| Term
| Incumbent
| Notes
|
| International Association of the Congo internationally recognised private estate of King Léopold II of the Belgians
|
| 22 April 1884 to June 1884 | Sir Frederic Goldsmid, Administrator |
|
| 22 April 1884 to 1 July 1885 | Sir Francis Walter de Winton, Administrator-general |
|
| 23 February 1885 | Sovereign status of Congo recognised by the Berlin Conference
|
| 23 February 1885 to 1 July 1885 | Maximilien Strauch, President of the International Association of the Congo |
|
| "Independent" Congo Free State
|
| 1 July 1885 to 1886 | Sir Francis Walter de Winton, Administrator-general |
|
| 1886 to 26 March 1887 | Camille Janssen, Administrator-general |
|
| 26 March 1887 to 1 March 1888 | Camille Janssen, Governor-General |
|
| 1 March 1888 to 1889 | Hermann Ledeganck, acting Governor-General |
|
| 1889 to 17 April 1891 | Camille Janssen, Governor-General |
|
| 17 April 1891 to 8 May 1891 | Henri-Ernest Gondry, Governor |
|
| 8 May 1891 to 26 August 1892 | Camille-Aimé Coquilhat, Governor |
|
| 26 August 1891 to 4 September 1896 | Théophile Théodore Joseph Antoine, Baron Wahis, Governor-General | 1st Term
|
| 1896 to 1900 | Émile Wangermée, acting Governor-General |
|
| 4 September 1896 to 21 December 1900 | Francis Dhanis, vice Governor-General |
|
| 21 December 1900 to December 1900 | Colonel Bartels, acting Governor |
|
| 1900 to 15 November 1908 | Théophile Théodore Joseph Antoine, Baron Wahis, Governor-General | 2nd Term
|
| Belgian Congo | annexed by Belgium
|
| 15 November 1908 to 1912 | Théophile Théodore Joseph Antoine, Baron Wahis, Governor-General |
|
| 20 May 1912 to 5 January 1916 | Félix Alexandre Fuchs, Governor-General | 2nd Term
|
| 5 January 1916 to 30 January 1921 | Eugène Joseph Mary Henry, Governor-General |
|
| 30 January 1921 to 24 January 1923 | Maurice Eugène Auguste Lippens, Governor-General |
|
| 24 January 1923 to 27 December 1927 | Martin Joseph Marie René Rutten, Governor-General |
|
| 27 December 1927 to 14 September 1934 | Auguste Constant Tilkens, Governor-General |
|
| 14 September 1934 to 31 December 1946 | Pierre Marie Joseph Ryckmans, Governor-General |
|
| 31 December 1946 to 1 January 1952 | Eugène Jungers, Governor-General |
|
| 1 January 1952 to 12 July 1958 | Léon Pétillon, Governor-General |
|
| 12 July 1958 to 30 June 1960 | Henri Cornelis, Governor-General |
|
| 1 July 1960 | Independence as Republic of the Congo
|