In two steps.. Issuing investment licenses

In order to attract more investments and encourage existing ones, the new Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 stipulated that license be granted through investor service centers, in an automated manner, through electronic link networks and other necessary technical means, gradually and as quickly as possible.

In order to simplify procedures and facilitate investors, Prime Minister Decision No. 982 of 2022 was issued on March 14, 2022, which stipulates the commitment of all competent authorities to receive investor requests to issue approvals, permits, or licenses necessary to establish and operate new investment projects.

 the expansion of existing investment projects by deciding on those applications within 20 working days from the date of submitting the application, complete with all its documents.

 The competent authority must notify the applicant of the decision issued in his application, whether with approval or rejection, by means of a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, or through any of the modern technological means that are agreed upon with the investor when submitting an application within 5 working days from the date of expiration of the aforementioned period. 

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones published, on its official website, the steps for issuing licenses:

The first step: the stage of technical review and payment of fees:

1. The investor delivers the documents to the representatives of the third parties at their respective counters, where the documents are reviewed technically.

2. The representative of the entity records his receipt of the documents on the program prepared for that.

3. The representative of the competent authority, after the technical review, records a decision on the program either to accept the application or to request some fulfillments and specify them within a period of two working days.

4. The investor pays the fees either through the existing bank or by any electronic payment method if the documents are completed.

The second step: the stage of receiving the required approvals:

1. The competent authority issues the required approval / permit / license in accordance with the timings specified by the law and the regulations

  (10 days in the case of an accreditation certificate / 60 days without an accreditation certificate) according to each case, registration on the program and delivery to the competent unit of the Commission (licenses).

2. The investor shall be notified of the issuance of the required approval in order to come to receive it through the competent unit of the Authority (licenses).

3. In the event that the competent administrative authority does not respond within the times specified in the law, the competent unit of the Authority (licensing) prepares the required approval/license, where the CEO of the Authority issues it on the two forms prepared for this purpose and delivers it to the investor.