Egypt Ports, Airports & Industrial Zones — Customs Clearance Overview
Choosing the right Egyptian gateway depends on your carrier route, cargo profile, customs regime and final delivery address. From our operational base in Suez and Ain Sokhna, Al-Rouby coordinates customs clearance, ACI and Nafeza filings, inspection attendance and inland delivery across major Egyptian seaports, Cairo International Airport and economic zones.
How do Egyptian ports, airports and zones fit into shipment planning?
Al-Rouby Customs Clearance & Logistics coordinates customs clearance and inland handover across Egypt's primary Red Sea and Mediterranean seaports, Cairo International Airport and the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The right gateway is chosen around the carrier route, cargo handling needs, customs regime and final factory or warehouse address.
Conditions at Egyptian gateways change over time with shipping schedules, terminal operations and local or international developments. A port that suited an earlier shipment is not automatically the right choice for the next one, so the gateway should be reviewed before each booking is fixed.
Which gateways does Al-Rouby cover across Egypt?
Our operational base is in Building 615, TEDA Suez, Ain Sokhna, giving us immediate access to the Suez and Red Sea corridor while our team coordinates clearance files across Mediterranean ports, Cairo International Airport and industrial zones.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Gateway | Type & region | Typical cargo & use case | Dedicated page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ain Sokhna Port | Red Sea seaport (Gulf of Suez) | Asia and Red Sea container trade, industrial inputs, project cargo and TEDA / SCZone manufacturing supply | Ain Sokhna Port → |
| Alexandria & Dekheila | Mediterranean seaports | European, Mediterranean and global container and commercial cargo serving northern Egypt, Cairo and the Delta | Alexandria & Dekheila → |
| Port Said (East & West) | Mediterranean / northern Suez Canal | Deep-water container calls at East Port Said and commercial or general cargo at West Port Said | Port Said (East & West) → |
| Damietta Port | Mediterranean seaport (Nile Delta) | Containerised industrial inputs, raw materials, textiles and exports for Delta and Greater Cairo facilities | Damietta Port → |
| Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) | Integrated economic zone & affiliated ports | Zone-linked manufacturing, equipment imports, transit-linked movements and transfers to the domestic market | SCZone Support → |
| China-Egypt TEDA Suez Zone | Industrial zone in Ain Sokhna (SCZone) | Production lines, machinery, raw materials and factory logistics — supported directly from our Building 615 office | TEDA Suez Zone → |
| Cairo International Airport | Air cargo gateway (Cairo Cargo Village) | Time-critical spare parts, high-value equipment, samples and urgent air freight under mandatory aviation ACI | Cairo Airport → |
| Port Tawfik & Adabiya (Suez) | Red Sea / Gulf of Suez seaports | General cargo, dry/liquid bulk, project equipment and Suez corridor shipments | Port Tawfik & Adabiya → |
| Safaga Port | Western Red Sea seaport | Red Sea commercial cargo, bulk commodities, industrial equipment and Upper Egypt corridors | Safaga Port → |
| Borg El Arab Airport | Regional air gateway (Alexandria) | Air cargo serving Alexandria, Borg El Arab industrial zones and the western Nile Delta | Borg El Arab Airport → |
| Dry Ports in Egypt | Inland customs terminals (incl. October Dry Port) | Bonded seaport-to-dry-port container transfers and inland customs clearance near industrial zones | Dry Ports in Egypt → |
| Public & Private Free Zones | GAFI-supervised free zones nationwide | Free-zone imports, outbound exports and sales from a free zone into the Egyptian domestic market | Free Zones in Egypt → |
| Land Border Crossings | Cross-border road & sea-road transit | Outbound Egyptian road exports, regional road trade and multimodal sea-to-road transit files | Land Border Crossings → |
| 10th of Ramadan, 6th of October & Sadat City | Major inland industrial cities (IDA) | Port-to-factory container delivery, machinery imports and raw-material clearance for manufacturers | 10th of Ramadan · 6th of October · Sadat City |
We also support shipments routed through Port Tawfik and other Egyptian customs centers when the vessel schedule or cargo type requires it. For a two-gateway comparison between Red Sea and Mediterranean options, see Ain Sokhna vs Alexandria and Dekheila.
How do customs rules compare across seaports, airports and zones?
All commercial shipments entering Egypt through seaports and airports use the national Nafeza single-window platform, but pre-shipment ACI filing rules and customs regimes differ between maritime cargo, air freight and economic-zone movements.
- Maritime seaports (Ain Sokhna, Alexandria, Dekheila, Port Said, Damietta): Advance Cargo Information (ACI) has been mandatory since 1 October 2021. Cargo data must be submitted at least 48 hours before vessel departure from the export port, and the foreign exporter uploads shipping documents via CargoX (NAFEZA — ACI).
- Air cargo (Cairo International Airport): Following the trial phase that ran through 31 December 2025, ACI became mandatory for air freight starting 1 January 2026 (NAFEZA — aviation ACI notice). The ACID number and documents must be aligned before the flight departs.
