Citizenship in Egypt for real estate investments
Foreigners can obtain citizenship for real estate investment in Egypt. To do this, you must purchase one or more properties totalling at least $300,000 and pay a $10,000 application fee. Knowledge of the Arabic language is not mandatory.
The country's government allows foreign investors to buy real estate with virtually no restrictions on location, except for the Sinai Peninsula. They have access to different types of properties, both ready-to-use and under construction. These include:
- Residential projects: villas, apartments, townhouses.
- Commercial real estate: offices, shopping centres, restaurants.
- Hotel complexes and resorts.
- Land plots.
The process of registration takes from 6 to 12 months. Together with the passport, the investor receives all the rights and freedoms of a citizen of the state, including the possibility to conduct business and visit more than 80 countries without a visa or under a simplified scheme.
The applicant's family can also be included in the application. Unmarried children under 21 years of age are eligible to apply for a passport at the same time as the main applicant, spouse, which is after 2 years. There is no need to renounce other citizenship.
After 5 years, the investor has the right to sell the property and return the invested funds without losing citizenship.
Conditions for obtaining citizenship in Egypt
Citizenship for investment in Egypt is available to foreigners who:
- Are over 18 years of age.
- Do not suffer from serious illnesses.
- Have no criminal record in their country of residence and Egypt.
- Can prove the legal origin of investment funds.
- Are willing to travel to the country for passport processing.
Documents for obtaining citizenship in Egypt
To get Egyptian citizenship, the applicant needs to prepare the following set of documents:
- A completed application form.
- A copy of a valid passport.
- Birth certificate.
- Certificates of absence of criminal record in the country of residence and Egypt (if the candidate has previously visited the state).
- Proof of legal origin of investment funds: bank statements for the last 6 months, income statements, contracts, etc.
- Confirmation of fulfilment of the investment obligation: real estate purchase and sale agreement together with payment documents.
- Medical certificate of absence of serious illnesses.
- Passport-size color photos.
All documents must be translated into English or Arabic and notarized. To move to Egypt as a family you will also need documents and certificates from relatives, birth certificates of children, and marriage certificates.
How else can you get citizenship
Besides investing in real estate, there are other ways to obtain Egypt dual citizenship in 6–12 months:
- Make a non-refundable contribution of $250,000.
- Open an interest-free deposit of $500,000. These funds cannot be used for 3 years and after 3 years they can be withdrawn.
- Invest $350,000 or more in an existing or new business. This method involves the creation or purchase of a share in a company operating in the country. Additionally, it will be necessary to transfer to the government $100,000.
Also, foreigners can obtain citizenship in the following cases:
- Marriage to an Egyptian man/Egyptian woman. This requires at least 2 years of marriage.
- Egyptian ancestry. Persons whose ancestors were Egyptian but lost their citizenship can regain it. It is necessary to prove Egyptian roots and go through the established procedure.
- Living in the country legally for 10 years gives the right to apply for citizenship.
- Outstanding merit. A passport can be granted to foreign citizens who have made a significant contribution to science, culture, art, or the economy of the country.
