Opening a training centre or private school in Senegal

Updated 29 September 2026

Training OrganizationsRegulation

Senegaltraining centreprivate schoolprivate higher education3FPTANAQ-Sup

In Senegal, three ministries share responsibility for opening private establishments. A pre-school, primary, lower secondary or secondary school comes under the Ministry of National Education (ministère de l'Éducation nationale). A private vocational and technical training school comes under the ministry in charge of vocational training, currently the Ministry of Employment and Vocational and Technical Training (ministère de l'Emploi et de la Formation professionnelle et technique). A private higher education establishment (établissement privé d'enseignement supérieur, EPES) comes under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI). Each file is submitted within an annual window.

Who authorizes what

Project	Authority	Filing period
Private pre-school, primary, lower secondary or secondary school	Ministry of National Education, Directorate of Private Education; receipt issued by the academy inspectorate	10 April to 10 August
Private vocational and technical training school	Ministry of Employment and Vocational and Technical Training, directorate in charge of vocational training	10 April to 10 August
Private higher education establishment (EPES)	MESRI, Directorate General of Higher Education (DGES) and Directorate of Private Higher Education (DESP)	2 January to 31 March 2026 for an opening from 1 October 2026

The common framework is Law no. 94-82 of 23 December 1994 on the status of private educational establishments, amended by Law no. 2005-03 of 11 January 2005. It covers basic, secondary, vocational and higher education. It excludes, among others, in-house company training centres. It introduces a prior declaration, reserves the award of State diplomas to the State and punishes illegal operation with a fine of 200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA and/or six months to two years' imprisonment.

Ministry titles changed with the government appointed by Decree no. 2026-1130 of 1 June 2026. Check with the ministry which department now receives the files.

National Education private school

The official procedure sheet lists two files.

On the responsible declarant (déclarant responsable):

an application addressed to the Minister of Education;
a letter of intent endorsed by the public prosecutor, the governor, the prefect and the mayor;
a birth certificate, a certificate of Senegalese nationality and a criminal record extract;
diplomas, a CV and a certificate of non-employment in the civil service;
a certified commitment to comply with the regulations, curricula and inspections;
a bank certificate for an amount at least equal to three months of staff salaries.

If the declarant does not meet the academic criteria, they must appoint a technical director holding a teaching authorization.

On the establishment: a note on the educational project, a plan of the premises, the diplomas prepared, curricula and timetables, student admission conditions, planned teachers, and a title deed or a certified open-ended lease. The number of classes cannot be lower than 2 sections in pre-school, 3 in primary, 2 in lower secondary, 2 in secondary and 2 in vocational and technical education.

According to the sheet, the academy inspectorate issues a receipt when the file is complete, and the review takes 6 to 12 months. The minister then issues an opening order.

Each teacher needs a teaching authorization. The file is submitted to the academy inspectorate between 15 July and 15 September. A provisional authorization is issued within a month if everything is in order. Foreign nationals must be in good standing with the immigration police.

Private vocational and technical training school

Any person holding a vocational diploma in at least one of the declared specialities may apply. Otherwise, they appoint a technical director with a diploma in one of them.

File: a file on the responsible declarant, a file on the technical director and a file on the establishment, according to the information sheet provided by the ministry.
Period: from 10 April to 10 August each year.
Cost: free.
Issue: immediate filing receipt, then opening authorization after the visit of the pedagogical commission.

Trainers in private vocational training schools must also obtain a teaching authorization.

Private higher education

DGES notice no. 3227 of 23 December 2025 sets out the file for provisional approval (agrément provisoire):

declarant file: civil status documents, criminal record, medical and psychological certificates, diplomas, certified commitment, certificate proving that the declarant is not a State employee;
technical file: statutes and capital, diplomas prepared (offshore, State or institutional diplomas recognized by the Commission on Titles and Diplomas), teachers with contracts and diplomas, title deed or lease, plan of the premises including a library, NINEA, registration in the trade register;
pedagogical file: programs, course structures, syllabi, assessment system, frameworks;
a verification certificate issued by the DESP at filing.

Three requirements matter for a foreign promoter. An offshore establishment of foreign origin must partner with nationals holding at least 51% of the shares. Teaching staff must include at least 10% on permanent contracts. A bank account must cover at least three months of salaries. An opening authorization is valid for one establishment only: a new campus requires a new authorization (article 10 of Decree no. 2018-850 of 11 May 2018).

Setting up the company: APIX

The one-stop shop of the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Major Works (Agence pour la promotion des investissements et des grands travaux, APIX), with its business creation support office, centralizes company formation. It issues, among others, registration in the trade and companies register (RCCM) and the NINEA identification number. Both documents are part of an EPES file.

Funding: the 3FPT

The Vocational and Technical Training Financing Fund (Fonds de financement de la formation professionnelle et technique, 3FPT) was created by Decree no. 2014-1264 of 7 October 2014. It funds initial and continuing training. It works through windows: funding for companies and professional organizations, funding for training establishments, individual requests and quality assurance. The quality assurance window accredits training organizations (schools, institutes, firms, centres) and awards a label to public or private establishments. In 2026, the 3FPT launched a continuing training catalogue listing modules from accredited providers. Ask the 3FPT for the detailed accreditation criteria.

Diplomas and recognition

In higher education, accreditation by the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANAQ-Sup) is a prerequisite for recognition by CAMES. ANAQ-Sup asks institutions to submit programs to the CAMES Diploma Recognition and Equivalence Programme (PRED) no later than one year after a favourable decision. The PRED requires national accreditation and at least one graduating cohort. In September 2026, the DGES warned private establishments that award doctorates (PhD, DBA) without authorization from the supervising ministry.

The steps

Define the project and identify the competent ministry.
Set up the company or association, then obtain RCCM and NINEA.
Secure compliant premises, with a title deed or lease.
Recruit a qualified head or technical director.
File within the annual window and keep the receipt.
Obtain teaching authorizations.
Prepare for the inspection visit.
In higher education, prepare for ANAQ-Sup accreditation.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign national open a private school in Senegal? For a National Education school, the sheet asks the declarant for a certificate of Senegalese nationality. For an EPES of foreign origin, nationals must hold at least 51% of the shares. For vocational training, check with the ministry.

Can you open as soon as the file is filed? The National Education sheet says so once the receipt is issued. Have the academy inspectorate confirm this before enrolling any students.

Does a continuing training firm need an authorization? The 1994 law excludes in-house company centres. For a firm open to the public, the sources consulted do not settle the question: ask the ministry.

When should you file? From 10 April to 10 August for schools, from 2 January to 31 March for higher education in 2026.

Key takeaways

Three regimes and three ministries: National Education, vocational training, higher education.
Files are submitted within fixed annual windows.
A declarant without the required diplomas appoints a technical director.
An EPES of foreign origin must have at least 51% national shareholders.
ANAQ-Sup accreditation comes before CAMES recognition.

Sources

Mentivis supports the structuring of training organizations and schools: design of the offer, business model, regulatory file, launch. See training organization set-up · See higher education

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