Establishing People's Companies

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones is affiliated with the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation in Egypt .

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones is the governmental authority concerned with regulating and facilitating investment in Egypt .

The authority encourages and promotes investment, facilitates and reconciles Egyptian businesses and expatriates, events, sponsors investors, conducts research and market investigation missions.

Address: No. 3, Salah Salem Street, Nasr City, Cairo, 11562 Egypt

Phone: +202 240 55 452

Fax: +202 240 55 425

Hotline: 16035

Website: WWW.GAFI.GOV.EG

E-mail: INFO@GAFINET.ORG

Incorporation steps for a private company

Person companies:

Investors can establish people companies where companies are obligated to register in the commercial register with the regulatory authority, namely the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (“the Authority”), and the Companies Law sets out the rules to be included in the companies’ articles of association.

• Tadhamon Company

A joint liability company is a company concluded by two or more people with the intention of trading in the form of partnership between them, with a specific address that will be its name, and the partners in it are jointly liable for all its obligations .

The title of the company consists of the names of the general partners or one of them, with the addition of the word “and his partners” or “partner,” according to the circumstances. It is not permissible to include in the title of the company the name of a person who is foreign to the company if that constitutes misleading others .

The joint partner acquires the status of a merchant and therefore he must have the necessary legal capacity to engage in trade by reaching 21 full years or reaching 18 full years, provided he obtains permission from the court .

The minimum capital for a person’s companies is three hundred thousand pounds, except for service activities that are fully practiced within industrial zones and urban cities, where the capital is thirty thousand Egyptian pounds .

The participation of foreigners may be (one hundred percent) - with the exception of activities restricted to Egyptians .

The partners in the joint liability company are jointly liable for all of its commitments, even if the signature on it is obtained only from one of them. It is only required that this signature be in the company’s address .

Each partner in the joint liability company is personally responsible for the company’s debts, as if it were his own debts. Accordingly, the partner’s liability is not limited to the amount of his share in the company, but exceeds it to all his other funds .

The management of the company shall be for the general partners or for one of them, and a manager may be appointed from a third party in the company’s contract .

The liability of all partners for the company’s obligations is absolute and joint, even if the matter leads to the fulfillment of these obligations from the funds of all or some of the partners, based on the fact that third parties deal with this company on the basis of its personal nature .

All partners must be joint in order for the company to be considered a joint venture .

The registration process can be completed through the website of the General Authority for Investment

https://www.gafi.gov.eg/Arabic/eServices/Pages/default.aspx

The incorporation process can be completed through the branches of the General Investment Authority in all governorates of the Republic :

• 3 Salah Salem Road - Fairgrounds
• Nasr City - Cairo - p. Box 11562 - Egypt

Documents required for companies of persons

• Copy of powers of attorney from all partners (see the original): the power of attorney stipulates the establishment of companies and the signing of articles of incorporation in front of the Investment Documentation Office .
• Identity proof copies (clear valid) for the partners (with the passport of a request to see the original): (national number for Egyptians / passports for foreigners)
• A copy of the registration card in the Bar for the lawyer who ratifies the contract before the Bar Association. (At least a primary lawyer, and the lawyer’s card is valid to date)
• Security inquiry forms for foreign partners .
• Photocopies of identification (valid and clear) for the agent (see the original): (national number for the Egyptian / passport for the foreigner (a valid residence is required )
• Approval of the competent authority if any of the company’s purposes requires obtaining a special approval in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws (prior approval) .
• In the case of an in-kind share upon incorporation :
  • Submit a report evaluating the in-kind share of experts from professionals regulated by law, according to the nature of each share .
  • In the case of establishing a company of persons to work on the free zone system in accordance with the provisions of Investment Law No. 72 of 2017, the same documents previously presented, in addition to :
    • In the case of a public free zone: the approval of the Authority must be obtained before the establishment, and the approval is issued by the board of directors of the free zone in which the project is to be established .
  • In the case of establishing a (realized) partnership as a result of the death of the owner of a sole proprietorship, the same documents previously presented, in addition to :
    • A recent extract from the commercial register of the sole proprietorship .
    • Submitting the death certificate of the owner of the facility and a notification of inheritance, including the heirs of the owner of the facility .
• In the event that there are minors among the heirs, the court’s approval is submitted to allow the minor to enter into the establishment of a company from his own inherited money .
• A report for evaluating the tangible assets of a sole proprietorship (land - real estate - buildings - machines - equipment - inventory) approved by a technical expert according to the nature of those assets, supported by documents supporting ownership .
• Submit the original minutes of the meeting of the group of partners in the company under incorporation, which includes the approval of the evaluation report and the distribution of the evaluation outcome to the heirs according to the inheritance notification, in addition to approving any other data of the company under incorporation .

Steps to establish via the electronic portal:

1. Register and create your account and workspace on the portal www.gafi.gov.eg , then choose the service and submit the required documents, and we will review them .
2. Pay fees using credit cards, and sign documents electronically .
3. We will send all your company documents to your workspace on the portal .
4. In the event that you encounter any problem during the establishment of your company electronically, please call the hotline on 16035 from 8 am to 8 pm Cairo local time, or send an email to e-services@gafinet.org.eg

Establishment in the Investors Service Center:

• Choose the service and get the waiting number, and we will review the documents .
• Go to the incorporation lawyer to prepare the establishment incorporation form and pay the incorporation fees in cash or with your credit card .
• Receive your facility documents .

Fees for performing services for private companies

• Entry in the commercial register: 64 pounds, but in the case of foreign partners in the company, it is 76 pounds. In the case of a branch, the registration fee in the commercial registry for the branch is added to 111 EGP.
• Bar Association attestation fee: one percent of the issued capital, with a maximum of 25000 pounds, and a minimum of 250 pounds + 50 pounds of attorney's stamp.
• Fee for documenting the company’s contract: none.

Payment methods:

• Electronically: Through the Authority's website when submitting an application for incorporation electronically .
• In cash: at the Investors Service Center

liquidation of companies of persons

• Investors can liquidate the companies of persons after two days of notifying the concerned department at the Investors Service Center and completing the form and some required documents .
• The liquidator - or the agent authorized by a proxy - can obtain the documents confirming the liquidation of the company and its removal from the commercial registry from the Investors Service Center.
• Click here to download the required documents regarding companies of persons. You can go to the Investor Services Center after one working day from the date of submitting the required documents to receive a letter addressed to the Commercial Registry announcing that the company is under liquidation.
• After receiving the letter approving the liquidation of the company, the company will be erased from the commercial register, and a request can be submitted for this at the Investor Services Center.
• Click here to obtain the required documents and forms. It takes one working day from the date of submitting the required documents. The applicant will then receive a letter addressed to the Commercial Registry to write off the company from the Registry

Institutions that help establish companies for businesswomen

Institutions that assist in the establishment of companies for businesswomen The body responsible for establishing companies within the Arab Republic of Egypt in general is the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, but there are some bodies that provide technical advice in starting businesses with regard to businesswomen, including:

• The National Council for Women.
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency