Introduction
Dual nationality raises important practical questions for Egyptian young men subject to military service rules: Does holding a foreign nationality exempt a person from military service? Is presenting a foreign passport sufficient? Does the treatment differ if the foreign nationality was acquired before or after the age of thirty? And what is the position if the person resides inside Egypt?
The answer requires a distinction between dual nationality under the Nationality Law and the military service treatment of a dual national. Holding a foreign nationality does not, by itself, extinguish the obligation to perform military service, and merely possessing a foreign passport does not constitute a certificate of exemption or exclusion from service.
This matter is principally governed by Egyptian Nationality Law No. 26 of 1975, Military and National Service Law No. 127 of 1980, and the decisions issued in implementation thereof, particularly Minister of Defense Decree No. 280 of 1986.
First: Dual Nationality Under Egyptian Nationality Law
Article 10 of Nationality Law No. 26 of 1975 provides that an Egyptian may not naturalize in a foreign nationality without first obtaining permission issued by decision of the Minister of Interior.
As a general rule, once an Egyptian is authorized to naturalize in a foreign nationality, Egyptian nationality ceases. However, the authorization may permit the person to retain Egyptian nationality, in accordance with the provisions and conditions established by the Article.
If permission is issued to acquire the foreign nationality while retaining Egyptian nationality, the person becomes a dual national, and it then becomes necessary to determine the person’s military service status on the basis of dual nationality before the competent military authorities.
It is important to emphasize that the Ministry of Interior decision concerning nationality does not, by itself, amount to a decision granting exemption or exclusion from military service. Each matter is governed by a separate legal procedure.
Second: Is a Dual National Automatically Exempt from Military Service?
No.
This is one of the most important points requiring correction in much of the information commonly circulated on the subject.
The Military and National Service Law does not include dual nationals among the general cases of permanent exemption set out in Article 7 merely because they hold two nationalities.
Instead, Article 6/4 of the Law provides for the exclusion of categories whose rules and conditions of exclusion are determined by decision of the Minister of Defense in accordance with the requirements of public interest or State security, with the exclusion decision issued by the Minister of Defense.
On this legal basis, Minister of Defense Decree No. 280 of 1986 was issued regulating the military treatment of certain dual-nationality cases.
Accordingly, the more legally accurate expression is “exclusion from the performance of military and national service on the ground of dual nationality”, although some consular authorities use the expression “military service exemption” in their practical guidance to simplify the service for citizens.
Third: An Egyptian Who Acquires a Foreign Nationality While Retaining Egyptian Nationality
According to the military service guide for Egyptians abroad issued by the competent authorities, an Egyptian who acquires the nationality of a foreign State while retaining Egyptian nationality may fall within the system of exclusion from military service where the statutory conditions and procedures are satisfied.
The principal practical elements in this case include:
- Proof of acquisition of the foreign nationality.
- Proof of retention of Egyptian nationality in accordance with legal procedures.
- An official statement or decision establishing dual nationality.
- Determination of the military three-part number.
- Referral of the case to the competent military authorities.
- Issuance of the military service treatment decision by the competent authority.
Accordingly, a citizen should not assume that exclusion from military service arises from the moment the foreign nationality is acquired. The exclusion requires completion of its procedures and issuance of the relevant military service status certificate.
Fourth: The Difference Between a Person Residing Abroad and a Person Residing in Egypt
This is where one of the most important practical distinctions appears.
1. A Dual National Residing Outside Egypt
According to the military service guide for Egyptians abroad, the case of a young dual national residing outside the country is referred to the committee responsible for examining dual-nationality cases in order to take the necessary steps to obtain a decision of the Minister of Defense concerning exclusion from the performance of military and national service, after which the prescribed military service status certificate is issued.
Egyptian consulates in a number of countries allow the submission of documents relating to this process and forward them to the competent authorities in Egypt.
2. A Dual National Residing in Egypt
The position is more nuanced for a person residing inside Egypt.
The official guide states that a dual-national young man residing in Egypt is referred to the competent authorities within the Armed Forces for examination of his status from the perspective of dual nationality, and his treatment is determined according to the circumstances of his case.
Accordingly, it is incorrect to say that dual nationality by itself necessarily results in exclusion where the person resides in Egypt.
