Data protection law in Cameroon: registration and research permits
What a survey team needs to know about personal data and survey authorization in Cameroon.
Summary for planning; confirm requirements with the regulator before fieldwork.
law adopted, regulator not confirmed operational
The source QA marks the authority for this country as unverified or not confirmed from an official source. Re-check before relying on it.
Data protection law
Law 2024/017 of 23 December 2024 on personal data protection (2024)
Regulator
authority provided for by the 2024 law; implementation decrees pending (not confirmed)
Registration
declaration/authorization regime under the 2024 law; modalities pending
Survey permits
BUCREP authorization required for censuses and population studies; NSO function shared with INS
National statistics office
Bureau Central des Recensements et des Etudes de Population (BUCREP)
Note
The 2024 data protection law is the first comprehensive one; the implementing authority was not confirmed operational. Survey permit: Cameroon requires a research permit for field studies (MINRESI/CIP), separate from statistics clearance.
Cameroon research rules: common questions
Is there a data protection law in Cameroon?
Law 2024/017 of 23 December 2024 on personal data protection (2024). The source QA marks the authority for this country as unverified or not confirmed from an official source. Re-check before relying on it.
Who regulates personal data in Cameroon?
authority provided for by the 2024 law; implementation decrees pending (not confirmed).
Do I need to register to collect personal data in Cameroon?
Declaration/authorization regime under the 2024 law; modalities pending.
Do I need a permit to run a survey in Cameroon?
BUCREP authorization required for censuses and population studies; NSO function shared with INS.
Sources: the regulator and statistics office pages linked above, retrieved 10 Oct 2026. See our methods.