Establishing a Sole Proprietorship

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones is the authority responsible for establishing companies in Egypt. Any company established in Egypt, whether local or foreign, is subject to the provisions of Companies Law No. 159 of 1981 and its amendments, or the provisions of Investment Law No. 72 of 2017.

If the companies are listed on the stock exchange, they are subject to the Capital Market Law No. 95 of 1992 .

The investor can establish his company under the Companies Law or the Investment Law after one working day of completing the documents required for a sole proprietorship

Contact Data

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

• Individual facility

  • Investors can establish a sole proprietorship company where companies are obliged to register in the commercial register with the regulatory authority, 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.
  • A sole proprietorship is established by a single natural person and is considered by law a merchant. A minimum capital of a sole proprietorship is one hundred thousand Egyptian pounds. The law stipulates that a person who wants to engage in trade must have reached the age of twenty-one and be fully qualified .

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 Sole Proprietorship

• A copy of a power of attorney from the owner of the facility in the event that the incorporation is done through an agent (see the original), the power of attorney stipulating the establishment of companies .
• Photo identification (valid and clear) for the owner of the facility: (with the passport of a request to see the original): a national number for Egyptians / passports for foreigners
• Photo identification (valid and clear) for the agent (check the original): a national number for the Egyptian / passport for the foreigner (a valid residence is required)
• Security inquiry form for foreign facility owner
• 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 at the time of incorporation: Submit an evaluation report on the in-kind share from experts from professionals regulated by law, according to the nature of each share .
• In the case of establishing a sole proprietorship to operate in 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 is required prior to the establishment, and the approval is issued by the board of directors of the free zone in which the project is to be established .

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 .

Service fees:

• Registration in the commercial registry: 9.5 pounds, and in the case of a branch, the registration fee in the commercial registry for the branch is added 60.5 pounds
• Issuance of a practicing certificate: an annual subscription of two per thousand of the capital with a maximum of 2000 pounds and a minimum of 24 pounds + 100 pounds in return for the practicing certificate .

Payment methods:

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

NB:

• You can receive and print documents that are not available to you through the following e-mail: papers@gafinet.org.eg or through the “WhatsApp” service. On the ground floor .

In order to comply with the specific timings for performing the service, the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones apologizes for accepting any requests that do not fulfill the required documents.

liquidation of companies

• Investors can liquidate individual companies one working day from 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 individual establishments . It takes one working day from the date of submitting the required documents .

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