The final decision may, depending on the outcome of the examination and the person’s legal status, result in exclusion or in military treatment as determined by the competent authorities.
Fifth: Do Not Consider Yourself “Deferred” Merely Because You Submitted an Exclusion Application
The previous version of the article stated that a person is considered deferred from service merely upon submission of a dual-nationality application until a decision is issued.
This wording is inaccurate.
Submission of an application does not, by itself, create a general legal deferment unless the person holds a valid military service certificate or status document establishing that position.
The safe practical rule is that military service status is established by the official document issued by the competent military authority, not merely by the existence of an application under examination.
Accordingly, any certificate of deferment, temporary exclusion, or military service status previously issued should be retained, and its validity should be checked before travel or dealing with authorities that require proof of military service status.
Sixth: What Are the Basic Documents Required for a Dual National?
The details vary depending on the country, consulate, and the manner in which dual nationality arose. However, official consular instructions commonly refer to a set of principal documents, including:
- The dual-nationality decision or statement issued by the competent authority within the Ministry of Interior.
- A valid foreign passport.
- The Egyptian passport or national ID card, depending on the case.
- The computerized Egyptian birth certificate.
- The military three-part number.
- A movement certificate if requested by the competent authority.
- Form 6 Gond or the prescribed military form depending on the type of transaction.
- Any military service status certificate previously issued.
Fees and certain procedural requirements may differ from one diplomatic mission to another. Accordingly, the competent Egyptian consulate in the country of residence should be consulted before submitting the file.
Seventh: Where Is the Dual-Nationality Statement Issued?
The previous version was inaccurate in stating that the dual-nationality certificate is issued by the Civil Status Authority.
As a general rule, this transaction is connected with the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Sector of the Ministry of Interior and the decisions issued concerning acquisition of a foreign nationality while retaining Egyptian nationality.
Applications from abroad may be submitted through Egyptian consulates, which refer them to the competent authorities inside Egypt.
The role of the Civil Status Authority is connected with civil status documents, such as birth certificates and national ID numbers, rather than issuing the decision establishing dual-nationality status.
Eighth: Temporary and Final Military Service Treatment in Consular Procedures
Current instructions of the Egyptian Consulate General in London – as an official procedural example – indicate that a dual national may obtain temporary military service treatment until reaching the age of thirty, after which the person applies to complete the procedures for final treatment.
This matter must be dealt with in accordance with the certificate actually issued to each person, because the type and timing of the military service certificate may be affected by place of residence, the manner in which nationality was acquired, the timing of issuance of the dual-nationality decision, and the person’s previous military status.
Accordingly, a person’s description of himself as a “dual national” is not sufficient to determine whether the treatment is temporary or final. The military service certificate itself must be reviewed.
Ninth: What If the Person Acquired the Foreign Nationality After the Age of Thirty?
This is one of the most serious practical issues in the subject.
Acquiring a foreign nationality after reaching the age of thirty does not automatically erase a previous violation relating to failure to report for military service.
The official military service guide for Egyptians abroad states that where a decision of the Minister of Interior authorizing naturalization in a foreign nationality is issued after the person has passed the age of thirty, the person is considered to have failed to report for military service if he had not presented himself to determine his status before passing the age at which enlistment is no longer accepted.
Accordingly, foreign naturalization after the age of thirty should not be used as a means of bypassing a previous unresolved military service status.
The Important 2026 Amendment to the Military Service Law
Law No. 2 of 2026 was issued amending certain provisions of Military and National Service Law No. 127 of 1980 and entered into force on 25 March 2026.
One of its most important amendments for the issue of failure to report for military service was the amendment of Article 49.
Under the current text, any person who fails to report for military service after reaching the age of thirty is punishable by:
- imprisonment,
- and a fine of no less than EGP 20,000 and no more than EGP 100,000,
- or either of these two penalties.
Accordingly, a person who passes the age of thirty without regularizing military status should not assume that reaching that age ends the issue. Rather, the matter moves into the procedures for settling the failure to report under the Law.
Tenth: What Happens If the Person Loses the Foreign Nationality?
The system regulating the exclusion of dual nationals provides that an exclusion based on dual nationality ceases if the person loses the foreign nationality on which that status was based.
