Egypt Citizenship by Investment

Status: active.

Egypt grants citizenship to foreigners who make one of four investments under Law 190 of 2019 and Prime Ministerial Decree 3099 of 2019, as amended by Decree 876 of 2023. The amended amounts apply since March 3, 2023:

• Treasury payment: $250,000 paid to the State treasury, not refundable.
• Property: buying property owned by the State or other public bodies for at least $300,000.
• Investment project: setting up or joining a project worth at least $350,000, plus a non-refundable $100,000 paid to the treasury.
• Deposit: $500,000 held at the Central Bank of Egypt and refunded after three years in Egyptian pounds, without interest.

GAFI's English program sheet still shows the amounts set in 2020. Decree 876 replaced them, so the figures above are the ones in force.

This is a citizenship program, not a residence visa for remote workers. Egypt has no digital nomad visa, and the Egypt guide covers the entry options for longer stays.

Any foreign national can apply who makes one of the four qualifying investments with funds transferred from abroad. The decree sets no prior residence period.

A citizenship unit attached to the Council of Ministers examines each file, and the Prime Minister may grant nationality on its recommendation (Decree 876 of 2023).

The document list asks for criminal record certificates from Egypt and from the country of origin, and a record of the applicant's travel over the past five years (GAFI document list). Spouse and minor children: Yes. Their documents are filed with the application, but the list does not say how far family naturalization extends.

The GAFI document list asks for:

• The original citizenship application form with the additional information sheet.
• Proof of the filing fee transfer from abroad to the Central Bank of Egypt.
• Copies of the passport of the original nationality and of every other passport held, plus a signed statement listing any other nationalities.
• An original or official copy of the birth certificate and three recent photos.
• For a spouse: copies of all passports and the marriage contract. For minor children: a passport, birth certificate or ID card for each.
• The original Egyptian criminal record certificate and a certificate from the country of origin, attested by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirming no conviction for a felony or a breach-of-trust offense.
• Official certificates of the applicant's movements from the country of origin and from the country of permanent residence, covering the past five years.
• For shareholders: company registry and tax card copies, title deeds for Egyptian property and vehicle licenses.
• During the temporary residence: an official medical examination report and the original proof that the investment requirement has been met.

Applicants can ask for the application and decisions to be kept confidential.

• Filing fee: $10,000 one-time, transferred from abroad (GAFI).
• Treasury payment: $250,000, not refundable.
• Property: at least $300,000 for property owned by the State or other public bodies.
• Investment project: at least $350,000 plus a non-refundable $100,000 to the treasury.
• Deposit: $500,000, refunded after three years in Egyptian pounds at the rate on the refund date, without interest.

The treasury and property routes can be paid in installments over up to one year. A refund after a default or withdrawal is made in Egyptian pounds without interest (Decree 876 of 2023), so the deposit and any refund carry exchange-rate risk.

Translations, attestations, legal help and property costs come on top and are not set by the program.

1. Prepare the file. Gather the documents on the GAFI list and choose the investment route.
2. Pay the filing fee. $10,000 transferred from abroad to the unit's account at the Central Bank of Egypt (GAFI).
3. Submit. Where to file: Citizenship Applications Examination Unit (Council of Ministers), office at GAFI headquarters in Cairo; filing fee wired to the Central Bank of Egypt.
4. Make the investment. The property and USD 250,000 treasury routes can be paid in installments over up to one year. Citizenship is granted only after full payment; the applicant gets temporary non-tourist residence meanwhile, and a default or withdrawal is refunded in Egyptian pounds without interest.
5. Decision. The unit examines the file and the Prime Minister decides on its recommendation.

No official processing time is published.

The program leads to citizenship, not to a residence permit with a fixed term, so there is nothing to renew. Egyptian citizenship by Prime Ministerial decision on the unit's recommendation; temporary residence is granted while installments are paid. The GAFI document list asks for every other passport held, so applicants keep their existing nationality on file.

The official sources reached for this update do not state how long that temporary residence lasts or how long a decision takes.

Neither the decree nor the GAFI documents create a tax regime for investor citizens. Egypt's general rules apply.

Under the Income Tax Law (Law 91 of 2005), residence for tax purposes turns on having a permanent home in Egypt or spending a large part of a 12-month period there. The Egyptian Tax Authority applies the exact day count, so long-stay applicants should confirm their position with it.

New citizens who keep another nationality should also check how that country taxes them.