How do you find and check an importer in Egypt for medical products?
Last verified:
An importer in Egypt must be on the Importers Register at GOEIC — by default at least 51% Egyptian-owned, or foreign-majority for up to 10 years under Law 173 of 2023 — and, for medical products, must also hold an EDA importer licence on which your factory is listed by name. Before you sign, check those two licences, the warehouse and cold chain, the importer's hard-currency banking, its vigilance set-up, and whether it can really sell to hospitals, labs and tenders.
What must an Egyptian medical importer hold?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importers Register (GOEIC) | Required to import for trading; default rule at least 51% Egyptian ownership | tamimi.com | |
| Foreign-majority importers | Allowed since Law 173 of 2023 (in force 30 October 2023) for up to 10 years in total, extendable once by Cabinet decision | tamimi.com | |
| New register regulations | Ministerial Decree 271 of 2026 (21 July 2026); minimum paid-up capital EGP 2 million for partnerships, LLCs and one-person companies; renewals within 15 days | shandpartners.com | |
| EDA importer licence | EDA keeps its own register of medical device importers; each foreign supplier and manufacturer is added to the importer's licence by name, based on a relationship letter | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Commercial agents | Anyone acting as an agent for a foreign principal must be on the Commercial Agents Register; companies must be wholly Egyptian-owned | goeic.gov.eg | 1982 |
| Vigilance duties | Importers and distributors must keep lot traceability, written incident procedures and a named safety officer | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Corruption perception | Egypt scores 30/100, rank 130 of 180 (Transparency International CPI 2025) | transparency.org | 2025 |
| Search demand we measured | 'importers in egypt' 590 searches a month, worldwide (Google Keyword Planner, UltraTeb measurement) | ads.google.com |
Decree 271/2026 is recent; details beyond those reported may still change. Last verified 2026-09-25.
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Which 12 things should you check before you sign?
- A valid importer card on the Importers Register (and, if foreign-majority, its status under the 10-year regime).
- An EDA medical device importer licence that can list your factory.
- Whether it will act as a distributor (buys and resells) or an agent (must be on the Commercial Agents Register).
- A warehouse suited to your product: storage conditions, temperature control, lot and expiry tracking.
- A named safety officer and a written vigilance and recall procedure.
- Banking that pays imports through Form 4 and documentary collections or letters of credit.
- Real sales reach: private hospitals, lab chains, clinics, regions outside Cairo — and UPA registration if tenders matter.
- EDA filing experience: ask how many files it has prepared and how long they took.
- Principals you can call for a reference.
- A written anti-bribery policy and willingness to sign anti-bribery clauses.
- Stock and sales reporting by lot, at least monthly.
- Clear contract terms on who holds the registration, the term, exclusivity and what happens at the end.
Which red flags should stop the conversation?
- It offers to register your trademark in its own name.
- It cannot show its importer card or EDA importer licence.
- It suggests lowering invoice values — understating customs tax by more than 20% triggers a fine of half the tax at risk.
- It promises tender awards.
- It has no warehouse of its own or cannot explain where your goods will be stored.
- It cannot explain how and when it will pay you.
Where can you find importers in Egypt?
- Your country's trade desk in Cairo. The US Commercial Service runs partner searches (its Gold Key programme costs USD 950–2,400 by company size — trade.gov); European, Asian and Turkish trade offices offer similar lists.
- Trade fairs. Africa Health ExCon is held in Cairo each June and is organised by UPA (upa.gov.eg).
- Chambers of commerce and industry associations in Egypt and in your own country.
- Customs and shipment data, which show who imports similar products today.
- Search and B2B platforms — then apply the 12 checks above.
Importer, distributor or agent — what are you actually hiring?
In Egypt the importer of record, the registration applicant and the seller are often the same company, but the legal relationship matters: a distributor buys and resells; an agent sells for your account and falls under the commercial agency law. See distributor vs agent vs importer of record.
“Ask any importer two questions first: show me your EDA importer licence, and show me how you will pay me. The answers tell you most of what you need to know.” — Mohamed Dabees, founder, UltraTeb
UltraTeb 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.
How is UltraTeb Market Access different from a plain importer?
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Importing plus selling
We don't just clear your goods — we market and sell them to private hospitals, lab chains, clinics and tenders.
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Zero upfront fees
Market study, registration, duty, VAT and storage are funded by us.
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Full visibility
You see stock by lot and every sale, and you're paid when it sells.
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Everything in writing
Term, exclusivity, registration and exit terms are set out in the agreement before you ship.
Frequently asked questions
Who can import medical products into Egypt?
A company on the Importers Register that also holds an EDA medical device importer licence listing the foreign manufacturer.
Can a foreign company be its own importer in Egypt?
Since Law 173 of 2023 a foreign-majority Egyptian company can join the Importers Register for up to 10 years in total. It still needs an Egyptian company and EDA licensing.
How do I verify an Egyptian importer?
Ask for the importer card, the EDA importer licence, the commercial register extract and bank references, and call two of its current principals.
What is the difference between an importer and a distributor?
An importer clears goods in its name; a distributor also buys and resells them. In Egypt the same company often does both.
Do I need to legalise my contract with an Egyptian importer?
Yes, for medical devices: EDA asks for the contract notarised and authenticated by the Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian embassy.
Is UltraTeb Market Access an importer?
We import, and we also register, store, market and sell your product, with zero upfront fees. You're paid when it sells.
Looking for an importer? Talk to one that also sells.
Zero upfront fees. We register, import, store, market and sell — you're paid when we sell.