KYC in Egypt: Laws, Documents, and Automation Guide

Think of this as your shortcut to Egypt’s KYC essentials. It’s a practical guide answering the specific questions businesses actually ask: What documents do you need? Which laws actually matter? Can you automate the process without breaking the rules?

I’ve stripped away the consultant-speak and regulatory circular references to give you what matters: just the facts about KYC requirements in Egypt focused on implementation rather than theory.

If you need to verify Egyptian customers legally and efficiently, this guide is for you.

Let’s start right away. 

But before anything, here’s a quick overview of Egypt’s KYC arena.

KYC in Egypt, Quick Glance 

KYC in Egypt refers to the mandatory process where businesses, especially financial institutions, must verify and record the identities of their customers as part of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism obligations. 

It’s not optional. It’s a regulatory requirement tied to Egypt’s AML Law No. 80 of 2002 and enforced by key authorities like the Central Bank of Egypt, the Financial Regulatory Authority, and the Money Laundering Combating Unit.

That’s the textbook definition. 

However, in practice, conducting KYC in Egypt is more than collecting an ID or asking a few questions during onboarding. It’s an ongoing responsibility. You don’t just ask who someone is. You need to know it, prove it, and stand by it if anyone asks later. And that applies whether you’re opening bank accounts, handling transfers, or onboarding users.

KYC Laws in Egypt 

The country’s KYC framework is tightly connected to its anti-money laundering law, backed by multiple regulatory arms. There’s a clear structure behind what you must collect, when to verify, and how long to retain it. Let’s break it down.

Anti-Money Laundering Law No. 80 of 2002

This is the core legislation. Everything related to KYC Egypt leans on this one.

Under this law, financial institutions are obligated to:

• Identify and verify the identity of every customer
• Keep proper records for at least 5 years from account closure or transaction
• Monitor transactions and report anything suspicious to the Money Laundering Combating Unit (MLCU)
• Deny services to anonymous or falsely named customers
• Avoid onboarding anyone without verifying the legal status and beneficial ownership

The law also spells out what counts as money laundering and which predicate crimes apply, from terrorism financing to antiquities smuggling to fraud. If your user is flagged under any of these, you’re expected to act.

Executive Regulations of AML Law

These regulations (issued shortly after the law) go into detail on execution.

They cover things like:

• What counts as acceptable verification (government IDs, address docs, biometric-backed proof)
• When to apply basic due diligence vs. enhanced due diligence (EDD). E.g., for PEPs (Politically Exposed Persons) or unusual transactions.
• The requirement to apply KYC not just once, but continuously, especially when risk increases or thresholds are crossed
• Allowing third-party service providers, but holding the main institution legally responsible for compliance.

Also, there’s an emphasis on risk-based controls. You’re expected to adjust verification based on customer type, transaction size, and service channel.

Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Directives

The CBE is not passive. Through regular circulars and public documentation, it enforces digital and in-person KYC procedures for all banks and licensed fintechs.

Key directives:

• Biometric verification is encouraged where possible.
• Live video KYC is allowed for remote onboarding, especially post-2020 reforms.
• Anonymous accounts are banned.
• Institutions must report KYC compliance and suspicious activity to the MLCU via dedicated channels.

The CBE also collaborates directly with international AML bodies, so aligning with FATF principles is expected.

Other Guidelines

For insurance, capital markets, leasing, and other non-banking entities, the Financial Regulatory Authority and CBU sets the rules.

Their guidance echoes the AML law but includes sector-specific instructions.

For example, licensed non-banking financial institutions regulated by the FRA, such as leasing, factoring, and consumer finance companies, must establish internal governance frameworks. This includes forming dedicated audit, risk, and governance committees, disclosing conflicts of interest, documenting board decisions, and maintaining internal control systems that align with accountability and risk management principles.

What Documents Are Needed for KYC in Egypt? 

All documents must be valid and unexpired. For remote onboarding, photo-based ID checks and liveness verification may be used to confirm authenticity.

Automating KYC in Egypt

KYC in Egypt comes with clear rules. But doing it manually? That’s where most of the delays, errors, and onboarding drop-offs come in. The more customers you handle, the heavier the load, unless the process is automated.

With the right setup, KYC checks can run in the background without slowing down operations or risking non-compliance. Here’s what automation typically covers:

• Document verification: Auto-extract data from national IDs, passports, or licenses and check for tampering
• Liveness detection: Ensure the person presenting the document is real, live, and matches the photo
• PEP and sanctions screening: Real-time cross-checks against global databases

Automation doesn’t mean skipping steps. It just means doing them faster, with fewer hands involved and less chance of error.

That’s where APIs come in. Whether you’re onboarding 100 customers a day or 10,000, API-driven KYC lets your system handle the scale without drowning your ops or compliance team.

You don’t need to build these systems from scratch either. Pre-built KYC APIs handle everything from document validation to facial match, PEP screening, and timestamped logs, all triggered in real time, all traceable.

If you’re at that stage, Signzy’s KYC API is one of the options that already aligns with Egypt’s regulatory setup. This helps automate verification, screen for risk, and stay compliant without building a system from scratch.