Business Ownership by Foreigners

This ranking compares how well foreigners can register, own and practically operate a business. The raw value is a 0-100 point value based on investment openness, company formation, banking access, rule of law and the business environment. Higher values improve the rating.


1	Netherlands100 pts	100 pts	100
2	Ireland99 pts	99 pts	99
2	United Kingdom99 pts	99 pts	99
4	Sweden98 pts	98 pts	98
5	Estonia97 pts	97 pts	97
6	Norway96 pts	96 pts	96
7	Luxembourg95 pts	95 pts	95
7	Singapore95 pts	95 pts	95
9	Gibraltar94 pts	94 pts	94
10	Canada93 pts	93 pts	93
10	Finland93 pts	93 pts	93
10	Georgia93 pts	93 pts	93
10	Germany93 pts	93 pts	93
14	France92 pts	92 pts	92
14	Slovenia92 pts	92 pts	92
16	Cayman Islands91 pts	91 pts	91
16	Hong Kong91 pts	91 pts	91
16	Monaco91 pts	91 pts	91
16	Portugal91 pts	91 pts	91
20	Latvia90 pts	90 pts	90
20	United Arab Emirates90 pts	90 pts	90
20	United States90 pts	90 pts	90
23	Belgium89 pts	89 pts	89
23	Denmark89 pts	89 pts	89
23	Lithuania89 pts	89 pts	89
23	New Zealand89 pts	89 pts	89
27	Australia88 pts	88 pts	88
27	Czech Republic88 pts	88 pts	88
27	Spain88 pts	88 pts	88
30	Turks and Caicos Islands87 pts	87 pts	87
31	Cyprus84 pts	84 pts	84
31	Japan84 pts	84 pts	84
31	Macau84 pts	84 pts	84
31	Martinique84 pts	84 pts	84
31	Saint-Martin84 pts	84 pts	84
36	British Virgin Islands83 pts	83 pts	83
36	French Guiana83 pts	83 pts	83
36	Guadeloupe83 pts	83 pts	83
36	Panama83 pts	83 pts	83
36	Réunion83 pts	83 pts	83
36	Uruguay83 pts	83 pts	83
42	Andorra82 pts	82 pts	82
42	Chile82 pts	82 pts	82
42	Korea Republic82 pts	82 pts	82
42	Puerto Rico82 pts	82 pts	82
42	Saint Pierre and Miquelon82 pts	82 pts	82
47	Armenia81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Bahrain81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Barbados81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Greenland81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Malta81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Sint Maarten81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Slovakia81 pts	81 pts	81
47	Tahiti81 pts	81 pts	81
47	U.S. Virgin Islands81 pts	81 pts	81
56	Aruba80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Croatia80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Curacao80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Faroe Islands80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Iceland80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Italy80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Mauritius80 pts	80 pts	80
56	Switzerland80 pts	80 pts	80
64	Anguilla79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Chinese Taipei79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Costa Rica79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Guam79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Israel79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Mayotte79 pts	79 pts	79
64	Romania79 pts	79 pts	79
71	Bermuda78 pts	78 pts	78
71	Greece78 pts	78 pts	78
71	North Macedonia78 pts	78 pts	78
74	Austria77 pts	77 pts	77
74	Liechtenstein77 pts	77 pts	77
74	Montenegro77 pts	77 pts	77
74	Montserrat77 pts	77 pts	77
78	Hungary76 pts	76 pts	76
78	Poland76 pts	76 pts	76
80	Bulgaria75 pts	75 pts	75
80	Kosovo75 pts	75 pts	75
80	New Caledonia75 pts	75 pts	75
80	San Marino75 pts	75 pts	75
80	Serbia75 pts	75 pts	75
85	Trinidad and Tobago74 pts	74 pts	74
86	Albania73 pts	73 pts	73
86	Bahamas73 pts	73 pts	73
86	Jamaica73 pts	73 pts	73
86	Malaysia73 pts	73 pts	73
90	Turkey72 pts	72 pts	72
91	Antigua and Barbuda71 pts	71 pts	71
91	Qatar71 pts	71 pts	71
93	Cape Verde70 pts	70 pts	70
93	Grenada70 pts	70 pts	70
93	Morocco70 pts	70 pts	70
93	Saint Kitts and Nevis70 pts	70 pts	70
93	South Africa70 pts	70 pts	70
98	Argentina69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Botswana69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Brazil69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Dominica69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Dominican Republic69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Kazakhstan69 pts	69 pts	69
98	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines69 pts	69 pts	69
105	American Samoa68 pts	68 pts	68
