Sharm & South SinaiOpening a Business in Sharm El Sheikh: 9 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid ThemNine mistakes we see when people open a business in Sharm El Sheikh: the wrong company form under Decree 128/2022, property deals…
Company formation · Decree 128/2022 · Law 14/2012
Company Formation in Sharm El Sheikh and South Sinai (2026)
Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism sector follow Decree 128/2022: a non-Egyptian project must be an Egyptian joint stock company, and land stays Egyptian-only. El Tor, Saint Catherine and Ras Sudr follow the Sinai law, Law 14/2012. We set your company up and keep it compliant, from Sharm El Sheikh.
- Chartered Accountant (محاسب قانوني)
- Office 314, Al Azizia Mall, Sharm El Sheikh
- Sinai rules checked October 2026
- Arabic, English, Italian, Russian
01What's included
Company formation in South Sinai, Egypt: what we do in Sharm and beyond
Formation is day one. We stay for the approvals, the tax card, the e-receipts and the books.
01Address and rule-set checkWe place your plot or premises against Decree 128/2022 and Law 14/2012 before you sign or file anything.
02Structure and share splitAn Egyptian joint stock company for a non-Egyptian project in Sharm or Dahab; at least 55% Egyptian ownership in El Tor or Saint Catherine.Joint stock companies03GAFI file and security formsArticles, security-inquiry forms for foreign founders and managers, bank certificate, notarisation and the Commercial Register entry.
04Approvals for later changesShare transfers, new shareholders and amended articles: GAFI or FRA plus the security approvals, in the right order.
05Tax card, VAT and e-receiptsTax registration and e-invoicing, VAT at EGP 500,000 turnover, and e-receipts for consumer sales in Sharm (ETA Decision 484/2022).
06Books, payroll and GAFI reportsMonthly books, social and health insurance, audit-ready statements and, with any foreign shareholder, GAFI's FDI reports.Accounting and payroll02Process
Company registration in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, step by step
Time ranges, not promises. The GAFI filing is quick; the checks and approvals around it set the pace.
- 01
Check the address and the rule set
We place your plot or premises against Decree 128/2022 and Law 14/2012.
- 02
Fix the structure
In the decree areas, a non-Egyptian project is an Egyptian JSC: at least three founders, at least EGP 250,000 issued capital and a board of at least three. In El Tor or Saint Catherine, at least 55% stays Egyptian.
- 03
Documents and security forms
Founders' papers, legalised where issued abroad, and security-inquiry forms for every foreign founder and manager.
- 04
Bank certificate and GAFI filing
At least 10% of the JSC's issued capital paid in, then certification, notarisation and the Commercial Register. GAFI states one working day for a JSC filed in person.
- 05
Sinai Development Agency licence
Only where Law 14/2012 applies (El Tor, Saint Catherine, Ras Sudr): the licence comes before the project starts.
- 06
Tax card, VAT and e-receipts
Tax card and e-invoicing, VAT at EGP 500,000 turnover (earlier for some activities), and e-receipts for consumer sales in Sharm. The 8-month temporary tax card cannot issue e-invoices.
Every later change of founders, shareholdings or articles in the decree areas goes back through the security approvals and GAFI or FRA, so we plan the share structure with that in mind.
03Why us
Why clients in Sharm choose us
Company Formation in Sharm El Sheikh and South Sinai, handled by one chartered accountant from your first question to the final registration. We help you open a company in Sharm El Sheikh under Decree 128/2022. Read why you do not need an Egyptian partner in Sharm and Dahab.
+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
Company formation in Sharm El Sheikh: questions
Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Sharm El Sheikh?
On paper, Decree 128/2022 sets no minimum Egyptian share in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism sector. The project must still be an Egyptian joint stock company, later share changes need security and GAFI or FRA approval, and the company cannot own land. We check how GAFI treats your shareholder list case by case.
Does the 55% Egyptian ownership rule apply in Sharm El Sheikh?
No. The 55% rule comes from Law 14/2012 and applies in the rest of Sinai, including El Tor, Saint Catherine and Ras Sudr. Decree 128/2022 took Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism sector out of that law in April 2022. There, a non-Egyptian project must be a joint stock company, with no percentage stated.
Can my company own its office or land in Sharm El Sheikh?
Only if it is wholly Egyptian-owned. In the decree areas, land and buildings may be owned only by Egyptians or wholly Egyptian-owned entities, and every ownership, usufruct or real-estate dealing needs prior approval from Defence, Interior and General Intelligence, or the contract is void. A company with any foreign shareholder rents its premises or holds a usufruct.
Is Decree 128/2022 for Sharm El Sheikh only, or does it cover Nabq, Nuweiba and Taba?
The decree covers Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism sector, within the boundaries on its maps. Whether a plot in Nuweiba or Taba town, or around Nabq and the airport, falls inside depends on those maps, so we check plot by plot. A company active inside and outside the decree areas stays under Law 14/2012.
How long does company formation in Sharm El Sheikh take?
GAFI states one working day for a joint stock company filed in person at its service centres. In practice, allow one to two weeks once every document is ready. Legalising papers abroad, the advance security clearance reported for some nationalities, and Sinai approvals can add more. We give you a time range for your case, never a fixed promise.
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Where to go next
Company formation in EgyptEvery company form compared, from the LLC to the representative office.Compare company formsJoint stock company (S.A.E.)The form Decree 128/2022 names for non-Egyptian projects in Sharm and Dahab.How a JSC worksForeign-owned companies100% ownership in most of Egypt, and the cases where it stops.Foreign ownership rulesDoing business in Sharm El SheikhOur office, local rules and the areas we cover, from Naama Bay to Nabq.Sharm El SheikhStarting a business in DahabDive shops, guesthouses and cafés under the same decree as Sharm.DahabSouth Sinai, Dahab to El TorWhich rules apply in Nuweiba, Taba, El Tor and Saint Catherine.South Sinai
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