Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the CBE licence, including banking and payment rails.
Get a payment license in Egypt.
Egypt rebuilt its payment licensing in 2025. The Central Bank of Egypt issued the Rules for Licensing and Registration of Payment System Operators and Payment Service Providers in June 2025 under Law No. 194 of 2020, then added governance, internal-control and fit-and-proper regulations on 1 September 2025. Capital is EGP 10,000,000 for a Category B provider, EGP 30,000,000 for Category A above EGP 750 million of average monthly transactions, EGP 20,000,000 for a dedicated account-information or payment-initiation provider and EGP 500,000,000 for a payment system operator. The applicant has to be an Egyptian joint-stock company whose only purpose is payments.
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Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Egypt in brief
A 2025 rulebook, four capital figures, and two ninety-day clocks.
The statute is the Central Bank and Banking Sector Law No. 194 of 2020, which the central bank publishes only as an Arabic gazette scan. There is no official English text, and we do not quote article numbers from a payment chapter we could not read on a legible official copy. What is public in both languages is the operating layer: the Rules for Licensing and Registration of Payment System Operators and Payment Service Providers, issued in June 2025, with the Arabic version prevailing. They set four routes. A Category A payment service provider offers every payment service and runs an average of more than EGP 750,000,000 of monthly transactions on EGP 30,000,000 of issued and paid-up capital. Category B covers the same list without payment initiation and account information, below that volume, on EGP 10,000,000. A provider dedicated to account information or payment initiation needs EGP 20,000,000. A payment system operator needs EGP 500,000,000. Combine services or systems and the figures add up rather than merge. The services themselves run from cash deposit and withdrawal on payment accounts through card issuance, acceptance and payment facilitation to Egyptian-pound remittances and the issuance of electronic money.
The applicant is an Egyptian joint-stock company with nominal shares whose sole purpose is payments, with ownership transparent to the ultimate beneficial owner and founders, board and key officials passing the fit-and-proper test. No foreign-ownership cap is stated. Two ninety-day clocks run: the central bank notifies its decision on the approval application within ninety days of the documents being complete, extendable once, and the Board decides the licence itself within ninety days of completeness, again extendable once. The approval between them lasts six months. Fees are printed in detail - EGP 30,000 of review fee per service capped at EGP 100,000, EGP 100,000 per system capped at EGP 500,000, inspection fees on licensing at the same unit rates under higher caps, and an annual oversight fee of up to EGP 2 per EGP 10,000 of average monthly positions that starts only in the sixth year. A licensee also posts an irrevocable bank letter of guarantee to the central bank worth 2% of paid-up capital. Wallet limits for individuals are EGP 30,000 a day and EGP 100,000 a month, across no more than three wallets per national ID. Instant payments run on the IPN, the network behind InstaPay. Corporate tax is 22.5% and VAT 14%.
Law No. 194 of 2020 with the CBE Rules for Licensing and Registration of June 2025. Capital: EGP 30,000,000 for Category A above EGP 750 million of monthly volume, EGP 10,000,000 for Category B, EGP 20,000,000 for a dedicated AISP or PISP, EGP 500,000,000 for a system operator.
An Egyptian joint-stock company with payments as its only object, a bank guarantee of 2% of paid-up capital, and two ninety-day clocks, each extendable once, with a six-month approval between them. Wallets capped at EGP 30,000 a day and EGP 100,000 a month. InstaPay since 2022. Tax 22.5%, VAT 14%. We run it from Dubai.
The routes
Payment service provider, or the system underneath it.
Four routes under the June 2025 rules, separated by service list, monthly volume and capital. We fix the route first, because the capital figures add up when services are combined.
Payment service provider in Category A or B, a dedicated AISP or PISP, or the system operator.
01 - PAYMENT SERVICE PROVIDER
Categories A and B, and the AISP or PISP licence
The licence for payment services under the June 2025 rules - EGP 30,000,000 for Category A above EGP 750 million of average monthly volume, EGP 10,000,000 for Category B below it, and EGP 20,000,000 for a provider dedicated to account information or payment initiation.
The licence for payment services under the June 2025 rules - EGP 30,000,000 for Category A above EGP 750 million of average monthly volume, EGP 10,000,000 for Category B below it, and EGP 20,000,000 for a provider dedicated to account information or payment initiation.
- ✓Category A: every payment service, capital EGP 30,000,000
- ✓Category B: all but initiation and account information, EGP 10,000,000
- ✓Account-information or payment-initiation provider: EGP 20,000,000
- ✓Capital figures are cumulative when services are combined
- ✓Bank letter of guarantee to the CBE worth 2% of paid-up capital
- ✓Registration in the CBE registry follows the licence
02 - PAYMENT SYSTEM OPERATOR
EGP 500,000,000Payment system operator
The licence to operate a payment system, on EGP 500,000,000 of issued and paid-up capital, with EGP 100,000 of review fee and EGP 100,000 of inspection fee for each system and the same 2% guarantee to the central bank.
