Egypt
Egyptian Citizenship by Investment Program
Established 2019. Regulated by General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Citizenship by Investment Unit at Central Bank of Egypt.
- Min investment
- $250K
- Processing time
- 6-12 months
- Physical presence
- No
- Interview
- No
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Yes
- Visa-free destinations
- ~51
- Henley rank (2025)
- #90
Investment options
Donation
$250KNon-refundable donation to the Egyptian Public Treasury. Lowered to USD 250,000 in March 2023 (from USD 500,000).
Real Estate
$300KPurchase Egyptian real estate worth USD 300,000+ (residential, commercial, or land — except Sinai Peninsula, effective 12 June 2023). Held for minimum 5 years.
Business
$350KBusiness investment in an Egyptian company (minimum USD 350,000) PLUS additional non-refundable USD 100,000 donation to the state treasury.
Business
$500KRefundable bank deposit of USD 500,000 in an Egyptian bank for 3 years (returned in EGP at then-prevailing rate, no interest).
Additional fees
- Application fee: $10K
- Government fee: $10K
Mandatory USD 10,000 state fee applies to all routes. All investments must be in USD and transferred from abroad. Donations/deposits go through dedicated Citizenship by Investment Unit account at the Central Bank of Egypt.
Family inclusion
- Spouse: Yes
- Children under 18: Yes
- Adult children up to age: 21
- Siblings: No
Investor + children under 21 obtain citizenship simultaneously. SPOUSE receives a residence permit first, then citizenship only after 2 years (unless investment amount is doubled to register spouse as co-investor). Parents and siblings NOT included.
Tax implications
- Worldwide income taxed: No
- Tax residency required: No
Egypt taxes residents on worldwide income, but citizenship alone does not create tax residency (183-day physical presence test applies). Real estate transfer taxes apply.
Eligibility requirements
- Minimum age 21
- Clean criminal record
- Documented legal source of funds
- Health declaration
- Funds wired from outside Egypt in USD
Disqualifiers
- National security risk identified by Egyptian authorities
- Criminal record
- Misrepresentation
Recent changes
- 2023-03
Minimum donation reduced from USD 500,000 to USD 250,000 to attract more applicants.
- 2023-06-12
Real estate option opened to all Egyptian territory except the Sinai Peninsula (previously restricted to specific zones).
Notes
Weakest passport among major CBI programs (Egyptian passport ranks ~90 on Henley Index, ~51 visa-free destinations). Primary appeal: regional Middle East/Africa mobility, gateway to Arab world, USD 250k donation route is competitive with Caribbean prices. Spouse delay (2 years for citizenship) is a structural quirk. Better suited to investors with regional business interests in MENA than to those seeking global mobility.
Compare elsewhere
EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or financial advice. Always verify with the official program authority.