Starting a Business · Egypt
Starting a Business - Egypt
Egypt permits up to 100% foreign ownership of companies in most sectors, has no minimum capital requirement for limited liability companies, and consolidates incorporation through GAFI's one-stop Investor Service Center. Core registration of an LLC can be completed in roughly 3–7 business days once documents are ready, though full operational readiness (banking, licensing) typically takes several weeks, and a limited set of strategic activities still carry ownership or licensing restrictions.
Foreign investors generally enjoy national treatment and may own up to 100% of an Egyptian company in most sectors, without a mandatory Egyptian partner; only a few strategic activities (e.g. certain Sinai-area operations, commercial agencies) remain restricted.
There is no statutory minimum share capital to incorporate a limited liability company (LLC); capital is set freely by the founders, though specific regulated activities may impose their own thresholds.
Process: (1) reserve and obtain a non-confusion certificate for the company name; (2) draft and notarize the articles of association; (3) file the incorporation application via GAFI's e-portal or Investor Service Center; (4) on completion, receive the commercial registry entry, tax number, VAT number and social-insurance number, with representatives of multiple ministries co-located at GAFI to issue licenses.
A basic LLC can be incorporated within a few business days through the one-stop shop once all documents are complete, but full operational readiness (bank account, sector licensing) generally extends the practical timeline to several weeks.
Law No. 173 of 2023 amended the Importers' Registry Law to lift the former 51% Egyptian-ownership requirement, allowing companies up to 100% foreign-owned to register as importers — but their importation license is limited to a 10-year term (renewable for another 10 years by Cabinet decision) and subject to capital/turnover conditions.
Registering a project under Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 is optional and grants fiscal incentives, guarantees and dispute-settlement protections in exchange for closer supervision; companies may instead incorporate purely under Companies Law No. 159 of 1981.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →