Company formation & investmentDo You Need an Egyptian Partner? The 51%, 55% and Nominee Myths in Sharm, Dahab and El TorForeigners can own 100% of most Egyptian companies. Where the 51% and 55% figures really apply, what Decree 128/2022 means for Sharm…
Company formation · Foreign owners
Company Formation in Egypt for Foreigners:
100% Ownership and Its Limits
Foreigners can own 100% of most Egyptian companies and take profits and capital home. The limits are commercial agency, importing for trade and Sinai, which includes Sharm El Sheikh. We handle company formation in Egypt for foreigners from Office 314 in Sharm El Sheikh, and keep the company compliant afterwards.
- Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني)
- Office 314, Al Azizia Mall, Sharm El Sheikh
- Arabic, English, Italian and Russian
- Same-day replies, 09:00–23:00 every day
01What's included
What we do for a foreign-owned company
From your first WhatsApp message to the annual return, handled from our office in Al Azizia Mall.
01Route check before you spendYour activity, nationality and address checked against the exceptions, then the right form: one-person company, LLC, JSC, branch or representative office.Company forms compared02Documents and legalisationA document list for your nationality, the legalisation route for papers issued abroad, Arabic translations and powers of attorney.Document checklist
03Security forms and GAFI filingSecurity-inquiry forms for every foreign founder and manager, filing at GAFI and follow-up to the Commercial Register entry.
04Tax card, VAT and e-receiptsRegistration with the Egyptian Tax Authority, VAT where it is due, e-invoices and, for consumer sales in Sharm El Sheikh, e-receipts.VAT registration05Residency and work permitsThe investor residence file linked to your company, and work permits for the foreign staff the rules allow.Investor residency06Every year afterBooks, VAT and payroll returns, the annual return, the auditor, the general assembly and GAFI FDI reports.Accounting02Process
Company formation in Egypt for foreigners, step by step
Seven stages from the first message to a company that can invoice. Times are GAFI's stated service times or practitioners' reports, not promises.
- 01
Route check
We check activity, nationality and address against the exceptions above and choose the form.
- 02
Name and premises
We agree the trade name and the premises the company will use. In Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab we check the address against Decree 128/2022 first, because land and buildings there stay in Egyptian hands.
- 03
Documents from abroad
Passports, corporate papers for a company founder and powers of attorney, legalised for use in Egypt and translated into Arabic.
- 04
Security forms and capital
Security-inquiry forms for every foreign founder and manager. Capital paid in where the form requires it: 10% of issued capital for a JSC, the full capital (at least EGP 1,000) for a one-person company. An LLC is exempt from the incorporation bank certificate.
- 05
Incorporation at GAFI
Contract, Bar Association certification, notarisation and Commercial Register entry. GAFI states 1 working day for a one-person company or JSC filed in person at its service centres. That in-person route is offered only for those two forms, so do not plan on an LLC in a day.
- 06
Tax and insurance registrations
Tax card, VAT where due, e-invoicing and, for consumer sales in Sharm, e-receipts. Social insurance and Universal Health Insurance for staff.
As of October 2026. Legalisation abroad, security clearance and, in Sinai, the extra approvals usually set the real pace, not the GAFI counter.
03Why us
Why clients in Sharm choose us
Company Formation in Egypt for Foreigners, handled by one chartered accountant from your first question to the final registration. Can foreigners own a company in Egypt? Yes: 100% foreign ownership in Egyptian law is the rule, with a few limits. Opening a business in Egypt as a foreigner starts with the right company form. Read why you do not need an Egyptian partner in most cases.
+100 businesses servedHotels, restaurants, dive centres, shops and investors in Sharm El Sheikh trust us with their files.
A chartered accountant on your fileYour file is prepared and followed by a Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني) and tax expert.
On the ground in SharmOffice 314, Al Azizia Mall, close to the authorities your file goes through. Open every day, 09:00–23:00.
Four languagesArabic, English, Italian and Russian, with the same facts in each.
FAQ
Foreign ownership in Egypt: questions we are asked
Can a foreigner own a business in Egypt, and own 100% of it?
Yes, for most activities. As of October 2026, a foreigner can own all the shares of a one-person company, an LLC or a joint stock company, and can repatriate profits and capital. Commercial agency is restricted to Egyptians, importing for trade has its own registration, and Sinai has separate rules, including the JSC requirement in Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab.
Can a foreigner open a business in Egypt without travelling there?
Much of the work, yes. Papers can be signed and legalised in your country and filed in Egypt under a power of attorney. If the person holding it is a foreigner, he or she needs valid Egyptian residency. Every foreign founder and manager still files a security-inquiry form, and passport details must match every document exactly.
How long does company formation take for a foreigner?
GAFI states 1 working day for a one-person company or JSC filed in person at its service centres; that route is not offered for LLCs. Practitioners report 1–2 weeks once documents are ready, as of October 2026. Legalising papers abroad, advance security clearance for some nationalities and, in Sinai, the extra approvals usually add time around that.
Which nationalities need advance security clearance?
Chambers' 2026 guide reports advance clearance for some nationalities, including Russia and Ukraine, and GAFI has started relaxing this case by case. Every foreign founder and manager files a security-inquiry form regardless. Tell us the nationalities involved before you sign a lease or hire staff, and we check the current position for your file.
What is the minimum capital for a foreign-owned company in Egypt?
Law 159/1981 sets it by company form, as of October 2026. An LLC has no statutory minimum, a one-person company needs EGP 1,000, fully paid, and a JSC needs EGP 250,000 issued capital, 10% paid at incorporation. A branch shows a bank certificate for the equivalent of EGP 5,000 in foreign currency. Your business plan may need more.
Related services
Where to go next
Company formation in EgyptAll company forms side by side: owners, capital, timing and what each suits.Compare company formsSharm El Sheikh and South SinaiDecree 128/2022, Law 14/2012 and the approvals on this side of Sinai.Formation in South SinaiJoint stock companyThe form Decree 128/2022 requires for non-Egyptian projects in Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab.Joint stock companyInvestor residencyA renewable residence through your company, with no separate work permit for holders.Investor residencyForeign investorsOne plan for the company, residency, tax registration and yearly compliance.Foreign investors in EgyptWork permitsPermits for foreign managers and staff under Labour Law 14/2025.Work permits
Related guides
Company formation & investmentDo You Need an Egyptian Partner? The 51%, 55% and Nominee Myths in Sharm, Dahab and El TorForeigners can own 100% of most Egyptian companies. Where the 51% and 55% figures really apply, what Decree 128/2022 means for Sharm…Free consultation
Tell us about your case. The first consultation is free
Send us a few lines on WhatsApp or call. During office hours (09:00–23:00, every day) we reply the same day, in Arabic, English, Italian or Russian.