How to register an export company in Egypt?

If a company starts an export activity, the export process may not be completed before the company obtains a registration card from the exporters' register. The company shall obtain the registration card with the exporter's register once it is registered with the Commercial Registration Authority, and obtain the registration document from one of the commercial register offices. The company’s export officer shall be provided with a training course specifically for this purpose. The General Administration of Exporters Affairs (GAEA) will issue a registration card for five years, which may be renewable.

Requirements and Documents Required for Registration with the Exporters Register

A- Requirements for Registration of Partnerships and Trust Companies:

1. The company shall be registered with the commercial register, and hold a tax card.
2. The capital in the commercial register shall not be less than 20,000 EGP (Twenty thousand) for production projects, and 50,000 EGP (Fifty thousand) for other projects.
3. If the company is not subject to the Investment Law 8 of 1997 as amended by Law 72 of 2017, the activity in the commercial register shall be export, trade, production, marketing, distribution, or supply.
4. If the company is subject to Investment Law 8 of 1997 or Law 72 of 2017, the activity in the commercial register shall be an open export activity and may not be limited by a specified product.
    
5. The person concerned or responsible for exporting must have obtained an export practice certificate from one of the centers approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).
6. The general partners in partnerships and directors of trust companies may have not been convicted of a criminal penalty or a custodial penalty for an offense involving moral turpitude or dishonesty or in one of the crimes as stipulated in the applicable import and export laws or currency crimes as stipulated in the Law of Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), customs, taxes, catering or trade unless he has been rehabilitated.
7. The general partners in partnerships and directors of trust companies may have not been declared bankrupt unless he has been rehabilitated.
8. The general partners in partnerships and directors of trust companies may not be employees of the government or the public sector.
9. That no decision has been issued by the Minister of Commerce and Industry (MCI) of the company’s termination (for a year) or deregistration (for 3 years) if the exporter committed any above-mentioned violations, or a decision has been issued to suspend or cancel the registration, and where the penalty period has been completed.

B- Documentation Required for Registration or Re-registration of Partnerships and Trust Companies

• The original document of the registration application form with the exporters' register, shall be matching the commercial register. The form shall be signed by the manager in the commercial register, by proxy, or authorized representative.
• A copy of the national ID card or passport of all persons whose names are listed in the commercial register, as well as the original document for review and verification.
• Acknowledgment of registration with the exporters' register, signed before the competent employee, or the validity of the signature is attested by an approved bank, by all the general partners, or by those who have the right to manage and sign in the trust companies.
• If the Applicant is a proxy or authorized representative, the following shall be submitted:
• A copy of a notarized power of attorney and the original document for review and verification (it may only be accepted up to a second proxy)
  or an original authorization letter signed by the manager before the competent employee, or the validity of the signature is attested by an approved bank.
• A copy of the national ID card or passport of the proxy or authorized person, as well as the original document for review and verification.
• Acknowledgment of the validity of the power of attorney signed by the proxy (if the Applicant for registration is a proxy)
• An updated official extract from the commercial register, valid for not less than 90 days. The issue date of the document shall not exceed 90 days, including:
• The registered capital shall not be less than EGP 20,000 (for production projects) and not less than EGP 50,000 (for other projects).
• Activities of trading, exporting, producing, supplying, distributing, or marketing. This excludes persons who are subject to the Investment Law 8 of 1997 as amended by Law 72 of 2017, where the export activity shall be an open activity.
   
• A copy of a valid automated tax card, matching the commercial register, as well as the original document for review and verification, or a data document issued from the Tax Office within which the taxpayer falls (if the company is newly established and its tax card has not been issued yet)
   
• The original export activity certificate of the  export officer, whose name shall be listed in the commercial register, as a limited partner, or an employee of the company;
  or a receipt for payment of the export activity fees at the Authority; or a letter from the regional center for foreign trade training stating that the training course has been booked at the center
  OR a letter from the Chamber of Commerce stating that the training course has been booked
   
• A copy of the ID for the export certificate holder, along with the original document for review and verification.
• If the  export certificate holder is an employee of the company, he shall submit
  The original insurance printout (insurances form)
• If the export certificate holder is a limited partner, he shall submit the company’s MoA.