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Arab Finance: The Egyptian Customs Authority (ECA) and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) announced the launch of an installment payment service for fees on imported mobile phones through valU, the first consumer finance company to offer the service, as per a statement.
The move aims to provide users with more flexible payment options while completing regulatory procedures related to imported devices, as part of efforts to streamline compliance and improve the user experience.
Under the system, users can pay required fees in installments via valU, alongside existing payment channels available, including the “Telephony” app, banks, and e-wallets. Authorities said the initiative is intended to balance regulatory requirements with easier access to services.
The two authorities added that the service is designed to simplify the process of regularizing imported mobile phones while offering multiple payment alternatives suited to different users.
In a related step, the grace period granted to Egyptians residing abroad to register their imported mobile devices has been extended to 120 days from the date of initial activation, allowing additional time to settle fees and complete required procedures before any regulatory measures are applied.
Last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindy announced extending the exemption period granted to mobile phones brought by Egyptians living abroad from 90 days to 120 days, starting April 1st.
At the beginning of this year, the government ended the customs exemption on imported mobile phones brought by travelers as of January 21st, with only mobile phones owned by Egyptian living abroad and tourists staying in Egypt remaining exempt from customs for 90 days.
