Licensing under the Investment Law
Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 established a more structured framework for dealing with investment projects in Egypt. Among the matters it addresses are the procedures for obtaining the approvals, permits and licences required for investment projects.
The Law sought to simplify these procedures through the Investor Service Center, the body that receives investors’ applications for the issuance of approvals and permits, the allocation of real estate, and licences of all kinds required to establish or manage investment projects, and that decides on them in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations and within the prescribed time limits.
The Investor Service Center brings the competent authorities and their representatives together in a single system within the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones or one of its branches. This gives the investor a more organised procedural route for obtaining licences from the Ministry of Investment and its affiliated bodies, instead of multiple administrative routes without clear coordination.
The Law also provides that the Investor Service Center’s services are to be delivered gradually, as quickly as possible, in an automated manner through electronic networks and other necessary technical means, reflecting a legislative trend towards developing investment procedures and linking them to digital transformation.
The Law further transferred the authority to issue approvals, permits and licences to the representatives of the competent authorities within the Investor Service Center, in accordance with the technical requirements set out in the governing laws and the Investment Procedures Guide issued by the Authority, together with the powers relating to allocating real estate and granting the approvals, permits and licences required for the investor’s work and the investment.
The Law also introduced accreditation offices: offices licensed by the Authority to examine the documents for obtaining the approvals, permits and licences required to establish, operate or expand an investment project, in order to determine whether it satisfies the technical, financial and other legally prescribed requirements.
In this context, licensing guides serve as a practical tool that helps investors understand the requirements and procedures associated with each activity and identify the route to obtaining a licence before starting the activity, during its operation, or upon its expansion.
Licensing under the Investment Law is therefore inseparable from the organisation of the relationship between the investor and the administrative authorities. It is part of a wider system aimed at simplifying procedures, defining competences, and facilitating the obtaining of licences from the Ministry of Investment and the competent authorities in accordance with the governing legal rules.
Investment Law No. 72 of 2017
Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 is one of the principal laws governing the investment environment in Egypt. It established a legal framework aimed at regulating investment procedures, defining the guarantees and incentives granted to investors, and facilitating dealings with the competent authorities through the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.
The Investment Law is connected to a number of practical stages that an investment project goes through, from studying the activity and choosing the appropriate legal form, through incorporation procedures and obtaining the required approvals, permits and licences, to operating or expanding the project. The Law’s role is therefore not limited to the company incorporation stage; it extends to regulating an important aspect of the relationship between the investor and the competent administrative authorities.
Among the most important aspects regulated by the Investment Law is the facilitation of procedures through the Investor Service Center, as one of the main channels for handling investors’ applications, particularly with regard to approvals, permits, real estate allocation and the licences required for investment projects. This arrangement aims to reduce the multiplicity of administrative routes and to provide greater clarity when dealing with the competent authorities.
The Law also gives particular importance to licensing, as it is an essential step before many investment activities begin, during their operation, or upon their expansion. Each activity may be subject to different requirements depending on its nature, its location, the authorities regulating it, and the technical, financial, environmental or operational requirements that may apply to it.
In this context, licensing guides become important: they help investors understand the basic requirements associated with each activity and identify the documents and procedures that may be needed to obtain a licence. Licensing guides are an important practical tool before starting the procedures, as they give the investor a preliminary view of the required route and help assess the project’s procedural and regulatory readiness.
Reviewing licensing guides does not mean that all projects will follow the same route, as licensing procedures vary according to the nature of the activity, the competent authorities, and the applicable legal and technical requirements. Determining the precise requirements of each project therefore remains an important step before submitting applications, preparing documents, or starting to deal with the competent authorities.
The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones operates within this framework as the body associated with facilitating a number of investment services and organising many of the procedures relating to investment projects in accordance with the law, regulations and governing decrees. Through this role, the relationship between the Investment Law and licensing guides becomes a direct, practical one: the Law sets the general framework, while the guides help clarify the requirements and procedures associated with the various activities.
Understanding Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 is therefore inseparable from understanding licensing procedures, because in many cases the licence marks the transition from a mere idea or legal entity to a project able to commence its activity in an organised manner. For this reason, this page provides licensing guides in PDF format to help investors and project owners review the requirements and procedures associated with investment activities in Egypt in accordance with the Investment Law and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.
Why Licensing Guides Matter to Investors
Licensing an investment activity does not begin simply with preparing documents; it begins with understanding the requirements that apply to the nature of the activity itself. Each project may differ from others in terms of the competent authority, technical requirements, prior approvals, required documents, and the procedures to be completed before operations begin or during expansion.
Licensing guides help form a clear preliminary picture of the procedural route for each activity by setting out the basic requirements, documents and procedures associated with obtaining a licence. These guides are therefore an important step for investors before submitting applications, as they help assess the project’s readiness, identify what still needs to be completed, and reduce the likelihood of delays caused by missing documents or unclear requirements.
Through the PDF licensing guides available on this page, investors and project owners can refer to the guide relevant to their activity and understand the general framework of the procedures before dealing with the competent authorities, bearing in mind that practical application may vary according to the nature of the activity, the project’s location, and the legal and technical requirements governing it.