Payment system operator: EGP 500,000,000 of paid-up capital, EGP 100,000 per system in review and inspection fees, and the same 2% guarantee.
- ✓Issued and paid-up capital EGP 500,000,000
- ✓Review fee EGP 100,000 per system, capped at EGP 500,000
- ✓Inspection fee EGP 100,000 per system on licensing
- ✓Annual oversight fee capped at EGP 100,000, from the sixth year
- ✓Operator plus provider: the capital figures are cumulative
- ✓A foreign operator serving residents needs its own CBE licence
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. The central bank prints its review, inspection and oversight fees; the capital, the 2% guarantee and substance are itemised in your quote.
Why Egypt
The largest consumer payment market in the region, relicensing itself.
Egypt reissued its licensing rules in June 2025 and its governance rules in September, then gave the incumbents twelve months to re-apply. A new entrant now joins the same queue.
✓
A hundred and nine million people
The CAPMAS population clock read 109,482,042 in September 2026. The licence is the way into the largest consumer payment market in the Arab world.The largest Arab consumer market.
✓
Rules published in English
The June 2025 licensing rules come in Arabic and English, with the Arabic prevailing. Capital, fees, clocks and the service list are all on the page before you file.Capital, fees and clocks published.
✓
Two ninety-day clocks
Ninety days to the approval decision from a complete file, ninety more to the Board's licence decision, each extendable once, with a six-month approval between them.Each extendable once.
✓
Fees you can budget
EGP 30,000 per service to review, EGP 100,000 per system, inspection fees on licensing, and an annual oversight fee that starts only in the sixth year.Per service and per system.
✓
InstaPay
The Instant Payment Network went live on 22 March 2022 and carries the InstaPay app; the central bank also lists twenty-nine bank-issued wallets.The IPN has run since 2022.
✓
A register still being written
The rules gave existing institutions until June 2026 to apply and the registry is not yet published, so a new applicant is not queueing behind a settled market.Incumbents re-applied by June 2026.
How it compares
How Egypt differs from the other North African and Levant routes.
Egypt asks for the heaviest capital in the group and prints the most detailed fee schedule. The honest comparison is below.
Egypt vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Egypt | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | EGP 10M / 20M / 30M · operator 500M | MAD 6M-10M Morocco · JOD 1M-3M Jordan |
| Decision clock | 90 + 90 days, each extendable once | 4 months Morocco · 90 + 90 days Jordan |
| Company form | Egyptian joint-stock, payments only | SA or SARL in Morocco |
| Corporate tax | 22.5% · VAT 14% | 20-40% Morocco · 20-35% Jordan · 30% Türkiye |
Capital
EgyptEGP 10M / 20M / 30M · operator 500M
Other jurisdictionsMAD 6M-10M Morocco · JOD 1M-3M Jordan
Decision clock
Egypt90 + 90 days, each extendable once
Other jurisdictions4 months Morocco · 90 + 90 days Jordan
Company form
EgyptEgyptian joint-stock, payments only
Other jurisdictionsSA or SARL in Morocco
Corporate tax
Egypt22.5% · VAT 14%
Other jurisdictions20-40% Morocco · 20-35% Jordan · 30% Türkiye
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | PSP A/B · AISP/PISP · PSO (CBE) | 22.5% · VAT 14% | EGP 10M-500M · 90 + 90 days |
 Morocco | Établissement de paiement (BAM) | 20/35% · 40% assimilés | MAD 6M / 10M · 4 months |
 Jordan | PSP / e-money / operator (CBJ) | 20% · 24% financial | JOD 1M-3M · 90 + 90 days |
 Türkiye | PI / EMI (CBRT) | 30% payment sector | TRY 20-105M equity |
EgyptLicense typePSP A/B · AISP/PISP · PSO (CBE)
Taxation22.5% · VAT 14%
RequirementsEGP 10M-500M · 90 + 90 days
MoroccoLicense typeÉtablissement de paiement (BAM)
Taxation20/35% · 40% assimilés
RequirementsMAD 6M / 10M · 4 months
JordanLicense typePSP / e-money / operator (CBJ)
Taxation20% · 24% financial
RequirementsJOD 1M-3M · 90 + 90 days
TürkiyeLicense typePI / EMI (CBRT)
Taxation30% payment sector
RequirementsTRY 20-105M equity
Before you apply
Requirements for the CBE licence.Requirements for the licence.
The June 2025 rules set the company form, the capital, the guarantee, the fees and the clocks; the September 2025 regulations set governance and fit and proper. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
An Egyptian joint-stock company with nominal shares, whose objects are limited to payment activity - the rules require both.
