العربية• Invest in Egypt
Guarantees under the law, applied to your project
Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 sets out a number of guarantees for investors, including fair treatment, protection from nationalisation, no expropriation except for public benefit and against fair compensation, and the freedom to transfer profits. We review which guarantees apply to your project and handle the procedures where you need to rely on them before the competent authorities.
• Key guarantees under the law
- Fair and equitable treatment for all investments.
- No nationalisation of investment projects.
- No expropriation except for public benefit and against fair compensation.
- Freedom to transfer profits abroad.
• What our support covers
How we work with you
- Reviewing the project’s position and the guarantees it relies on.
- Dealing with notices concerning licences or land allocated to the project.
- Residency for foreign investors and the employment of foreign workers.
- Representing you before the competent authorities in investment disputes.
• Points to consider
Limits of the guarantees
- The benefits of the law are not granted to a project based on fraud or corruption.
- The project’s funds may not be attached or frozen except by a judicial order or judgment, with the exception of tax debts and social insurance contributions.
- Foreign employees may make up 10% of the total workforce, which may be raised to 20% where qualified national workers are unavailable, in accordance with the Executive Regulations.
The information on this page is based on Investment Law No. 72 of 2017, as amended, and the website of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), and should be checked against the official texts before any decision is made.
• The guarantees
Investment guarantees in Egypt
Protection of ownership
No nationalisation, no expropriation except for public benefit against fair and transferable compensation, and no sequestration except by a final court judgment.
Licence stability
A licence may not be revoked or suspended, nor allocated land withdrawn, unless the investor has been notified and given time to remedy the violation.
Freedom of financing and transfers
Investors may finance their projects from abroad and transfer profits without restriction, and foreign employees may transfer their entitlements abroad.
Residency and trade
Residency for the foreign investor for the duration of the project, and import and export without registration in the importers’ and exporters’ registers.
• FAQs
Common questions about investment guarantees
Can an investment project be nationalised?
No. The Investment Law provides that investment projects may not be nationalised.
Can a foreign investor obtain residency in Egypt?
The law grants non-Egyptian investors residency for the duration of the project, subject to the laws governing residency. We handle the procedures as part of our Residency in Egypt services.
What proportion of foreign employees is permitted?
10% of the project’s total workforce, which may be raised to 20% where qualified national workers are unavailable, in accordance with the Executive Regulations.
• Related areas
Your matter may also involve
• Your next step
Need a review of your project's legal position?
Send us your project details, and we will review the guarantees it relies on and the appropriate next steps with you.
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