Frequently Asked Questions about GOEIC

GOEIC stands for General Organization for Import and Export Control in Egypt.

Egyptian consumers' wellbeing, health and safety remains a top priority for GOEIC. As stated by GOEIC's Chairman, their main goal is to facilitate trade, promote and encourage Egyptian exports and eliminate the obstacles to export development and expansion in all domains.

As emphasized on the GOEIC website, the general objectives are the following:

• The protection of the Egyptian citizens
• An increased transparency and flexibility in terms of import and export quality control in compliance with internationally accredited standards
• Unified procedures applicable to all GOEIC’s branches and locations
• Development of a mid-level management in accordance with the specific needs.

There are the different categories of products subject to GOEIC:

• Textile and leather products
• Food
• Drinks
• Cosmetics and hygiene products
• Detergents
• Kitchenware
• Construction products
• Furniture
• Bicycles and motorcycles
• Toys
• Electric & electronic products

Please contact us to find out if your product is subject to the GOEIC program and whether you need a Certificate of Conformity (CoC).

Exporters to Egypt must demonstrate compliance with the programme and be registered at GOEIC. This applies only to goods subject to the programme. The process of conformity assessment must take place in the exporting country. Please refer to the certification process section of this website in order to learn how you can demonstrate compliance with the GOEIC programme.

The Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade in Egypt recently issued new decrees that entered fully into force as of March 16, 2016. These Decrees introduce significant changes to the import clearance procedure and they also expand the list of Regulated products. Moreover, they establish the obligation for Factories, Manufacturers or Trademark Owners of regulated products to be registered with Egypt’s General Organization of Export and Import Control (GOEIC) by 15 March 2016 to continue to export to Egypt. Registration can be done in two ways, either registering the factory or the brand.

Exporters can process registrations independently or, as an alternative, Cotecna can assist them with this procedure. All documents must be submitted to Cotecna for a revision. Cotecna can also assist exporters with the submission to GOEIC. The GOEIC forms to complete are available upon request at your nearest Cotecna office.

It will depend on the types of products you import. If your product is subject to the GOEIC programme, you will need a Certificate of Conformity. Please refer to the product list in order to determine whether your products are regulated under the GOEIC programme.

The exporter should contact Cotecna with the relevant documentation and information to start the process towards obtaining a Certificate of Conformity and/or a GOEIC registration. See our certification process / GOEIC registration pages for more information.

Exporters can send us a message using our contact form.

The fees are not fixed. The full costs depend on the product type and the place of export. They can be determined when the exporter contacts a Cotecna office. Based upon the relevant documentation and the relevant information, a price/quotation can be issued.

The compliance process for obtaining the Certificate of Conformity must occur in the exporting country. However, importers' initiative is also very welcome.

The Certificate of Conformity is mandatory for Customs clearance of the shipment under the import requirements of the Republic of Egypt.

All regulated products arriving at the Egyptian entry points (ports, airports, land borders) without a Certificate of Conformity will be rejected and the Customs release will be denied.

The importer/exporter will then be required to re-export the goods or he may face delays while the goods are sampled and tested in accordance with the Egyptian requirements. The exporter/importer will bear all the costs related to this procedure (sampling, testing, delay at the border point).