02
Issued and paid-up capital at your route: EGP 30,000,000 for Category A, EGP 10,000,000 for Category B, EGP 20,000,000 for an account-information or payment-initiation provider, EGP 500,000,000 for a system operator, cumulative where routes are combined.
03
An irrevocable bank letter of guarantee in the central bank's favour worth 2% of paid-up capital.
04
Ownership disclosed to the ultimate beneficial owner, with a structure the central bank can follow without gaps.
05
Founders, board members and key officials who meet the fit-and-proper criteria of the September 2025 regulations, with the central bank approving the key appointments.
06
Governance and internal control to those same regulations: independent internal audit, compliance and risk functions, with the compliance period running one year from 1 September 2025.
07
A policy and the arrangements for safeguarding customer funds in the cases where the rules require that protection, filed with the application.
08
Information-technology and cybersecurity controls, and no legal or structural impediment to inspection by the central bank.
09
The review fee with the application - EGP 30,000 per service up to EGP 100,000, or EGP 100,000 per system up to EGP 500,000 - and the inspection fee when the licence is granted.
10
For a provider serving Egyptian residents from abroad: a CBE licence of its own, a licence in its home country, and either operation supervised against the PFMI or three years of activity.
01
Egyptian joint-stock company, payments only.
02
Capital EGP 10M / 20M / 30M / 500M.
03
Bank guarantee of 2% of paid-up capital.
04
Ownership disclosed to the UBO.
05
Fit-and-proper founders and officials.
06
Internal audit, compliance and risk.
07
Safeguarding policy filed with the file.
08
IT and cybersecurity controls.
09
Review fee per service or per system.
10
Foreign providers need a CBE licence too.
Reflects Law No. 194 of 2020, the CBE Rules for Licensing and Registration of Payment System Operators and Payment Service Providers of June 2025, and the governance, internal-control and fit-and-proper regulations of 1 September 2025.Law 194/2020; CBE Rules for Licensing and Registration, June 2025; governance and fit-and-proper regulations of 1 September 2025.
How it works
From first call to the CBE registry.
01
Route and strategy
Category A, Category B, a dedicated AISP or PISP, or a system operator - the service list, capital and budget fixed in writing.Category, services and capital in writing.
02
Company and capital
Egyptian joint-stock company incorporated with payments as its sole object, capital issued and paid, ownership documented to the beneficial owner.Incorporated, issued, paid.
03
Approval application
The file the rules require, filed with the review fee and answered inside the ninety-day clock and the thirty-day information windows.Filed with the review fee.
04
Approval and build-out
The six-month approval used to finish governance, technology, the 2% guarantee and the control functions the regulations demand.Six months to finish the build.
05
Licence and registration
The Board decides within ninety days of completeness, the inspection fee falls due, and registration in the CBE registry follows.Board decision, then registration.
Quick facts
RegulatorCentral Bank of Egypt
LawNo. 194 of 2020
RulesLicensing and Registration, June 2025
CapitalEGP 10M / 20M / 30M · PSO 500M
Guarantee2% of paid-up capital
Decision90 + 90 days, each extendable
Wallet limitsEGP 30,000 daily · 100,000 monthly
Corporate tax22.5% · VAT 14%
Both ninety-day clocks start from completeness, and the approval between them lasts six months. The build-out has to be scheduled into that window rather than after it.
Your Egypt desk
Run from our North Africa desk.
Prifinance - North Africa desk
Dubai · coordinating Egyptian mandates
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower, Dubai
01
Egyptian joint-stock company
Incorporation with nominal shares and payments as the sole object, capital paid to your category, and the ownership chain documented to the beneficial owner.Nominal shares, payments as sole object.
02
The CBE file
Approval application, business plan, governance, safeguarding and technology documentation under the June 2025 rules - drafted by us and answered inside the thirty-day information windows.June 2025 rules answered in order.
03
Guarantee and fees
The 2% bank letter of guarantee in the central bank's favour, review and inspection fees calculated per service and per system, and the oversight fee planned from year six.2% guarantee; per-service fees.
04
Substance in Cairo
Independent internal audit, compliance and risk functions, key officials approved by the central bank, and the technology controls an inspection will test.Cairo control functions and IT.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
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Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of payment companies in Egypt.
Corporate tax at 22.5%, VAT at 14% confirmed by Law 149 of 2026, and a dividend withholding of 10% - or 5% on shares listed on the Egyptian Exchange - under Law 151 of 2026.
Corporate tax 22.5%
The rate under Income Tax Law 91/2005 as amended, applied to a payment licensee like any other Egyptian joint-stock company.Under Income Tax Law 91/2005.