105	Colombia68 pts	68 pts	68
105	Moldova68 pts	68 pts	68
105	Northern Mariana Islands68 pts	68 pts	68
105	Saint Lucia68 pts	68 pts	68
110	Mexico67 pts	67 pts	67
110	Peru67 pts	67 pts	67
112	Brunei66 pts	66 pts	66
113	Azerbaijan65 pts	65 pts	65
113	Bosnia and Herzegovina65 pts	65 pts	65
113	Cook Islands65 pts	65 pts	65
113	El Salvador65 pts	65 pts	65
113	Oman65 pts	65 pts	65
113	Seychelles65 pts	65 pts	65
119	Belize64 pts	64 pts	64
119	Jordan64 pts	64 pts	64
121	Rwanda63 pts	63 pts	63
121	Tunisia63 pts	63 pts	63
123	Ecuador62 pts	62 pts	62
123	Guatemala62 pts	62 pts	62
123	Niue62 pts	62 pts	62
123	Paraguay62 pts	62 pts	62
127	Ghana61 pts	61 pts	61
127	Ukraine61 pts	61 pts	61
127	Wallis and Futuna61 pts	61 pts	61
130	Guyana60 pts	60 pts	60
130	Honduras60 pts	60 pts	60
130	Nicaragua60 pts	60 pts	60
130	Uzbekistan60 pts	60 pts	60
130	Vanuatu60 pts	60 pts	60
135	Fiji59 pts	59 pts	59
135	Kyrgyzstan59 pts	59 pts	59
135	Mongolia59 pts	59 pts	59
138	Ivory Coast58 pts	58 pts	58
138	Namibia58 pts	58 pts	58
138	Senegal58 pts	58 pts	58
141	Benin57 pts	57 pts	57
141	Kuwait57 pts	57 pts	57
141	Philippines57 pts	57 pts	57
141	Samoa57 pts	57 pts	57
145	Egypt56 pts	56 pts	56
145	Russia56 pts	56 pts	56
147	Thailand55 pts	55 pts	55
148	Kenya53 pts	53 pts	53
148	Saudi Arabia53 pts	53 pts	53
148	Suriname53 pts	53 pts	53
148	Togo53 pts	53 pts	53
152	Belarus52 pts	52 pts	52
152	Tonga52 pts	52 pts	52
152	Zambia52 pts	52 pts	52
155	Bolivia51 pts	51 pts	51
155	Indonesia51 pts	51 pts	51
155	Maldives51 pts	51 pts	51
155	Nigeria51 pts	51 pts	51
159	Algeria50 pts	50 pts	50
159	Djibouti50 pts	50 pts	50
159	Gabon50 pts	50 pts	50
159	Micronesia50 pts	50 pts	50
159	São Tomé and Príncipe50 pts	50 pts	50
159	Tanzania50 pts	50 pts	50
165	China49 pts	49 pts	49
165	Madagascar49 pts	49 pts	49
165	Palau49 pts	49 pts	49
165	Vietnam49 pts	49 pts	49
165	Zanzibar49 pts	49 pts	49
170	Burkina Faso48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Cameroon48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Gambia48 pts	48 pts	48
170	India48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Lebanon48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Pakistan48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Solomon Islands48 pts	48 pts	48
170	Swaziland48 pts	48 pts	48
178	Bangladesh47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Guinea47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Lesotho47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Marshall Islands47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Nauru47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Sri Lanka47 pts	47 pts	47
178	Uganda47 pts	47 pts	47
185	Bhutan46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Cambodia46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Congo46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Liberia46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Malawi46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Mali46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Mauritania46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Mozambique46 pts	46 pts	46
185	Sierra Leone46 pts	46 pts	46
194	Tajikistan45 pts	45 pts	45
194	Tuvalu45 pts	45 pts	45
196	Comoros44 pts	44 pts	44
197	Burundi43 pts	43 pts	43
197	Niger43 pts	43 pts	43
199	Kiribati42 pts	42 pts	42
200	Iraq41 pts	41 pts	41
201	Angola40 pts	40 pts	40
201	Guinea-Bissau40 pts	40 pts	40
201	Timor-Leste40 pts	40 pts	40
204	Congo DR39 pts	39 pts	39
205	Nepal38 pts	38 pts	38
206	Papua New Guinea36 pts	36 pts	36
207	Ethiopia35 pts	35 pts	35
207	Palestine35 pts	35 pts	35
207	Zimbabwe35 pts	35 pts	35
210	Western Sahara34 pts	34 pts	34
211	Equatorial Guinea33 pts	33 pts	33
211	Laos33 pts	33 pts	33
213	Haiti30 pts	30 pts	30
214	Chad29 pts	29 pts	29
215	Central African Republic21 pts	21 pts	21
215	Iran21 pts	21 pts	21
217	Cuba20 pts	20 pts	20
218	Libya18 pts	18 pts	18
219	Myanmar17 pts	17 pts	17
220	Afghanistan14 pts	14 pts	14
220	Turkmenistan14 pts	14 pts	14
222	Sudan13 pts	13 pts	13
223	Syria11 pts	11 pts	11
223	Venezuela11 pts	11 pts	11
225	Eritrea10 pts	10 pts	10
225	Yemen10 pts	10 pts	10
227	South Sudan5 pts	5 pts	5
228	Somalia2 pts	2 pts	2
229	Korea DPR0 pts	0 pts	0

