The involvement of specialized university units and the submission of a registered property contract are no longer necessary; proof of ownership will suffice. Survey services will be offered to applicants by the authority for a fee.
Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, Manal Awad, has introduced a streamlined process for obtaining building permits in Egyptian cities, reducing the number of steps from 15 to 8. This move is aimed at simplifying the procedure for citizens and cutting down the time needed to secure a building permit.
Under the new system, permits will be granted by the relevant administrative authority, which includes the technological center and the planning and organization department in the local governorate units.
The involvement of specialized university units and the submission of a registered property contract are no longer necessary; proof of ownership will suffice. Survey services will be offered to applicants by the authority for a fee.
These changes have significantly reduced the permit acquisition time, now taking 26 working days if no insurance document is required, and extending to 40 days when such a document is necessary.
Minister Awad emphasized that these adjustments are in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to ease the burden on citizens and streamline the building permit process.
The objective is to promote urban development and construction throughout the governorates, thereby increasing the private sector's contribution to diverse housing options for citizens.
The building permit procedure begins with a site suitability assessment. The citizen submits a request to the technological center with only a copy of their national ID and a site sketch.
The need for a registered property contract and site coordinates has been eliminated. Following this, the applicant pays for a site survey, conducted by designated surveying entities like the Military Survey Department or the Directorate of Surveying, completed within 15 days.
The administrative authority then verifies planning and building requirements, issues the site suitability statement through the technological center within 5 days, totaling 20 days for this initial assessment.
The subsequent phase involves obtaining the building permit itself. The citizen applies with a contract with a certified engineer, a power of attorney, and the necessary architectural and engineering drawings, all approved by the engineer.
Proof of land ownership and, if required, an insurance document must be provided. The insurance document should be issued by the insurance syndicate within 15 days.
The technological center and the planning and organization department review the application for compliance with building codes, planning requirements, and architectural standards, which takes 15 days.
