How to become a real estate broker in Egypt

Egypt now has a mandatory register for property brokers. It is run by the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), part of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, under Law No. 120 of 1982 as amended by Law No. 21 of 2022. In 2026 the rules got real teeth: a ministerial decision set broker types and categories, and the grace period for people already working ended on 25 July 2026. Here is how to get in.

The short version

1. Check that you are eligible. For individuals and Egyptian-owned firms, the law requires Egyptian nationality (see the section on foreigners below).
2. Get brokerage, marketing or real estate intermediation written into your commercial register and tax card (tax activity code 6820).
3. Take GOEIC’s 12-hour “real estate brokerage practice” course and pass the final assessment.
4. Choose your category (A to D), which sets your minimum capital.
5. Book a GOEIC appointment, file the forms and documents, pay the fees and the EGP 1,000 insurance deposit.
6. Collect your registry card. Renew every five years.

Who must register

GOEIC says anyone who brokers, markets or mediates deals on buildings or land, for sale, purchase or rent, must be in the Real Estate Brokers Registry. The law forbids practising unless your name is on it. Since the deadline passed in July 2026, GOEIC no longer issues the “no objection” letter that a broker needs to renew or amend a commercial register without a permanent registry entry.

Types and categories

Ministerial Decision 578 of 2025 took effect on 18 January 2026, after publication in the Official Gazette. (GOEIC’s own guidance document cites it as No. 573 of 2025, so you may see either number.) It defines four broker types: sale, purchase, dual (both sides, under a dual contract) and rental. One registration can cover several types.

Categories depend on the value of the contracts you broker:

Category	Contracts you broker	Minimum capital
A	Over EGP 100 million	EGP 1,000,000
B	Over EGP 50 million	EGP 500,000
C	Over EGP 10 million	EGP 50,000
D	Up to EGP 10 million	EGP 20,000

Capital can be held in Egyptian pounds or the foreign currency equivalent.

The training and assessment

GOEIC’s Center of Excellence runs the course, online or in person at its Cairo Airport headquarters (sessions have also run in Alexandria). The published terms are:

• 3 days, 12 training hours.
• You must attend at least 80% of the hours, or no certificate is issued.
• You must pass a final assessment to get the certificate.
• The fee is EGP 1,500, non-refundable once paid. To postpone, you write to the centre at least 15 days before the start.

The programme covers brokerage law and ethics, registry conditions, broker duties and penalties, drafting brokerage contracts, anti-money laundering and customer due diligence, new cities, reading maps and plans, area and building ratio calculations, and sales, negotiation and CRM basics.

The certificate can be in the name of the owner, the authorised manager, or an insured employee of the firm. GOEIC targets the course at sole owners, general partners, board members and actual managers.

Documents

For a sole establishment, GOEIC’s checklist includes:

• The signed registration application and personal declarations.
• A commercial register extract valid for at least 90 more days, showing the brokerage activity and capital of at least EGP 20,000.
• A valid tax card and the Tax Authority data document showing activity code 6820.
• Your latest tax return, if any.
• The original training certificate. If an employee holds it, a stamped company letter and a social insurance letter proving they are insured by the firm.
• National ID or passport, and proof of nationality.
• Any brokerage contract, with a date certified at the notary.
• Receipt for fees and the EGP 1,000 insurance deposit.

Companies add their articles or commercial gazette entry, and proof of paid-up capital. GOEIC does not publish the registration fee amounts online: they are set at the counter.

The registry card

After the documents are checked and the fees paid, GOEIC issues a registry card to the owner or an authorised person. Cards are issued at the Maarouf (Cairo), 6th of October, Alexandria and Damietta branches. Registration lasts five years. If you renew in the 90 days after expiry, fees double; after that you are struck off. You must report any change in your data within 30 days.

Penalties

Practising without registration can bring up to two years in prison and a fine of EGP 50,000 to 1,000,000, or either one. A court can also ban you from the activity and close your office for up to two years.

Can a foreigner work as a broker in Egypt?

Short answer: you cannot register in your own name, and working for an agency is possible only in limited ways.

• As an individual. Article 3 of the law requires the registrant to be Egyptian. A naturalised Egyptian qualifies only after 10 years of citizenship.
• As a company owner. A standard broker company must be wholly owned by Egyptians. The amended law lets the minister exempt companies with foreign founders, and GOEIC has separate procedures for Egyptian companies with foreign founders and for foreign companies with a branch in Egypt. Expect extra approvals.
• As an employee. GOEIC’s documents do not say whether every salaried agent must be registered personally, and they do not ban foreign staff. But any foreigner working in Egypt needs a Ministry of Labour work permit under Labour Law No. 14 of 2025. Ministerial Decision 279 of 2025 caps foreign employees at 10% of Egyptian staff, with exceptions where justified. Most permits last a year or less.

So for most expats, a sales role inside a registered Egyptian agency, with a work permit, is the realistic route. Ask the employer, in writing, who holds the registration and the training certificate.

The rules changed in 2026 and GOEIC updates its pages often. This guide was checked on the date shown above. Call GOEIC on 19591 before you pay anything. CloserPass is not affiliated with GOEIC.

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