Key facts for Egypt buyers, as of October 2026
— The importer or delegate requests the ACID on Nafeza.
— Initial invoice data must exist before the request.
— The foreign exporter registers on CargoX and completes company verification.
— ACI invoices must be electronic PDFs; scans of printed invoices are not permitted.
— The certificate-of-origin and chamber route remain unsettled for Annex 2 used goods.
— Exporter-side filing and the importer-side request need an agreed handover before documents are finalised.
Sources are listed at the end of this guide. Rules and rates change: confirm the ones that matter for your machine with your own clearing agent before you commit.
What are ACI and ACID for machinery imports to Egypt?
ACI concerns the sea-shipment document process; ACID is the identifier requested through Nafeza. As of October 2026, Nafeza records that the mandatory ACI phase for sea shipments began on 1 October 2021. That puts the document preparation into the purchase and shipping discussion, rather than leaving it until the machine is ready for collection.
The exporter-side CargoX filing and importer-side Nafeza request are separate parts of the same shipment process. They need to be aligned before shipping documents are finalised. For the buyer, a clear division of responsibility connects the seller's papers to the instructions coming from Egypt.
We'd check the seller and machine before turning the document work into a shipment plan. Our guide to spotting a machinery scam covers seller and bank-detail checks. The full Egypt import guide puts ACI beside Annex 2, importer, duty, VAT and GOEIC questions.
Before finalising documents, check the handover and document-freeze arrangements with the buyer's broker and exporter or forwarder.
Who requests the ACID and what must exist first?
The request belongs on the importer side. For the October 2026 procedure, the importer or its delegate selects “Request to issue ACID” on Nafeza. The request can be made only after initial invoice data exists. Nafeza sends the ACID to both the importer and exporter by email.
That sequence gives the initial invoice information a clear purpose: it is needed before the identifier can be requested. A consistent buyer, seller and machine description gives the two parties a common starting point for their document exchange. It also makes a change of unit visible while the purchase is still being organised.
The cited Nafeza pages state no ACID processing time or validity period. A date taken from another shipment is therefore not an answer for this purchase. We would favour a shipment plan with the timing question still visible over one built around an unverified deadline.
Check the live processing time and validity for the proposed shipment with Nafeza or your broker before relying on the plan.
What must the UK or European exporter do on CargoX?
The exporter has its own preparation to complete. As of October 2026, Nafeza says the foreign exporter registers on CargoX once and completes company verification. ACI invoices must be generated electronically as PDFs; scans of printed invoices are not permissible.
The invoice format matters when papers pass between the seller, exporter and importer. A scan of a printed invoice does not satisfy the stated electronic-PDF rule. Preparing the generated file from the agreed transaction details keeps the format question connected to the document the parties actually intend to use.
For a UK sale, HMRC Notice 703 allows a VAT-registered seller to zero-rate when it holds valid export evidence within three months of the time of supply. ACID work does not replace that evidence. The seller's transaction-specific tax treatment, evidence and any deposit terms remain a separate part of the sale.
We'd review the proposed invoice and evidence handover while the machine is still with the seller. That gives the purchase discussion a place for any missing description or unresolved responsibility, alongside the exporter-side preparation.
Check the electronic invoice and handover with the exporter and buyer's broker, and the UK sale's VAT treatment, evidence and deposit terms with the seller or its tax adviser.
Which documents, ACID and signing details still need confirmation?
A certificate instruction is not a rule for the whole document pack. For October 2026, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) says a UK certificate of origin must carry the ACID for acceptance by Egyptian authorities. Whether the particular used machine needs that certificate and its exact ACID wording still need a buyer-side answer.
The certificate-of-origin and chamber route for Annex 2 used goods remains unresolved because Article 14 and the two LCCI pages do not give one consistent answer. Whether every machinery document must carry the ACID, and the full consequence of a missing number, are also unsettled. Those distinctions matter before documents are raised or certified.
Nafeza's official digital-signature page describes an e-Token for the importer-side account.
The reported change to an e-seal for company accounts is not established by the cited Nafeza pages. The current signing credential therefore remains an importer-side question, separate from the certificate and document-number questions.
We'd compare the proposed papers with the broker's instructions before commissioning certification. Keeping the certificate, ACID-placement and signing questions distinct makes it clear which answer covers which part of the shipment.
Before issue, check the required document, certifier, ACID placement and current credential with your broker, Nafeza and the relevant chamber—LCCI or the Egyptian-British Chamber—and keep their instructions in writing.
Pre-purchase checklist
We'd use this list to see whether the importer and exporter are ready to work from the same purchase details.
