Egypt

Egypt Citizenship by Investment Overview

The Egypt Citizenship by Investment program grants Egyptian citizenship to foreign nationals who make a qualifying investment starting at US$250,000, with four routes available covering a direct donation, real estate purchase, bank deposit, and company investment. Established under 

Most of the application process can be handled remotely through an authorized legal representative in Egypt. Limited in-person presence is required for biometrics, a medical check, and final passport issuance. Processing typically takes 6 to 9 months. 

All investment funds must be transferred from abroad via international wire transfer in US dollars.

The main applicant can include a spouse and dependent children. 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold a clean criminal record, pass due diligence checks, provide a medical certificate, and demonstrate the lawful source of all investment funds. 

All documents issued abroad must be legalized or apostilled and translated into Arabic. 

Donation Route

• Non-refundable contribution of US$250,000 to the Egyptian state treasury
• The full amount must be transferred from abroad via international wire transfer in US dollars; partial transfers within one year are permitted
• No return on investment; the contribution is not refundable under any circumstances
• Government fee: US$10,000 for the whole family

Real Estate Route

• Minimum property purchase of US$300,000 in a government-licensed real estate project; residential, commercial, and land plots qualify; resort properties in Sinai are excluded
• Property must be part of a government project or listed in the real estate register; private developer purchases require the applicant to open a personal Egyptian bank account
• Joint ownership of a single property is permitted provided each co-investor’s share meets the US$300,000 threshold
• Property must be held for a minimum of 5 years
• Government fee: US$10,000 for the whole family

Bank Deposit Route

• Deposit of US$500,000 in an Egyptian bank for a minimum of 3 years
• The deposit is refundable at maturity in Egyptian pounds at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of account closure; no interest is paid during the deposit period
• Early withdrawal results in a retention of 20% of the deposited amount
• Government fee: US$10,000 for the whole family

Company Investment Route

• Minimum investment of US$350,000 in a new or existing Egyptian company, plus a non-refundable donation of US$100,000 to the Egyptian state; total financial commitment US$450,000
• A partial refund of the company investment is available after 5 years, provided the applicant retains at least a 40% stake in the company and maintains a minimum of 5 employees throughout
• Government fee: US$10,000 for the whole family

Route to Citizenship

The program grants full Egyptian citizenship directly upon approval, with no prior residency period required. The President of Egypt signs all citizenship decrees. Once citizenship is granted, the applicant applies for the Egyptian national identity card and passport, which are issued through the relevant civil registry authority.

Egypt’s nationality law formally requires applicants to relinquish their prior citizenship upon naturalization. 

In practice, Egypt does not enforce renunciation on its end and does not verify whether the applicant has complied with any foreign country’s renunciation requirements. 

Mobility and Taxation

Mobility

Egyptian citizens can access approximately 49 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, including all Arab League member states, Turkey, Malaysia, Georgia, and Kenya. 

Egyptian citizenship also confers eligibility for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, as Egypt has a bilateral investment treaty with the United States, allowing Egyptian passport holders to apply for E-2 status to invest and work in the United States without requiring a separate visa. 

Tax

Egypt taxes residents on worldwide income if they spend more than 183 days per year in Egypt or maintain their permanent domicile there. Egyptian citizens and residents are subject to Egyptian personal income tax at progressive rates from 0% to 27.5% on all income. 

Foreign-sourced income is generally exempt from Egyptian income tax for non-residents who do not maintain a domicile in Egypt.

There is no capital gains tax on the sale of securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange; capital gains on real estate and unlisted securities are taxed at applicable rates. 

How to Apply

The program is administered by the Citizenship by Investment Unit under the Prime Minister’s office, in coordination with the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Interior. 

The process typically runs as follows.

• Step 1: Engage an authorized Egyptian legal representative; complete an initial eligibility assessment and select the applicable investment route.
• Step 2: Compile all required documents, including a valid passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity, a legalized and Arabic-translated criminal record certificate from each country of residence in the past 10 years, a medical certificate, proof of lawful source of funds, investment documentation specific to the chosen route, and marriage and birth certificates for all included family members; all foreign documents must be legalized or apostilled and translated into Arabic by a certified translator.
• Step 3: Submit the application through the legal representative to the Citizenship by Investment Unit; under verification requirements introduced in 2025, applicants may be required to appear in person in Egypt for identity verification at this stage.
• Step 4: Complete the qualifying investment by transferring all funds via international wire transfer in US dollars to the relevant Egyptian institution; for real estate purchases, open a personal Egyptian bank account if purchasing from a private developer; pay the US$10,000 government fee.
• Step 5: Receive the citizenship decree; travel to Egypt to complete biometrics and the medical check at an approved facility; collect the Egyptian national identity card and passport from the relevant civil registry authority.