietors and individual businesses with annual turnover up to 50 million XOF (roughly 76 thousand EUR).
You either qualify for Benin's special tax regimes, or you don't. GeoCompass determines your eligibility, highlights the applicable conditions, and helps estimate your potential tax exposure.
Check my eligibilityVisa and mobility
Your access
Visa need and length of stay for Benin. Saved on your device.
Overview
- Citizenship by investment
Not currently available
- Residence by investment
Not currently available
- Remote work visa (digital nomad visa)
Not currently available
Programmes
Benin lists several residency and mobility routes across work (self sponsored). Lucky Nomads tracks these programmes as editorial reference points. Thresholds, documents, and personal eligibility are evaluated in GeoCompass against your exact profile.
3 programmes listed · 3 are marked available in our editorial review
Work (self sponsored)
3 programmesSelf-sponsored work or freelance routes where you qualify without a local employer.
- Available
Carte de résident ordinaire
- Available
Carte de résident privilégié
- Available
Carte de résident temporaire
Not all residency routes are accessible. Some require minimum income, investment thresholds, local substance, or strict eligibility conditions. GeoCompass evaluates which options you can actually secure in Benin.
Evaluate my residency optionsVisa and programme labels reflect editorial research, not individualized legal advice. Thresholds, documents, and personal eligibility are evaluated in GeoCompass. Always confirm rules with official government sources before you plan a move.
Dimensions breakdown
Strongest dimensions
- Affordability Index7.8 / 10Competitive cost of living
- Wealth Protection Index7.1 / 10Strong wealth protection index
- SafetyShield Index6.7 / 10Moderate safety environment
Weakest dimensions
- Flight Index2.1 / 10
- English Index2.8 / 10
Published ranks by index
One row per leaderboard we publish (the composite index plus each proprietary dimension). A rank appears only when this country is currently in the published top 10 for that list. Open a row to see the full ranking. Hover an index name for the same short definition as elsewhere on the site.
This jurisdiction is not in the published top 10 on any of these lists right now.
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Founder, Lucky Nomads · Wealth manager
Researched from official sources, leading global indices and Lucky Nomads' own scoring.
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