🇪🇬 Egypt · Investment
Foreign investment rules, incentives, investment promotion agencies, and restricted sectors.
Quick answer
Egypt courts foreign investment through the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), with the Investment Law offering incentives, free zones and a fast-track 'golden licence'. Foreign investors generally get national treatment; the law guarantees profit and capital repatriation, though access to foreign currency can be constrained in practice.
Inward investment is promoted by the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), which administers investment incentives, free zones and the investor one-stop shop.
- GAFI administers the Investment Law incentives and free-zone regimes.
- The one-stop shop streamlines licensing and approvals for investors.
- Special economic zones (e.g. the Suez Canal Zone) offer additional benefits.
Step-by-step
- 1
Check the investment regime
Egypt grants foreign investors national treatment under the Investment Law; GAFI is the one-stop shop.
- 2
Choose your regime and vehicle
Decide between the inland investment regime and a free zone, and incorporate a company (or branch) via GAFI.
- 3
Access incentives
Use Investment Law incentives (investment allowances, special zones), free-zone benefits and the fast-track golden licence for major projects.
- 4
Handle capital and repatriation
The law guarantees repatriation of profits and capital; in practice, plan for possible foreign-currency availability constraints via banks.
- 5
Check sector rules
A few areas (e.g. Sinai land, some import/trade activities and defence) have restrictions or local-partner requirements.
- 6
Meet reporting and protections
Keep GAFI and tax filings; the Investment Law and treaties provide guarantees and investor protection.
Checklist
- National treatment (Investment Law) + GAFI one-stop
- Inland vs free-zone regime + company/branch
- Investment-Law incentives + golden licence
- Guaranteed repatriation (plan for FX availability)
- Sector restrictions (Sinai land / defence / some trade)
- GAFI + tax filings
- Investment-Law guarantees / treaty protection
- CTA to .com/.ai for AI-assisted planning
Official authorities
- General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI)
National investment-promotion authority.
Frequently asked questions
What is the golden licence?
A single fast-track approval for major or strategic projects that bundles the permits and approvals normally needed from multiple bodies.
Can I repatriate profits from Egypt?
The Investment Law guarantees repatriation of profits and capital, but in practice foreign-currency availability at banks can affect timing — plan ahead.
What is GAFI?
The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones — Egypt’s one-stop shop for company setup, incentives and free-zone administration.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.