Citizenship by Investment

Egypt's Citizenship by Investment programme grants full Egyptian citizenship to foreign nationals who make a qualifying financial investment. Established by Law No. 190 of 2019 — which amended Article 6 of Nationality Law No. 26 of 1975 — and refined by Prime Minister's Decree No. 876 of 2023 and October 2024 amendments, the programme is administered by the Unit for Granting Egyptian Citizenship in Exchange for Investment within the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI). Egypt fully recognises dual citizenship, so investors retain their original nationality.

Applicants must choose one of four qualifying routes:

• Donation: USD 250,000 non-refundable contribution to the state treasury
• Real estate: USD 300,000 property purchase (must be held for at least 5 years; joint purchases permitted since October 2024, provided each participant's share exceeds USD 300,000)
• Business investment: USD 350,000 invested in a business plus a USD 100,000 non-refundable donation (minimum 5-year holding period)
• Bank deposit: USD 500,000 deposited at the Central Bank of Egypt, returned after 3 years in Egyptian pounds without interest (currency depreciation risk applies)

All investments must originate from funds transferred from abroad through authorised Egyptian banking channels. Domestic Egyptian funds do not qualify.

• Foreign national aged 18 or older; no nationality restrictions
• Clean criminal record from country of origin and/or residence
• Medical examination certificate
• No education, language, or cultural knowledge requirements
• USD 10,000 government processing fee (covers the entire family)

• Valid passport
• Proof of qualifying investment (property deed, deposit confirmation, or business establishment documents)
• Criminal record certificate from country of origin/residence
• Medical examination certificate
• Proof of legitimate source of funds
• Property ownership declaration with 5-year no-sale commitment (real estate option)
• Personal photographs

The process follows three phases:

1. Application filing: Submit all required documents and pay the USD 10,000 government fee at GAFI's specialised citizenship unit. Online filing is also available.
2. Security due diligence: Egyptian security agencies conduct background checks — typically taking approximately 3 months. Upon successful clearance, the applicant receives preliminary approval and a 6-month residence permit to enter Egypt and complete the investment transfer.
3. Final approval and passport issuance: Submit documentation confirming the investment has been executed. The review body — comprising representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, Investment, and International Cooperation — issues final approval and the Egyptian passport.

Overall processing time is 6–12 months from submission to passport issuance.

Spouse and dependent children under 21 can be included in the application at no additional investment or government fee. Children acquire citizenship simultaneously with the main applicant. Spouses receive their citizenship and passport after a 2-year waiting period. No ongoing residence requirement applies to any family member.

Egyptian citizens are taxed as residents on worldwide income if physically present for more than 183 days in any 12-month period or if they maintain a permanent home in Egypt. Progressive income tax rates apply from 0% (up to EGP 40,000) to 27.5% (above EGP 1,200,000). There is no residence requirement to maintain citizenship, so investors who do not reside in Egypt are not automatically subject to Egyptian income tax.

Egyptian citizenship provides the right to live, work, and study in Egypt without restriction, visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 50 countries, eligibility for the US E-2 investor visa treaty, voting rights, and no renewal requirements for the citizenship itself (only the 7-year passport requires periodic renewal).