Self employed/starting a business

Hi,

To register a company in the A.R.E. you need an Egyptian citizen who will hol 51% of your shares. You also need an Egyptian Director. In order for you to obtain residence as shareholder / company owner you have to show that you are paying taxes (bitaqa Darabiyya) and your company is undertaking activities. Secondly, do not expect a long -term residence. All residence permits in Egypt are temporary.

Thirdly, being a shareholder, or company owner does not give you the right to work in Egypt. A foreign worker can be hired every 10 Egyptian employees and should  possess such academic qualifications to justify the hire. E.g. One academic degree and one professional qualification/license (all docs attested by your country of origin + Egyptian Embassy).

If you want a 100% foreign owned company, you will have to register your business entity in a Free Zone, such as Nasr City. Min. req. USD 50,000.

My advice is that you should have a very good reason to establish a business in Egypt, other than obtaining residence. If you own a property, you will be able to get 1 year touristic anyway.

Perhaps registering a company in your country of origin and trading online is a far better option.

Good luck