Egypt has officially launched the Public Shop Licensing System on the Digital Egypt platform, introducing a new digital service designed to simplify business licensing and accelerate access to government services for public shop owners.
The platform, developed jointly by the Ministry of Local Development and Environment (MLD), the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, aims to streamline licensing procedures, reduce bureaucracy and improve the ease of doing business.
According to the government, the system provides a unified digital platform for managing the entire licensing process, enabling applicants to submit applications online, track progress in real time and receive electronic licenses through the Digital Egypt platform. The new framework also introduces a maximum three-month approval period, temporary operating permits during processing and standardized licensing procedures nationwide.
The initiative also supports Egypt’s efforts to formalize businesses by creating comprehensive databases for commercial establishments while reducing administrative costs. Licensing fees have been standardized across participating government agencies, with the Ministry of Interior reducing applicable service fees by 50% to encourage wider adoption.
The Public Shop Licensing System is the first government service to leverage Egypt’s digital treasury system, enabling verified digital documents to be reused across government services under the “Once-Only Principle,” reducing the need for businesses and citizens to repeatedly submit the same documentation.
The launch marks another milestone in Egypt’s digital transformation journey as the government continues expanding Digital Egypt, which now provides more than 240 digital government services to over 12 million users through an integrated digital infrastructure connecting more than 100 government databases and 105 public institutions.
