Selling syringes and needles in Egypt: a distributor and importer for manufacturers
Last verified:
Syringes (HS 9018.31) pay 5% import duty in Egypt and hypodermic needles (HS 9018.32) 2%, both 0% for EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish goods with proof of origin (official tariff, NAFEZA). They are registered with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) as medical devices, and a sterile syringe or needle filed for new registration is not released from the port until the registration is issued (EDA import guideline). Egypt imported US$7.57 million of syringes and US$12.60 million of needles in 2024, with China the largest origin on both lines (World Bank WITS).
Buying in Egypt?
Hospitals, labs and clinics in Egypt can order from the UltraTeb online shop.
Go to the UltraTeb shopA manufacturer or exporter?
Supply your products to Egypt — and from there to Africa and the Middle East — with UltraTeb Market Access.
Apply — 2 minutesUltraTeb Market Access is a zero-upfront-fee route into Egypt's medical market: UltraTeb registers, imports, markets, stores and sells your product, shares the risk, and pays you when it sells.
Buying syringes and needles in Egypt? Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies can see the range and ask for a quote on UltraTeb's B2B web shop: syringes and needles on shop.ultrateb.com. The rest of this page is for manufacturers who want to sell in Egypt.
What are the key facts for syringes and needles in Egypt?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS codes | 9018.31 syringes, with or without needles (national line 9018.31.00.00); 9018.32 tubular metal needles (national line 9018.32.00.90, non-veterinary) | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import duty (MFN) | Syringes 5%, hypodermic needles 2%, on the CIF value | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import duty with a trade agreement | 0% for EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish origin with proof of origin. MERCOSUR: 87.5% reduction on syringes, 100% on needles. AfCFTA: 80% (group A) or 40% (group B) reduction. Goods from China, India, Korea, Japan and the USA pay the MFN rate | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Import VAT | 14% shown on the official tariff line. Law 149 of 2026 added a 5% rate for medical devices used to provide services; it is not confirmed that single-use supplies qualify, so we confirm your product's rate before pricing | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| EDA route | Full EDA registration as a medical device for sterile items of every class, held by a local importer or scientific office; every shipment also needs an EDA import approval issued before the goods ship | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Typical class | Class IIa for needles and syringes under the EU rules EDA follows; some empty syringes without needles are Class I (sterile: Is) | health.ec.europa.eu | |
| Trap: sterile release | A sterile syringe or needle filed for new registration is not released until the registration notification is issued; there is no import-while-registering window for new sterile items | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Trap: where the goods ship from | Tariff rule ق4122: syringes and needles imported for trade must be shipped from the country of origin or the producer's main distribution centres; goods routed through a third-country trader or hub can be refused | nafeza.gov.eg | |
| Trap: certificates from non-reference countries | Certificates (FSC, CE, ISO) from China, India, Korea, Indonesia and other non-reference origins must be legalised by the Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian embassy | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Local manufacturing | Yes. Several Egyptian producers make syringes (including auto-disable syringes) and hypodermic needles; the same sources say national need still exceeds local output | youm7.com | |
| Public-tender preference | An Egyptian product with more than 40% local content is treated as the lowest bid if it is within 15% of the lowest foreign bid, so imported syringes compete with that preference in UPA tenders | trade.gov | |
| Consumables made locally (industry estimate) | 60–65% of medical consumables, according to the Medical Supplies Division of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce (22 August 2026) | almalnews.com | |
| Egypt syringe imports, 2024 (HS 9018.31) | US$7.57 million: China 2.30M, Korea 1.31M, Switzerland 0.78M, Germany 0.72M, Hungary 0.59M, India 0.55M, France 0.36M | wits.worldbank.org | 2024 |
| Egypt syringe imports, 2023 (HS 9018.31) | US$10.73 million: China 2.69M, UAE 1.58M, Spain 1.57M, Other Asia (Taiwan) 1.18M, Indonesia 0.93M, Germany 0.70M, Korea 0.56M, India 0.41M | wits.worldbank.org | 2023 |
| Egypt needle imports, 2024 (HS 9018.32) | US$12.60 million: China 8.40M, India 2.31M, Korea 0.88M, Japan 0.66M, Italy 0.14M. The line also includes needles imported as components by local makers, and suture needles | wits.worldbank.org | 2024 |
Duty and VAT from Egypt's official tariff (NAFEZA, Ministry of Finance single window). Trade values are Egypt-reported CIF imports for the whole HS6 line (UN Comtrade data via World Bank WITS), not only medical use. Last verified 2026-09-25.
Last verified:
What does it take to sell syringes and needles in Egypt?
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Have the certificates ready
A CE certificate (EU MDR) Class IIa from a Notified Body, ISO 13485:2016, a Declaration of Conformity and a Free Sale Certificate. Product standards such as ISO 7886-1 (syringes), ISO 7864 (needles) and ISO 80369-7 (Luer connectors), sterilisation validation (ISO 11135 or ISO 11137) and ISO 10993 biocompatibility support the file.