Last rating: June 22nd, 2026

How the Raw Value Is Calculated

The raw value is a Nomadino 0-100 point value for business formation and business ownership by foreigners. 100 means open ownership rights, easy formation and practically usable business operation; 0 means heavily constrained or barely usable options.

The calculation combines eleven blocks: openness to foreign investment counts for 17%, ownership rights for foreigners 13%, business freedom 13%, registration time 11%, start-up costs 8%, banking access for foreigners 8%, international payment access 6%, banking stability 5%, rule of law 8%, digital government 5%, and economic freedom 6%.

Nomadino also considers countries with especially easy formation and self-employment practice and countries with local-partner obligations, sectoral closures or strongly restrictive labour markets. The value is also checked against local self-employment usability.

Values are normalised to the current Nomadino country comparison. The rating equals the rounded raw value; higher values improve the ranking.

The indicator measures the general ability to own and operate a business. It does not rate sector-specific licences, investment amounts, local tax planning or the success probability of a specific business model.

Sources

For these indicators on working and self-employment abroad, Nomadino uses public sources on residence law, work permits, labour law, self-employment, business formation, investment openness, professional qualifications and administrative quality. Direct file downloads are intentionally avoided here; links point to data, methodology and overview pages.

Official government portals on immigration, work permits and business formationPrimary plausibility source for national rules, application routes, work rights, self-employment, registration and sectoral restrictions.
ILO NATLEX labour and social-security law databaseSource for labour law, employment rules, work-permit context, self-employment and relevant national legal frameworks.
ILOSTAT labour and employment dataData framework for labour markets, employment structure, employment and working time.
World Bank Business ReadyPlausibility source for business entry, regulation, digital government and practical business environment.
World Bank Women, Business and the LawContext source for legal work, business and mobility rules, especially formal equality and access barriers.
World Bank Worldwide Governance IndicatorsContext source for rule of law, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and corruption environment.
UN E-Government Survey 2024Plausibility source for digital government, online procedures and government portals.
OECD migration data and migration reportsContext source for labour migration, integration frameworks, labour-market access and international comparability.
ENIC-NARIC network for qualification recognitionSource for recognition bodies, qualification frameworks and procedures for evaluating foreign degrees.
UNCTAD Investment Policy HubSource for investment laws, foreign business ownership, sectoral restrictions and investment policy.

🏢Business Ownership by Foreigners

How the Raw Value Is Calculated

Sources

Business Ownership by Foreigners