- Economic zones (SCZone and TEDA Suez): Shipments entering a zone facility, moving in transit, or transferring into the Egyptian domestic market must be declared under the specific customs regime that matches the transaction rather than treated as an ordinary final import.
- Clearance timeframe across gateways: Clearance is completed very quickly for shipments without regulatory holds; otherwise, the timeframe depends entirely on the specific regulatory agency's requirements.
Who is responsible for each step at an Egyptian gateway?
Across every Egyptian port and airport, the importer holds the commercial registrations and settles official duties and terminal charges, the foreign supplier issues accurate documents and uploads them on CargoX, the carrier shows the ACID on the transport document, and Al-Rouby prepares, reviews and follows the clearance file.
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| Step | Importer in Egypt | Foreign supplier | Al-Rouby | Carrier / terminal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway & regime check before booking | Shares destination and transaction type | Confirms loading origin and readiness | Reviews route, terminal and regime fit | Provides sailing or flight schedule |
| ACI request and 19-digit ACID | Submits on Nafeza, or authorises us | Provides exporter registration data | Prepares and checks the ACI request | — |
| Draft invoice, packing list, origin certificate | Agrees commercial terms | Issues draft documents before loading | Reviews field by field and lists corrections | — |
| CargoX document transfer | Accepts electronic file on Nafeza | Uploads final documents via CargoX | Verifies CargoX file against the ACI request | — |
| B/L or Air Waybill and manifest | — | Passes the ACID to the carrier | Checks ACID on draft B/L or AWB | Prints ACID on B/L or AWB and manifest |
| Nafeza declaration & inspection | Provides e-signature / authorisation | Provides technical catalogues or test certificates | Submits declaration and attends inspection in person | Presents container or parcels at inspection bay |
| Duties, terminal charges & release | Pays duties, taxes and port charges | — | Calculates pre-submission estimate and obtains release | Issues delivery order and gate exit pass |
What should you confirm before locking the arrival gateway in a booking?
Confirm the exact arrival terminal, the pre-shipment ACI status, the customs regime, container weight verification and the inland truck route to your receiving facility before the carrier issues the final booking.
- Name the exact port and terminal in the booking (for example, East vs West Port Said, or Alexandria vs Dekheila).
- Send draft invoices, packing lists and technical catalogues for review before the ACID is locked and cargo loads.
- Confirm that the shipper provides a verified gross mass (VGM) under IMO SOLAS rules for packed containers, as an unchecked container weight can hold a shipment at the port exit gate even after customs release.
- Price inland delivery all the way to the factory or warehouse gate so port charges and trucking are compared on the same scope.
See our pre-shipment document review service, container delivery to your factory and how to compare freight and customs quotes.
Why discuss the port with us before each shipment?
Conditions at Egyptian ports change over time with global, international and local developments. A port that suited an earlier shipment is not automatically right for the next one. Talk to us before the port is fixed in the booking; we review it against current conditions, the carrier route and your delivery address. More in common problems in Egypt-bound shipments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical questions about Egypt Ports, Airports & Zones operations.
No. While our head office is in Building 615 inside TEDA Suez at Ain Sokhna, we coordinate customs clearance and logistics across major Egyptian seaports — including Alexandria, Dekheila, East and West Port Said, Damietta and Port Tawfik — as well as Cairo International Airport and SCZone facilities.
Start from the supplier's loading port, the carrier's available sailings, the specific arrival terminal and the inland distance to your factory or warehouse. Share your shipment details before booking so we can compare the practical customs and delivery implications.
Yes. ACI became mandatory for air freight into Egypt on 1 January 2026 after the trial operation phase ended on 31 December 2025. Both sea and air cargo must have their ACI data coordinated before loading.
Clearance is completed very quickly for shipments without regulatory holds; otherwise, the timeframe depends entirely on the specific regulatory agency's requirements. Reviewing documents before shipment is the most effective way to prevent avoidable holds.
Not sure which Egyptian port or airport suits your shipment?
Share your origin, cargo description, container or air weight details, and receiving address so we can review the gateway and customs file before you book.
Request QuoteContent reviewed: · Al Rouby Customs Clearance & Logistics
Prepare your shipment enquiry
Information to prepare
- Loading country, carrier route options and preferred arrival port or airport
- Goods description, HS codes, draft invoice and packing list
- Final delivery address in Egypt, customs regime and target arrival window
Customs Clearance in Egypt · Discuss the document review and next steps
Official requirements and practical guidance
NAFEZA explains advance submission of cargo information and the mandatory maritime ACI workflow before shipment. NAFEZA — advance cargo information (maritime).
NAFEZA's aviation ACI page sets the mandatory start date for air freight at 1 January 2026 following the trial phase. NAFEZA — aviation ACI notice.
The Suez Canal Economic Zone portal covers SCZone industrial zones and affiliated ports including Ain Sokhna, East Port Said, West Port Said and Adabiya. Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) — official portal.
The official resources linked above explain the applicable procedures. Al-Rouby's checklists are practical planning advice; the required documents, approvals and charges depend on the goods, origin and import regime. Customs and other competent authorities determine the outcome.
Content reviewed: · Al Rouby Customs Clearance & Logistics