Art. L.1211-6 of the Commercial Code provides that any legal entity whose head office is located abroad and which undertakes a commercial activity in the Republic of Djibouti must, within one month from the start of this activity, require the registration of a branch in the Republic of Djibouti. This request is to be filed with the registry responsible for maintaining the Register of Commerce and Companies. The Code defines commercial activity as including e-commerce.

Djibouti does not implement any de minimis threshold, which is the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties.

Djibouti does not possess a comprehensive regulatory framework for consumer protection in the context of online transactions. Neither the provisions of Law No. 28/AN/08/6th L on the Protection, Suppression of Fraud and Consumer Protection (Loi N°28/AN/08/6ème L portant sur la protection, la répression de la fraude et la protection du consommateur), nor any other existing legislation, address transactions conducted by consumers via digital platforms.

Djibouti has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Djibouti has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Djibouti has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

It is reported that Djibouti has import restrictions in place on transceiver devices, which require authorisation from the Ministry of Communication, which is in charge of Posts and Telecommunications. A transceiver is a combination transmitter/receiver in a single package. While the term typically applies to wireless communications devices, it can also be used for transmitter/receiver devices in cable or optical fibre systems. For fibre optic transceivers, the most widely used HS Code is 851762, falling under “Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, image or other data, including switching and routing apparatus”, a code included in the original Information Technology Agreement.

According to Art. L.1211-16 of the Commercial Code, any natural or legal person (of Djiboutian or foreign nationality) wishing to undertake commercial activities, including imports, is subject to registration in the Register of Commerce and must register with the Directorate-General of Taxation to obtain an importer's licence.
In addition, Art. 196 provides the conditions for the issuance or renewal of any import license, which must be subject to the production of the relevant proof of insurance document.

It is reported that the documentation required for type approval of relevant radio and telecommunication equipment comprises a declaration of conformity, together with RF, EMC, and health and safety test reports. No samples are required. The technical standards accepted are those prescribed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

A basic legal framework on intermediary liability for copyright infringement is absent in Djibouti's law and jurisprudence.

A basic legal framework on intermediary liability beyond copyright infringement is absent in Djibouti's law and jurisprudence.

It is reported that passport registration is required when buying a SIM card in Djibouti, a copy is taken in the shop.

It was reported in 2024 that the government blocks access to social media platforms such as Facebook and Messenger. This restriction has been in place for the past three years, with access limited to individuals who use virtual private networks (VPNs) on their mobile devices.

The indicator "7.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 3 in Djibouti for the year 2024. This corresponds to "Rarely but there have been a few occasions throughout the year when the government shut down domestic access to Internet."

Djibouti has not signed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.