diff --git a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/companyProfileForm/steps/CompanyInfoStep.tsx b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/companyProfileForm/steps/CompanyInfoStep.tsx
index 04a91bf07..52893ec59 100644
--- a/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/companyProfileForm/steps/CompanyInfoStep.tsx
+++ b/apps/edr-freight-web/portal/src/pages/accounts/companyProfileForm/steps/CompanyInfoStep.tsx
@@ -159,7 +159,15 @@ export default function CompanyInfoStep({
                 searchable
                 value={region || null}
                 onChange={(v) =>
-                  setValue("region", v ?? "", { shouldValidate: true })
+                  // shouldDirty, or the pick never reaches the API: `region` is
+                  // an eTrade-bundle key, and `stepPayload` sends those only
+                  // when the customer changed them this session. Without it a
+                  // co-operative or foreign investor typed its address and the
+                  // region alone silently vanished on save.
+                  setValue("region", v ?? "", {
+                    shouldValidate: true,
+                    shouldDirty: true,
+                  })
                 }
                 error={errors.region?.message}
               />
diff --git a/e2e/freight/cypress/e2e/flows/onboarding.cy.ts b/e2e/freight/cypress/e2e/flows/onboarding.cy.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 437c0e92e..000000000
--- a/e2e/freight/cypress/e2e/flows/onboarding.cy.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,276 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Full customer onboarding journey, both apps:
- *
- *   1. portal    — /signup form → OTP (read from DB, delivery is off in e2e)
- *                  → account created → onboarding wizard (nationality/role →
- *                  company → personnel → contact → PoA → documents incl. the
- *                  per-role business license) → "Submit for review"
- *   2. backoffice — staff (chief, holds edr_freight_app:admin) approves the
- *                  importer profile on /dashboard/customers/:id
- *   3. portal    — the new customer is active: contract wizard reachable
- *
- * Tests are sequential steps of ONE journey (fresh unique user per run), so
- * retries are disabled — a mid-journey retry would replay a non-idempotent
- * step against already-advanced state.
- *
- * NOTE: switching origin between tests (portal 5373 ↔ backoffice 5383)
- * reloads the spec bundle and resets module state — later tests resolve the
- * journey's user/company from the DB instead of module variables.
- */
-
-import { completeFaydaVerification } from "./import-utils";
-
-const stamp = Date.now();
-const email = `e2e.onboard.${stamp}@example.com`;
-// Ethiopian mobile: 9 + 8 digits, unique per run.
-const phoneNational = `9${String(stamp).slice(-8)}`;
-const signupPassword = "Password@e2e1";
-const tin = String(stamp).slice(-10).padStart(10, "1");
-const vat = String(stamp + 1).slice(-10).padStart(10, "2");
-
-const portal = () => Cypress.env("portalUrl") as string;
-
-/** The journey's company/user = the latest e2e.onboard.* signup in the DB. */
-function latestOnboardJourney() {
-  return cy.task<{ rows: Array<{ name: string; email: string }> }>("db:query", {
-    sql: `SELECT c.name, u.email
-          FROM freight.companies c
-          JOIN freight.external_profiles ep ON ep.company_id = c.id
-          JOIN iam.users u ON u.id = ep.user_id
-          WHERE u.email LIKE 'e2e.onboard.%'
-          ORDER BY c.created_at DESC LIMIT 1`,
-  });
-}
-
-/**
- * Fill a labelled Mantine input (label[for] → input id).
- *
- * The input is resolved fresh for every action rather than captured once.
- * Each wizard step persists and re-seeds asynchronously, and when a field
- * remounts Mantine mints a NEW generated id — so both a subject and an id
- * captured a command earlier can be stale by the time the next command runs.
- * Going label → for → element each time always addresses what's on the page
- * now.
- */
-function fill(label: string | RegExp, value: string) {
-  const input = () =>
-    cy
-      .contains("label", label)
-      .invoke("attr", "for")
-      .then((id) => cy.get(`[id="${id}"]`));
-
-  input().clear({ force: true });
-  input().type(value, { force: true });
-}
-
-/**
- * Fill an input that has no <label> — the wizard's company step renders its
- * fields inside StepSection cards (the heading is the card's title, not a
- * label), so they're reachable only by aria-label. Both TIN and VAT share the
- * "0012345678" placeholder, which is why this matches on aria-label instead.