VAT 14%
Law 149 of 2026, gazetted on 28 July 2026, replaced Article 3 of the VAT law and kept the general rate at 14%. Which payment fees fall inside it is mapped against the product.Confirmed by Law 149/2026.
Dividends 10%
Article 56 bis, as replaced by Law 151 of 2026 in July 2026, withholds 10% on distributions to non-resident individuals and to resident and non-resident legal persons.Article 56 bis, Law 151/2026.
Listed shares 5%
The same article halves the dividend rate to 5% where the shares are listed on the Egyptian Exchange - a point worth raising before the holding structure is fixed.Where the shares sit on the EGX.
Non-resident service fees
We could not verify a withholding rate on services paid abroad on an official page, so we print none. The position for your contracts is confirmed in writing.No verified rate; confirmed in writing.
Payroll and the control functions
Cairo salaries plus the independent internal audit, compliance and risk functions the September 2025 regulations require. The operating budget carries both from the first year.Cairo salaries and control functions.
Tax summary
Corporate tax22.5%
VAT14% · Law 149/2026
Dividends10%
Listed shares5% on the EGX
Non-resident servicesConfirmed in writing
PayrollCairo salaries + control functions
*Figures as of 2026 per the Egyptian Tax Authority and Laws 149 and 151 of 2026. The withholding position on outbound service fees is confirmed per contract.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Egyptian joint-stock company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed provider.
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The Egyptian payment licence, answered.
What licence does a payment business need in Egypt?+
A licence from the Central Bank of Egypt, granted by resolution of its Board under Law No. 194 of 2020 and the Rules for Licensing and Registration of June 2025 - as a payment service provider in Category A or B, as a dedicated account-information or payment-initiation provider, or as a payment system operator. Registration in the CBE registry follows the licence.
How much capital is required?+
EGP 30,000,000 for Category A, EGP 10,000,000 for Category B, EGP 20,000,000 for an account-information or payment-initiation provider and EGP 500,000,000 for a payment system operator, all issued and paid up. The figures are cumulative when services and systems are combined.
What separates Category A from Category B?+
Volume and scope. Category A covers every payment service and applies where the average monthly value of transactions exceeds EGP 750,000,000. Category B covers the same list without payment initiation and account information, below that threshold.
What company form is required?+
An Egyptian joint-stock company with nominal shares whose sole purpose is payment activity. Ownership has to be transparent to the ultimate beneficial owner, and the founders, board and key officials have to pass the fit-and-proper criteria. The rules state no foreign-ownership cap.
How long does the central bank take?+
Two ninety-day clocks, each running from the moment the documents are complete and each extendable once: one for the decision on the approval application, one for the Board's decision on the licence. The approval in between is valid six months. Plan on twelve to eighteen months end to end.
What are the fees?+
A review fee of EGP 30,000 per service capped at EGP 100,000, or EGP 100,000 per system capped at EGP 500,000. An inspection fee at the same unit rates on licensing, capped at EGP 200,000 for services and EGP 500,000 for systems. An annual oversight fee of up to EGP 2 per EGP 10,000 of average monthly positions, capped by category, starts in the sixth year.
Is there a guarantee on top of capital?+
Yes - an irrevocable bank letter of guarantee in the central bank's favour worth 2% of paid-up capital. Applicants also file their policy and arrangements for safeguarding customer funds where the rules require that protection.
What are the wallet limits?+
The central bank sets mobile-wallet limits for individuals at EGP 30,000 a day and EGP 100,000 a month, with a maximum of three wallets per national ID.
Can a foreign provider serve Egyptian customers from abroad?+
Only with a CBE licence of its own, a licence from its home authority, and either operation supervised against the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures or three years of activity behind it.
Why Egypt rather than Morocco or Türkiye?+
Egypt is the volume: a hundred and nine million people, InstaPay, and a licensing round the incumbents themselves had to enter by June 2026. Morocco asks a fraction of the capital and decides in four months; Türkiye has the deeper e-money market and a 30% sector tax rate. Groups whose customers are Egyptian license here.
Which licence?+
CBE PSP Category A or B, AISP/PISP, or system operator.
Capital?+
EGP 10M, 20M, 30M, or 500M for an operator.
A or B?+
A above EGP 750 million of monthly volume.
Company form?+
Egyptian joint-stock, payments as sole object.
How long?+
90 + 90 days; 12-18 months realistic.
Fees?+
EGP 30,000 per service; EGP 100,000 per system.
Guarantee?+
2% of paid-up capital to the CBE.
Wallet limits?+
EGP 30,000 a day, EGP 100,000 a month.
Taxes?+
22.5%, VAT 14%, dividends 10% or 5% listed.
vs Morocco / Türkiye?+
The volume; heavier capital, longer clocks.
Client notes
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Central Bank of Egypt or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.