It takes four days to officially start a business in New York—and 101 days in Sao Paulo

Some countries require more paperwork than others
Some countries require more paperwork than others
Image: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
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Starting a business is never easy. But the process of registering a company is much more difficult and time consuming in some countries around the world than in others.

In New York, New York, it takes about four days to register a business; in Sao Paulo, Brazil, it takes 101 days, according to the World Bank’s annual report on doing business.

The organization measured the median time, in days, required to register a company in countries around the globe in 2015, based on information from incorporation lawyers.

In some regions, new reforms made it easier to get businesses up-and-running, the Economist noted. The report found that 45 countries introduced reforms in the past year to help entrepreneurs get started.

Azerbaijan, where it takes three days to register a company, stopped requiring a company seal, while the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mongolia and Sweden all reduced the time required to register a business.

Venezuela, on the other hand, raised incorporation taxes, making to more difficult to start a business.