- */
-function fillAria(ariaSelector: string, value: string) {
-  const selector = `.mantine-Modal-content ${ariaSelector}`;
-  cy.get(selector).clear({ force: true });
-  cy.get(selector).type(value, { force: true });
-}
-
-/** The wizard's phone inputs (react-phone-number-input, type=tel). */
-function fillPhone(index: number, national: string) {
-  const selector = '.mantine-Modal-content input[type="tel"]';
-  cy.get(selector).eq(index).clear({ force: true });
-  cy.get(selector).eq(index).type(national, { force: true });
-}
-
-describe("customer onboarding journey", { retries: 0 }, () => {
-  it("signs up with OTP and completes the onboarding wizard", () => {
-    cy.visit(`${portal()}/signup`);
-
-    fill(/^First name/, "Onboard");
-    fill(/^Last name/, "Tester");
-    fill(/^Email/, email);
-    cy.get('input[type="tel"]').first().type(phoneNational, { force: true });
-    fill(/^Password/, signupPassword);
-    fill(/^Confirm password/, signupPassword);
-    cy.contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // OTP stage — the code is generated + stored even though delivery is off.
-    cy.contains("Verify", { timeout: 15000 }).should("be.visible");
-    cy.getOtp(email).then((otp) => cy.typeOtp(otp));
-    cy.contains("button", "Verify & create account").click();
-
-    // Signed in → /portal → wizard auto-opens on the nationality/role step.
-    cy.location("pathname", { timeout: 20000 }).should("eq", "/portal");
-    cy.contains("Where is your company registered?", { timeout: 15000 }).should(
-      "be.visible",
-    );
-    cy.contains("button", "Ethiopian Company").click();
-    cy.contains("button", "Importer").click();
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // Ethiopian companies gate the "Owner identity" step on Fayda
-    // verification — a real eSignet redirect + SMS OTP flow that can't run in
-    // e2e. Complete it via the API against fayda-mock-e2e (the profile this
-    // attaches to was just created by the nationality/role step above).
-    // The wizard already fetched `identity` once when this step mounted, and
-    // completing verification out-of-band skips the redirect that would
-    // normally remount everything — so reload to force a fresh fetch. Wizard
-    // progress resumes server-side, so this doesn't lose the nationality/role
-    // step just completed.
-    completeFaydaVerification("owner");
-    cy.reload();
-    cy.contains("Confirm your VAT number", { timeout: 20000 }).should(
-      "be.visible",
-    );
-
-    // The owner's identity is the verification's output, never typed: the
-    // panel must show it verified and render the name/phone/email that came
-    // back from fayda-mock-e2e. Asserting the mock's own values is the only
-    // way to prove the payload travelled Fayda → API → UI rather than the
-    // panel simply flipping a "verified" flag.
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").within(() => {
-      cy.contains("Fayda verified").should("be.visible");
-      cy.contains("Abebe Bekele").should("be.visible");
-      cy.contains("+251911223344").should("be.visible");
-      cy.contains("abebe.bekele@example.com").should("be.visible");
-    });
-
-    // The verified sub is what locks the owner's fields server-side, so check
-    // it actually landed on the company rather than trusting the panel alone.
-    cy.task<{ rows: Array<{ owner_fayda_sub: string | null }> }>("db:query", {
-      sql: `SELECT c.attributes->>'ownerFaydaSub' AS owner_fayda_sub
-            FROM freight.companies c
-            JOIN freight.external_profiles ep ON ep.company_id = c.id
-            JOIN iam.users u ON u.id = ep.user_id
-            WHERE u.email = $1`,
-      params: [email],
-    }).then(({ rows }) => {
-      expect(rows, "company row").to.have.length(1);
-      expect(rows[0].owner_fayda_sub, "owner Fayda sub").to.eq(
-        "e2e-fayda-sub-0001",
-      );
-    });
-
-    // Company step. TIN auto-triggers the eTrade lookup once it's a full 10
-    // digits (mocked in e2e — see docker-compose.e2e.yaml's etrade-mock-e2e).
-    // A successful lookup locks Company Name/Region/Zone/Woreda/Kebele/House
-    // No as read-only (ETradeCompanyCard) — nothing left to type there, and
-    // Company Email/Phone/Location were dropped from this step entirely (the
-    // Fayda-verified owner supplies contact details now). By label, not
-    // placeholder: the VAT Number field on this same step shares the TIN
-    // field's "0012345678" placeholder, so a placeholder selector matches 2.