— Importer-side contact: the buyer or delegate, Nafeza arrangements and current signing credential.
— Initial data: the invoice information needed for the ACID request.
— Exporter preparation: CargoX registration and company verification.
— Invoice format: the electronically generated PDF.
— Document instructions: ACID placement and the response to a missing number.
— Origin papers: the required document and certifying-chamber route.
— Shipment timing: the live processing-time and validity answer.
— UK sale: export-evidence arrangements and any VAT-deposit terms.
Review outstanding points with the buyer's broker, exporter and seller before the shipment papers are finalised.
Working with a buying agent who already does this
Euro Plant Finder coordinates seller checks, inspection and export-side documents, including the CargoX-side handover and UK or European export records. The Egyptian buyer or delegate requests the ACID, and its own broker establishes Nafeza requirements and files the customs declaration. We coordinate the export handover with those parties.
We'd start with the machine you need and the work it must do, then build the purchase brief around that. Our how we work guide explains the sourcing and export role, with customs clearance remaining with your local broker.
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Who applies for the ACID in Egypt?
As of October 2026, the importer or its delegate selects “Request to issue ACID” on Nafeza after initial invoice data exists. Nafeza sends the identifier to the importer and exporter by email. This makes the initial invoice information part of the preparation before the request, while keeping the application on the importer side. Check the proposed data and responsibility for the request with the importer or its delegate.
Does the exporter need CargoX for Egypt?
For the October 2026 sea-shipment process, Nafeza says the foreign exporter registers once on CargoX and completes company verification. Exporter-side filing and the importer-side Nafeza request are separate parts of the same shipment. ACI invoices must be electronically generated PDFs, rather than scans of printed invoices. Check the document handover with the buyer's broker and exporter or forwarder before the papers are finalised for the selected machine.
Can a scanned invoice be uploaded for Egypt ACI?
As of October 2026, ACI invoices must be generated electronically as PDFs; scans of printed invoices are not permissible. A scan is therefore not an alternative way to supply the required invoice, even if the printed document contains the agreed details. The generated PDF is the format to carry through the document exchange. Check the invoice format with the exporter before the file is passed into the shipment process.
Does the ACID have to be on the certificate of origin?
As of October 2026, LCCI says a UK certificate of origin must carry the ACID for acceptance by Egyptian authorities. The need for the certificate, exact wording and chamber route for Annex 2 used goods remain unresolved. That certificate statement does not establish a blanket ACID rule for every document. Before issue, check the shipment's requirements with the buyer's broker, LCCI or the Egyptian-British Chamber.
How long does it take to obtain an ACID?
The cited Nafeza pages state no processing time or validity period for the ACID. A fixed duration taken from another transaction would not settle the timing for your machinery shipment. The planned document handover therefore needs a shipment-specific timing answer while the seller and importer are organising their respective work. Check the current processing time and validity with Nafeza or the buyer's broker before relying on the shipment plan.
Can Euro Plant Finder handle the Egypt customs side?
Your own Egyptian broker files the customs declaration and handles clearance. Euro Plant Finder coordinates seller checks, inspection, machine evidence and export-side documents, including the CargoX-side handover and UK or European export records. The Egyptian buyer or its delegate obtains the ACID and works with its broker on Nafeza requirements. We connect those instructions to the seller's export work so the parties prepare papers for the same proposed machine and transaction.
Sources and last check
This guide was last checked on 26 October 2026 against the official sources below. It is general guidance, not a quotation or legal advice: rates and rules change, so confirm anything that affects your machine with your clearing agent or the authority named.
Nafeza — https://www.nafeza.gov.eg/en/pages/15 · /en/pages/16 · /en/pages/17 · /en/pages/27 · /en/pages/32 — checked 23 Oct 2026.
news list — https://www.nafeza.gov.eg/en/news/list — checked 23 Oct 2026.
LCCI FAQ — https://www.londonchamber.co.uk/international-trade/trade-documentation/united-kingdom-certificates-of-origin/uk-certificates-of-origin-faqs/ — checked 23 Oct 2026.
LCCI price list July 2026 — https://www.londonchamber.co.uk/LCCI_Media/LCCI/Media/Trade-Documentation/Trade-Documents-July-2026.pdf — checked 23 Oct 2026.
English 2006 text — https://wipolex-res.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/laws/en/eg/eg010en_1.pdf — checked 23 Oct 2026.
gov.uk Notice 703 — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-goods-exported-from-the-uk-notice-703 — checked 23 Oct 2026.