How it works: from your application to your first payment, in 12 steps
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You apply in about 2 minutes, we do a free market study and price plan, and after the agreement we register, import, clear, store, market and sell your product in Egypt — you are paid for what sells. The time to first sale depends mostly on registration: EDA answers an import-approval request within 2 working days, a new IVD may be sold for 6 months while its file is pending, and a new sterile device needs its registration first, which realistically takes 6–12 months.
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.
What happens, step by step?
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Apply
Tell us who you are and what you make: company, work email, country and product category. Step 1 of the form takes about 2 minutes. Step 2 (products, certificates, shelf life, price range) is optional but makes the study faster.
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Fit check
We check the basics: product type, certificates, shelf life, labelling and price level. You get a clear answer. If the product fits, we ask for your catalogue, certificates and export price list.
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Free market study and price plan
We study demand, buyer segments, competition (imports and Egyptian manufacturers), the registration route, landed cost and the price bands that sell. We recommend a small pilot: which products, how many, and for which channels. You pay nothing for the study.
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Agreement
We sign a distribution agreement with sell-through payment terms. EDA requires the distribution contract to be authenticated by a Chamber of Commerce and the Egyptian embassy or consulate, so we prepare it with you for that. Duration, exclusivity and what happens at the end of the partnership are agreed in writing here, before anything ships.
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Registration
We prepare and file the registration or listing with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) on its MeDevice portal, answer EDA's questions and follow the file to approval. You provide the certificates and technical documents; we do the rest.
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CargoX and ACI
Egypt requires Advance Cargo Information for every shipment. We file the shipment in Egypt's NAFEZA system and receive the ACID number. You register once on CargoX and upload the invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading or air waybill. We guide you through it.
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EDA import approval
Before your goods ship, we obtain EDA's import approval on your pro-forma invoice. Goods must not ship before this approval exists.
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Shipping and customs clearance
You ship. We clear customs, pay the customs duty and import VAT, and arrange the EDA release inspection. You do not pay duty or VAT.
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Warehouse
Your goods go into storage, tracked by lot and expiry date, and are picked first-expiry-first-out. Temperature-controlled products are stored as your labelling requires.
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Market and sell
Once the EDA advertising approval is in place, we list your product in Arabic and English, run campaigns and launch content, and our sales team offers it to private hospitals, laboratories and clinics. Where the product can compete, we bid in UPA public tenders.
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Monthly statement
Every month you receive an itemised statement of what sold, to which channel, and what remains in stock by lot and expiry. You can also see stock, sales, enquiries, quotes and tenders at any time.
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You are paid when it sells
You are paid for the units that sold, on the schedule in your agreement. For public-tender sales, payment follows the paying hospital's payment to us.
How long does each stage take?
| Fact | Value | Source | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDA import approval | EDA replies within 2 working days; the approval is valid for 1 year for one whole shipment and must exist before the goods ship | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| ACID number (Advance Cargo Information) | Issued within 48 hours of filing in NAFEZA | s-ge.com | 2025 |
| Shipping documents on CargoX | Uploaded by the exporter at least 48 hours before arrival; one-time CargoX verification for a foreign exporter costs USD 15 | cargox.io | 2025 |
| ACI for air freight | Mandatory since 1 January 2026 (sea freight since 1 October 2021) | aegypten.ahk.de | |
| New device registration, normal track | 6–12 months is a realistic planning range (consultant estimate) | meddeviceguide.com | 2026 |
| EDA review time reported by the US Commercial Service | 4–9 months | trade.gov | |
| Sterile devices | Not released from customs until the registration notification is issued | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| IVD and lab reagents not sold in Egypt before | May be sold for 6 months from the first import approval while the registration file is pending; the first 3 batches after licensing are tested by EDA before release | edaegypt.gov.eg | |
| Registration validity | Devices 10 years; IVDs 5 years | trade.gov |
Timelines are regulatory or consultant figures, not promises. We give you the expected route and timeline for your product in the free market study.
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Which products reach the market fastest?
| Product type | Can it be sold before full registration? | What usually decides the timing |
|---|---|---|
| Non-sterile Class I devices and consumables | Often yes — EDA's import guideline accepts a registration-file acceptance number plus a Declaration of Conformity or Free Sale Certificate for non-sterile devices | Certificates in order; EDA is moving towards registering more products, so we confirm the route per product |
| Lab and IVD reagents | Yes, for 6 months from the first import approval while the file is pending | Free Sale Certificate from the country of origin or a reference country; EDA testing of the first 3 batches |
| Sterile devices (any class) | No — not released until registered | The registration review |
| Class IIb and III devices from non-reference countries | No | Review by EDA's specialised scientific committees; samples; legalised certificates |
| Non-sterile surgical instruments and orthopaedic implants from non-reference countries | Only after the first shipment's laboratory analysis | Goods held until the analysis report is issued |
What do you do, and what do we do?
You do
- Supply the product.
- Provide certificates and technical documents, and legalise them in your country where EDA requires it.
- Register once on CargoX and upload your shipping documents for each shipment.
We do
- Market study and pricing — free.
- EDA registration or listing, end to end.
- ACID filing in NAFEZA and EDA import approval for every shipment.
- Customs clearance, customs duty and import VAT.
- Warehousing with lot and expiry tracking.
- EDA advertising approval, then marketing in Arabic and English.
- Sales to private hospitals, laboratories, clinics and UPA tenders.
- E-invoicing, collection, monthly statements and your live view of stock and sales.
Why do we start with a small pilot?
A small first order tests real demand at a real price, with little stock at risk on either side. If the pilot sells, we plan the next orders and a longer-term agreement together. If it does not, we both learn it early.
What does it cost you?
Nothing upfront. The market study, pricing, registration, import, customs duty and VAT, warehousing, marketing and the sales launch are funded by UltraTeb. We earn only when your products sell. Your own costs stay on your side of the border: producing your documents and, where EDA requires it, legalising them in your country.
“We do everything, we give you full access, and we only make money once we sell.” — Mohamed Dabees, Founder, UltraTeb
Frequently asked questions
How long from application to first sale?
It depends on the product. Items that can be imported while registration is pending (many non-sterile Class I items, and IVDs within their 6-month window) move fastest. Sterile devices must be registered first, and 6–12 months is a realistic planning range. The market study gives you the expected route and timeline for your product.
Can I ship before the import approval?
No. EDA's guideline says goods must not be shipped before the import approval is obtained. We tell you when the approval and the ACID number are ready, and then you ship.
What is my part of the CargoX process?
Register once on CargoX (a one-time USD 15 verification) and, for each shipment, upload the commercial invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading or air waybill, all showing the ACID number, at least 48 hours before arrival. We send you the ACID number and check the documents with you.
Who pays customs duty and VAT?
We do. Duty and import VAT are paid by UltraTeb at clearance.
When do I get paid?
When we sell. You receive a monthly itemised statement and are paid for the units that sold on the schedule in your agreement. For public-tender sales, payment follows the paying hospital's payment to us.
What happens at the end of the partnership?
The terms for ending the partnership — notice, unsold stock and the costs we funded — are agreed in writing in the distribution agreement before your first shipment.
Step 1 takes 2 minutes
Zero upfront fees. We handle everything else — registration, import, customs, duties, warehousing and selling. You're paid when we sell.