-    fillAria('[aria-label^="TIN Number"]', tin);
-    cy.contains("Verified with eTrade", { timeout: 15000 }).should(
-      "be.visible",
-    );
-    // handleETradeDataLoaded sets several fields in sequence (name, region,
-    // zone, woreda, kebele, houseNo) — each a render, still settling right
-    // after the badge appears. Typing into VAT immediately raced one of
-    // those and detached mid-type; let it finish before touching the form.
-    cy.wait(500);
-    fillAria('[aria-label="VAT Number"]', vat);
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // Personnel (general manager).
-    fill(/^Name/, "General Manager");
-    fill(/^Email/, `gm.${stamp}@example.com`);
-    fillPhone(0, "911234568");
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // Contact person.
-    fill(/^Name/, "Contact Person");
-    fillPhone(0, "911234569");
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // PoA — optional for an importer, and left unverified here. The DARS
-    // delegation paper authorises the representative the verification names,
-    // so with no verified PoA there is nothing for it to authorise: the
-    // upload must not be offered, and the step must not block on it. Asserted
-    // as "no file input on this step" rather than by label, so a reworded
-    // document setting doesn't turn a real regression into a passing test.
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content")
-      .contains("Power of Attorney")
-      .should("be.visible");
-    cy.get('.mantine-Modal-content input[type="file"]').should("not.exist");
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content").contains("button", "Continue").click();
-
-    // Documents: no company docs are configured in e2e, but every role needs
-    // a business license.
-    cy.contains("Business license", { timeout: 15000 }).should("be.visible");
-    cy.get('.mantine-Modal-content input[type="file"]')
-      .first()
-      .selectFile("cypress/fixtures/docs/license.pdf", { force: true });
-    cy.get(".mantine-Modal-content")
-      .contains("button", "Submit for review")
-      .click();
-
-    cy.contains("You're all set", { timeout: 30000 }).should("be.visible");
-
-    // DB cross-check: submitted, awaiting approval.
-    cy.task<{ rows: Array<{ status: string; onboarding_completed: boolean }> }>(
-      "db:query",
-      {
-        sql: `SELECT c.status, ep.onboarding_completed
-              FROM freight.companies c
-              JOIN freight.external_profiles ep ON ep.company_id = c.id
-              JOIN iam.users u ON u.id = ep.user_id
-              WHERE u.email = $1`,
-        params: [email],
-      },
-    ).then(({ rows }) => {
-      expect(rows, "company row").to.have.length(1);
-      expect(rows[0].status).to.eq("pending");
-      expect(rows[0].onboarding_completed).to.eq(true);
-    });
-  });
-
-  it("backoffice staff approves the submitted importer profile", () => {
-    cy.loginBackoffice("chief@edr.local");
-    cy.visit("/dashboard/customers");
-
-    latestOnboardJourney().then(({ rows }) => {
-      expect(rows, "onboarded company").to.have.length(1);
-      const company = rows[0].name;
-
-      cy.get('input[placeholder*="Search by company"]').type(company);
-      cy.contains(company, { timeout: 15000 }).click();
-
-      // Role profiles table → approve the pending importer profile. Once
-      // active, the row's action flips to "Suspend".
-      cy.contains("button", "Approve", { timeout: 15000 }).click();
-      cy.contains("button", "Suspend", { timeout: 15000 }).should("be.visible");
-
-      cy.task<{ rows: Array<{ status: string; reference: string | null; company_status: string }> }>(
-        "db:query",
-        {
-          sql: `SELECT p.status, p.reference, c.status AS company_status
-                FROM freight.company_profiles p
-                JOIN freight.companies c ON c.id = p.company_id
-                WHERE c.name = $1 AND p.type = 'importer'`,
-          params: [company],
-        },
-      ).then(({ rows: profiles }) => {
-        expect(profiles, "importer profile").to.have.length(1);
-        expect(profiles[0].status).to.eq("active");
-        expect(profiles[0].reference, "minted reference").to.be.a("string").and
-          .not.be.empty;
-        expect(profiles[0].company_status).to.eq("active");
-      });
-    });
-  });
-
-  it("the approved customer can reach the contract wizard", () => {
-    latestOnboardJourney().then(({ rows }) => {
-      cy.loginPortal(rows[0].email, signupPassword);
-    });
-    cy.visitPortal("/contracts/new");
-
-    // No "Awaiting Approval" gate — the wizard's first step renders.
-    cy.contains("label", "Operation Type", { timeout: 15000 }).should(
-      "be.visible",
-    );
-    cy.contains("Awaiting Approval").should("not.exist");
-  });
-});
-
-export {};