What an Employer of Record Is
An Employer of Record (EOR) is a company in Cameroon that becomes the *legal* employer of your staff on paper, while you direct their day-to-day work. The EOR signs a compliant employment contract, runs monthly payroll, withholds and remits taxes, registers each employee with social security (CNPS) and carries the employer's legal obligations. You decide who to hire, what they work on and how they are managed.
In practice, this lets a foreign company hire in Cameroon in days — without registering a local subsidiary. This guide is written for employers abroad — in the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe, and across Africa — who want staff in Cameroon without the cost of a local entity.
Why Foreign Companies Use an EOR in Cameroon
Speed – Hiring through an established EOR usually takes 1–2 weeks once the employee's documents are ready, versus months to incorporate a company, open a bank account and register for tax and CNPS.
Compliance – Cameroonian labour law (the Labour Code, Law No. 92/007) applies to anyone working in Cameroon. The EOR issues bilingual (French/English) contracts, respects notice periods and the statutory minimum wage (SMIG), and files the monthly tax and CNPS declarations.
No permanent establishment – You build a team or test the market without the cost and tax exposure of a registered entity.
One predictable invoice – Salaries, employer contributions and the EOR fee arrive as a single monthly bill.
What the EOR Handles
Compliant employment contracts (CDI or CDD) in French or English
CNPS registration within 8 days of the start date, and monthly contributions
Monthly IRPP income-tax withholding and the communal additional centimes (CAC)
Payslips, leave tracking and statutory benefits
Onboarding, terminations and final settlements in line with the Labour Code — see our guide to handling employee termination in Cameroon
What You Keep Control Of
Selecting and interviewing candidates
Setting salaries, objectives and working hours
Day-to-day management and performance
EOR vs Subsidiary vs Contractors
Employer of Record – fastest route, no entity required; ideal for 1–20 staff or market entry.
Your own subsidiary – full control and a lower per-head cost at scale, but months of setup and ongoing administration.
Independent contractors – only for genuinely independent work. Treating someone as a contractor while managing them as staff is misclassification, which exposes you to back-contributions and penalties — read contractor vs employee in Cameroon.
For a direct comparison of the two main routes, see EOR vs subsidiary in Cameroon.
What It Costs
Budget for three things: the gross salary, the employer CNPS contributions and other statutory on-costs, and the EOR management fee (a flat amount or a percentage per employee per month). Our guide to the cost of employing someone in Cameroon breaks down the full employer burden.
How Hiring Works, Step by Step
You choose the candidate and agree the package.
The EOR issues a compliant offer and employment contract.
The employee provides their documents; CNPS and tax registration are set up.
The employee starts; the EOR runs payroll and files declarations each month.
You manage the work while the EOR keeps everything compliant.
Is an EOR Right for You?
An EOR fits best when you want to hire a small team quickly, stay fully compliant, and avoid the overhead of a subsidiary — the common case for remote hires, market entry and project teams. If you plan to scale to a large, permanent headcount, compare the economics with a subsidiary before deciding.
Ready to hire in Cameroon? Talk to CDS Human Resources SARL — a licensed, in-country HR provider — about Employer of Record and payroll for your team.