Key facts
Key facts for business in Egypt
The short answer
Company registry in Egypt: General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI). Tax authority: مصلحة الضرائب المصرية. Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Egypt before you act.
| Legal system | Civil law (French-influenced) with Islamic law as the principal source of legislation |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Arabic |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP) |
| Regional blocs | COMESA |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1959 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1972 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Not a party – documents usually need legalization |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Egypt
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) | gafi.gov.eg |
| Investment promotion | General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) | gafi.gov.eg |
| Tax | مصلحة الضرائب المصرية | eta.gov.eg |
| Official business procedures portal | Invest in Egypt (استثمر في مصر) – Invest in Egypt – official investment map run by GAFI | investinegypt.gov.eg |
We could not confirm an official website for: central bank, currency and foreign exchange, work and residence permits, courts and justice. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: مصلحة الضرائب المصرية.
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: the national immigration authority.
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (the central bank) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Egypt is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Egypt for business matters
Abou Dreisha Law Firm and Legal Consultations
Alexandria, New Cairo
AGLC – Consultant Assem Adel Gad for Law, Arbitration and Intellectual Property
Cairo
Al Tamimi & Company (Cairo)
Cairo
Alieldean Weshahi & Partners (ALC)
Giza
Badran Law Firm
Giza
Barakat, Maher & Partners (in association with Clyde & Co)
Cairo
Bremer Law Firm (Cairo)
Giza
Consultant Mohamed Mohamed Farag Law Office
Cairo
Counselor Magdi Abou El Atta Law Firm & Legal Consultations
New Cairo
Counselor Ramy Sobhy Shafiq Law Firm
Cairo
Dr. Hany Tolba Law Firm and Legal Consultation
Giza
El Raif Law Firm
New Cairo
32 firms in Egypt list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites – the first 12 are shown A to Z. See every firm in Egypt.
Checking a lawyer in Egypt
Who admits lawyers: Egyptian Bar Association (Niqabat al-Muhamin / Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate)
Professional title: Muhami (Avocat / Lawyer)
Ask to see the lawyer's Egyptian Bar Association membership card and confirm their registration and level (e.g. admitted before the Court of Cassation) with the Bar Association.
We could not confirm every detail from official sources, so use this as a starting point.
Sources: egyls.com. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Egypt: questions
Where do you register a company in Egypt?
With General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) (gafi.gov.eg). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Egypt.
Is Egypt a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1959 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Egypt accept apostilles?
Egypt is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so foreign public documents usually need legalization – typically through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and Egypt’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Egypt?
Egyptian pound (EGP).