Mandatory for commercial imports
Importer Card (Importers Register) in Egypt
The Importer Card is the entry on the Importers Register held by the General Organization for Import & Export Control (GOEIC). Without a valid card, customs will not release a commercial consignment to your company. The card runs on a five-year cycle and any change to capital, activity, or managing officers requires a modification filing. This page covers first issuance; renewals and modifications run on shorter timelines but the same regime.
Pending advisor validation
This page is sourced from public Egyptian regulatory references and our internal advisory notes. Our advisors are reviewing the specifics for final sign-off. Book a 30-minute call for advice tailored to your case.
Last sourced:
When this entity is right
Best for
Companies importing finished goods or raw materials for resale in Egypt
Trading houses, distributors, and retail importers
Foreign-parented Egyptian entities structured under Law 121/1982 (Egyptian majority on the importer of record)
Existing card holders renewing on the 5-year cycle
Existing holders modifying capital, activity scope, or managing officers
When something else fits better
Not for
Naming the cases this entity is wrong for is the whole point of an advisory call. The cross-links below go to the entity we would suggest instead.
Exporters of Egyptian-made goods
If you only ship Egyptian goods abroad and do not import for resale, the Exporter Card (Exporters Register) is the correct registration. Many manufacturers hold both.
See the Exporter Card detail →Companies that only need cargo clearance
Holding the Importer Card does not by itself let you clear consignments. You also need Nafeza onboarding, an ACID number per shipment, and a customs broker authorization.
See Nafeza + ACI →Importers of own production inputs only
If you import inputs that go into your own production line (not for resale), the Production Requirements card is usually the better fit. We confirm the scope on the discovery call.
See Customs Registration →Quick facts
- Statutory minimum capital
- Activity-specific (varies materially by sector — some require EGP 2M+)
- Foreign ownership
- Egyptian majority required on the importer of record (Law 121/1982)
- Typical timeline
- 30–60 working days for first issuance
What you need to prepare
Document checklist
Items tagged Foreigner-specific need apostille, consular authentication, or sworn translation from your home jurisdiction. We send you a precise per-document brief before any Egyptian-side work begins.
Company — legal status
Commercial register extract
Recent — within the validity window GOEIC accepts.
Tax card
VAT registration certificate
Where the activity requires VAT registration.
Articles of association reflecting an import activity
If 'import for trade' is not in the activity list, an amendment is needed first.
Capital deposit certificate
Bank confirmation that the activity-specific minimum capital is paid in.
Managers and signatories
ID copies for the managing director(s) and signatories
Criminal-record clearance for each signatory
Foreigner-specificForeign signatories typically provide a home-jurisdiction good-standing / police certificate, apostilled or consular-legalised.
Specimen signatures filed with GOEIC
Address and operations
Lease contract with verified date or ownership deed for the business address
Recent electricity bill for the business address
Chamber of Commerce membership
Required for the trading activity.
How the engagement runs
01
Discovery call
Free 30-minute call to confirm the Importer Card is the right registration for your trade flow and to scope the activity-specific capital floor.
02
Compliance memo
Written memo with the legal-form review under Law 121/1982, the activity-specific minimum capital, the document load, and the realistic timeline before any filing starts.
03
Document preparation
Precise checklist for the Egyptian side (capital deposit, AOA amendments if needed, signatory clearances). For foreign signatories: home-jurisdiction certificates with apostille.
04
GOEIC file submission
Full file lodged with the General Organization for Import & Export Control. We track every comment and resubmission cycle through to acceptance.
05
Card issuance
Card issued and entered on the Importers Register. We log the 5-year renewal date and any conditions GOEIC attached to the entry.
06
Handover
One-hour session covering the renewal calendar, modification protocol (capital, activity, managers), and the linkage with Nafeza, ACI, and customs broker authorization.
Engagement scope
What this engagement covers
We prepare a tailored proposal after reviewing your specifics — activity, shareholder structure, sector pre-approvals. The lists below describe what we typically own end-to-end versus what stays outside the engagement.
What we own end-to-end
- Pre-filing review of legal form, capital structure, and activity scope under Law 121/1982
- Document checklist tailored to the activity
- Coordination with GOEIC on file preparation and submission
- Capital deposit certificate sequencing with the bank
- Tracking and chase-down through to card issuance
- Handover with renewal calendar and modification protocol
Outside this engagement
- Government fees, GOEIC fees, and notarisation (paid at cost)
- Capital deposit itself (sits in the company's bank account)
- Foreign-document apostille / consular legalisation (handled in your home jurisdiction)
- Auditor and legal counsel retainers (introduced if needed)
- Activity-specific sectoral pre-approvals (food safety, pharma, etc.)
Common questions
What foreign investors ask us
The questions below come up on almost every discovery call for this entity. If yours isn't here, bring it to the call.
Decide whether the Importer Card is your right registration — then we manage the rest.
30 minutes. English. No obligation. We will not push the registration if your trade flow points elsewhere.