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Legalise them if you are outside the reference countries
Certificates from China, India, Korea, Indonesia and other non-reference origins are legalised by the Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian embassy. Reference-country certificates are verified by EDA directly.
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Register with EDA through a local holder
Only an Egyptian importer or scientific office can file and hold the registration. A new sterile syringe or needle stays in the port until the registration notification is issued, so the file comes before the freight.
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Get an import approval and ship from origin
Each shipment needs an EDA import approval before it ships, and syringes and needles must leave from the country of origin or the producer's main distribution centres (tariff rule ق4122).
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Clear customs and pay duty and VAT
5% duty on syringes and 2% on needles, or 0% with a valid EU, UK, EFTA or Turkish proof of origin, then import VAT on the duty-paid value.
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Sell to the right buyers
Private hospitals and clinics, UPA public tenders where the product can compete on price, and pharmacy and diabetes channels for insulin syringes and pen needles.
Who buys syringes and needles in Egypt?
- UPA tenders and framework call-offs. Since financial year 2025/26 these are tripartite contracts: the Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) issues the order and the requesting public hospital pays.
- Ministry of Health and university hospitals, buying through UPA.
- Universal Health Insurance and Health Insurance Organization facilities.
- Private hospital groups and private hospitals.
- The national immunisation programme, for auto-disable syringes — now also made in Egypt.
- Diabetes clinics and pharmacies, for insulin syringes and pen needles.
Do imported syringes compete with Egyptian-made ones?
Yes, and it is the first thing to plan for. Several Egyptian factories make standard and auto-disable syringes and hypodermic needles, and in public tenders a qualifying Egyptian product within 15% of the lowest foreign bid is treated as the lowest (US Commercial Service). Egypt's syringe imports were US$7.57 million in 2024, which is consistent with local supply covering most standard volume.
So we look first at what local lines do not cover: safety and retractable syringes, syringes for infusion pumps and pen needles are where we start, and the free market study checks your product against real demand and local prices before anything ships.
How does UltraTeb Market Access sell your syringes and needles?
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Free market study and pricing
We check where your syringes or needles fit against local supply and price them for private buyers and, where they can compete, UPA tenders.
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EDA registration, end to end
We tell you which certificates need legalising, prepare and file the registration, and follow it to the registration notification.
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Import, customs, duty and VAT
The import approval before every shipment, ACI and CargoX coordination, clearance, and the duty and VAT paid by us. We tell you which origin document gets EU, UK, EFTA or Turkish goods in at 0%.
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Warehousing by lot and expiry
Stored and picked first-expiry-first-out, with your stock visible to you at all times.
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Marketing and distribution
Arabic and English product pages on shop.ultrateb.com and campaigns once EDA advertising approval is in place, our sales team calling on private hospitals and clinics, and bids in UPA tenders where your product can compete.
“A syringe is a small product with a whole registration behind it. We fund that work and carry the risk with you — we are only paid when your product sells.” — Mohamed Dabees, founder, UltraTeb
Frequently asked questions
What import duty do syringes and needles pay in Egypt?
Syringes (9018.31.00.00) pay 5% and hypodermic needles (9018.32.00.90) 2% on the CIF value. EU, UK, EFTA and Turkish goods enter at 0% with valid proof of origin; goods from China, India, Korea, Japan and the USA pay the MFN rate (official tariff, NAFEZA).
Is the VAT on syringes 14% or 5%?
The official tariff line shows 14%. Law 149 of 2026 added a 5% rate for medical devices used to provide services, but the law speaks of devices, not supplies, and it is not confirmed that single-use syringes qualify. We confirm your product's rate before we price it, because tender prices include VAT.
Can sterile syringes be imported while the EDA file is pending?
No. A sterile device filed for new registration is not released until the registration notification is issued (EDA import guideline). The exceptions cover re-registrations and variations, not new products.
Can I ship syringes to Egypt through a trading hub?
It is risky. Tariff rule ق4122 requires syringes and needles imported for trade to be shipped from the country of origin or from the producer's main distribution centres, so goods routed through a third-country trader can be refused. We check the routing with the customs broker before the first shipment.
Do my certificates need to be legalised?
Only if they come from a country that is not an EDA reference country, for example China, India, Korea or Indonesia: then the FSC, CE and ISO certificates are legalised by the Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian embassy. See EDA reference countries.
Are syringes made in Egypt?
Yes. Several Egyptian producers make syringes, including auto-disable syringes, and hypodermic needles, and in public tenders a qualifying Egyptian product within 15% of the lowest foreign bid is treated as the lowest. Imported products usually do best where local lines are thin, which the free market study checks.
Who pays for registration, duty and VAT with UltraTeb Market Access?
We do. Registration, import, duty and VAT, storage and marketing are funded by UltraTeb, and you are paid when your goods sell.
Where can buyers in Egypt order syringes and needles?
On UltraTeb's B2B web shop: syringes and needles on shop.ultrateb.com.
Sell your syringes and needles in Egypt — with zero upfront fees.
Send us your product and certificates. We check demand, local competition and the EDA route in a free market study, then register, import, store, market and sell. You're paid when we sell.