Egypt

Dual Citizenship Egypt

Allowed

Egyptian Nationality Law grants a non-Egyptian wife married to an Egyptian the right to acquire Egyptian citizenship while retaining her original nationality, after submitting an application stating her desire to do so, and the husband's approval of her desire and submitting the required documents, with verification that the marital relationship between them has continued for two years, after which the Minister of Interior issues a decision to acquire Egyptian citizenship, as the Ministry of Interior (Passports, Immigration and Nationality Authority) is solely responsible for matters related to citizenship, whether proving, acquiring, changing or recovering ,to obtain a dual citizenship a prior approval is necessary from the consular section in the Egyptian embassy of that nation and submit the following:

• A copy of the foreign passport of the naturalization applicant, and the original birth certificate or an official extract thereof.
• (6) recent personal photos;
• An acknowledgment from the naturalization applicant of the other nationalities he holds, if any;
• Number of wives and children, the nationality or nationalities they hold, and documents proving this, such as copies of passports or identity cards;
• An official certificate issued by the naturalization applicant’s country of origin proving that he has not previously been sentenced to a felony or a freedom-restricting penalty for a crime against honor. The certificate must be certified by the legally competent authority in the country from which it is issued and by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Criminal record for the applicant issued by the Egyptian authorities;
• An official certificate of the naturalization applicant’s movements issued by his country of origin and the country in which he resides permanently for a period of five years prior to the date of submission of the application, certified by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Father's birth certificate and death certificate in case of death;
• Original birth certificate of the naturalization applicant, authenticated, translated and certified;
• An official certificate of the result of the medical examination from a government hospital.

If the foreign wife of an Egyptian acquires Egyptian citizenship, she does not lose it upon the end of the marriage unless she regains her foreign citizenship or marries a foreigner and gets his nationality.

This does not apply to a foreign husband married to an Egyptian woman, as he does not have the right to request Egyptian citizenship regardless of his current nationality.

Egyptian nationality is also granted to a foreigner citizen in accordance with the text of Article No. (6) of the Egyptian Nationality Law, which stipulates “The Minister of Interior may, by decision, grant the nationality of the United Arab Republic to any foreigner who meets the conditions of the previous article if, for the purpose of naturalization, he has obtained permission from the Minister of Interior to settle in the United Arab Republic and has actually resided there for a period of five consecutive years after this permission. The effect of the permission shall be void if that period has expired and he has not requested naturalization within the following three months. If the person to whom the permission has been granted dies before being granted the nationality of the United Arab Republic, his wife and minor children at the time of issuance of the permission may benefit from it and for the period during which the deceased has resided”.

Recently, a greater opportunity for investment, based on Article No. 4 of Law 26 of Year 1975, which stipulates: “grant Egyptian citizenship to any foreigner who has purchased a property, or established an investment project in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Law issued by Law No. 72 of 2017, or deposited a sum of money in foreign currency as direct revenues that accrue to the State Treasury or as a deposit in a special account at the Central Bank, all of which shall be in the manner regulated by a decision issued by the Prime Minister after the approval of the Council of Ministers. The provisions contained in Article (9) of this law shall apply to granting citizenship in accordance with the provisions of this article”.

Accordingly, Egypt has developed a program to grant Egyptian citizenship through a number of options that foreigners can choose from to obtain Egyptian citizenship along with their original citizenship:

• Direct revenues worth $250,000

Deposit an amount of $250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars) via a bank transfer from abroad.

Directly (a grant) goes to the state’s general treasury, and it is non-refundable.

• Linking a deposit to the Central Bank of Egypt worth a minimum of $750,000 

In the option, the investor can link the aforementioned amount in US Dollars via a bank transfer from abroad, which will be released after five years in Egyptian pounds and without interest.

• Linking a deposit to the Central Bank of Egypt worth a minimum of $1,000,000

In this option, the investor can link a deposit in the amount of $1,000,000  via a bank transfer from abroad, which will be released after three years in Egyptian pounds and without interest.

• Buy a property from the state for a minimum of $500,000

Purchasing a property owned by the state or other public legal persons for an amount not less than 500 thousand dollars (five hundred thousand US dollars) transferred from abroad.

In the event of disposing of the property before five years have passed from the date of transfer, then the Egyptian citizenship will not be granted.

In order to retain Egyptian citizenship, an amount of two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars is required to be deposited in the Central Bank by bank transfer from abroad, as direct revenues that go to the state’s general treasury, and are non-refundable.

• Create an investment project with a minimum of $400,000

Establishing or participating in an investment project with an amount not less than $400,000 (four hundred thousand US dollars) transferred to the stipulated rules and procedures from abroad, with a participation rate of no less than 40% of the project capital, according to the Investment Law promulgated by Law No. 72 of 2017. In the event of liquidation or suspension of the investment project or the naturalized person disposes of it or his share before five years have passed from the date of his employment, then it is a condition for non-obtaining the Egyptian citizenship.

In addition to these investment requirements, applicants must also meet the following criteria:

- Be of legal age (18 years or older)

- Have a clean criminal record

- Provide proof of financial solvency

- Pass a medical examination

Benefits of Egyptian Citizenship by Investment

Acquiring Egyptian citizenship through investment offers a range of benefits, including:

- Visa-free travel to 67 countries;

- Right to reside and work permanently in Egypt;

- Access to Egyptian education and healthcare systems;

- Ownership rights for property and business investments; and

- Ability to pass on citizenship to children.

Application Process for Egyptian Citizenship by Investment

The application process for Egyptian citizenship by investment is relatively straightforward and can be completed within a few months. The steps involved are as follows:

1. Choose an Investment Option: decide whether to invest in real estate or make a bank deposit.
2. Select a Reputable Agent: engage a reputable agent or firm specializing in Egyptian CBI applications.
3. Prepare Application Documents: Gather all required documentation, including investment proof, financial statements, and personal documents.
4. Submit Application: submit the completed application form, along with the required documents, to the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.
5. Attend Interview: attend an interview with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior to review your application and eligibility.
6. Receive Approval: upon approval, receive a certificate of citizenship and passport.

Being born to an Egyptian father is an automatic way to obtain Egyptian citizenship as long as the birth was to an Egyptian father, the foreign kids who’ are born for Egyptian mother and non-Egyptian father can acquire the Egyptian citizenship in accordance with the following conditions:

Before the date (15/7/2004, the date of the implementation of Law No. 154 of 2004) in accordance with the text of Article (3) of this law, after submitting the legally required documents proving the Egyptian citizenship of the Egyptian mother. The application is accepted from the person concerned if he is of legal age or his legal representative, and it is accepted from the mother or the guardian of the upbringing or the mother’s representative in the event that the applicant for citizenship is a minor (less than 21 years of age). He acquires it after a period of one year from the date of submitting the application in accordance with the aforementioned article, and Egyptian law does not require the foreign son to renounce his original nationality. The application submitted through the website will not be considered unless the person concerned comes to the administration with the original documents and pays the fees and stamps required for the application.

Required documents:

• • Applicant's birth certificate;
  • Valid passport of the foreign applicant;
  • 4 recent photos of the applicant;
  • Criminal record for those over 16 years of age;
  • Birth certificate of the Egyptian mother;
  • Birth certificate of the father of the Egyptian mother (a birth certificate of the maternal grandfather may be required in some cases);
  • Marriage contract of the mother to the father of the foreign applicant;
  • Proof of the identity of the Egyptian mother (passport or national ID card); and
  • Receipt indicating receipt of papers.