The Egyptian Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade has introduced new regulations for the customs clearance process of cars imported for personal use, effective Thursday, December 26. These measures aim to streamline the import process while ensuring compliance with financial and procedural requirements.
Under the updated rules, individuals are limited to importing a maximum of one car within a five-year period. To ensure that importers meet the necessary financial criteria, the regulations require that individuals provide a bank statement proving their financial capability to purchase the vehicle and cover its full value. Additionally, all payments for the imported cars must be made through approved banking methods via banks operating in Egypt.
There are some exceptions to these new rules, including cars purchased by diplomats and Egyptians working abroad, where the payments were made outside Egypt. The Ministry clarified that the new regulations will not affect cars that have already been shipped or those that have arrived at Egyptian ports prior to the policy’s implementation. Similarly, vehicles for which documentary credits have already been opened, along with those imported for foreign embassies or international organizations, are exempt from the new requirements.