This does not mean, in simplified terms, that the person is “immediately conscripted” in every case. If the foreign nationality is lost, military status must be reassessed according to the person’s age, military status, and any decisions previously issued.
The important rule, however, is that continued dual-nationality treatment presupposes the continued existence of the foreign nationality on which the exclusion decision was based.
Accordingly, the competent authorities should be notified of any material change in nationality status, and a person should not continue using an exclusion certificate based on a fact that no longer exists.
Eleventh: A Foreign National Who Acquires Egyptian Nationality While Retaining Foreign Nationality
Dual nationality does not arise only when an Egyptian subsequently acquires a foreign nationality.
A foreign national may later acquire Egyptian nationality while retaining the foreign nationality. There are also cases where a person acquires Egyptian nationality through an Egyptian mother or under the provisions of the Nationality Law while already holding another nationality.
Official military service guides indicate that special procedures exist for these cases, under which the competent nationality authorities communicate to the Conscription and Mobilization Department information concerning acquisition of Egyptian nationality, the foreign nationality, and movement certificates, after which military service status is determined in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
Accordingly, it is necessary to identify how dual nationality arose before determining the correct route:
- An Egyptian who acquired a foreign nationality.
- A person who has held two nationalities since birth.
- A foreign national who acquired Egyptian nationality.
- A child of an Egyptian mother who acquired Egyptian nationality while retaining a foreign nationality.
These cases may be similar in their result – holding two nationalities – but they are not necessarily identical in procedures and documentation.
Twelfth: Does Performing Military Service in a Foreign Country Exempt a Person from Egyptian Military Service?
Article 6/3 of the Military and National Service Law provides for the exclusion of persons holding Egyptian nationality who have actually performed military service in the armed forces of a foreign State, provided that they had ordinary residence in that State and were required under its law to perform such service.
This is a separate case from dual nationality itself.
However, it must be approached with great caution because Article 16 of the Egyptian Nationality Law includes a case relating to joining the military service of a foreign State without obtaining the prior authorization required by law.
During 2026, several decisions were in fact published in the Official Gazette revoking Egyptian nationality from persons who had joined the military service of a foreign State without obtaining the required prior authorization.
Accordingly, an Egyptian holding another nationality should not assume that holding that nationality permits him to join its armed forces without reviewing Egyptian law and obtaining the required approvals.
Thirteenth: Marriage to a Foreign Woman Does Not Exempt a Person from Military Service
A distinction must also be made between dual nationality and marriage to a foreign woman.
The mere fact that an Egyptian young man marries a foreign woman does not make him a dual national and does not result in his exclusion from military service.
Official Armed Forces military service announcements have confirmed that young men married to foreign women must submit supporting documents so that their status can be examined and they can receive the treatment to which they are legally entitled.
Accordingly, actual foreign nationality and dual-nationality status are one matter, while marriage to a foreign national is another.
Fourteenth: What About Minor Children?
The effect of certain nationality procedures may extend to minor children under the Nationality Law, but this does not mean that there is a “family military service certificate” or that the father’s military status automatically determines that of his children.
Each male becomes subject to military service rules upon reaching the statutory age and must determine his status on the basis of his nationality, circumstances, dual-nationality decisions issued in his regard, and his own documents.
Accordingly, families whose children hold two nationalities should take care to establish the nationality status of each child and not wait until the child reaches military service age before beginning to review the relevant documents.
Fifteenth: The Most Common Mistakes That Cause Problems for Dual Nationals
- Believing that a foreign passport exempts the person from military service: whereas military status must be officially determined.
- Acquiring foreign nationality without regularizing the required authorization: which is different from acquiring it while formally retaining Egyptian nationality.
- Waiting until after the age of thirty: and then attempting to use foreign nationality to regularize a previous failure to report.
- Failing to obtain the military three-part number: despite its being required in many procedures.
- Confusing the dual-nationality statement with the military service status certificate: each serves a different function.
- Travelling on the basis of an application still under examination: without holding a valid military service document.
- Losing the foreign nationality without updating military status: even though this may directly affect the legal basis of the exclusion.
- Joining the armed forces of a foreign State without reviewing Egyptian authorization requirements.
Sixteenth: The Correct Practical Steps for a Dual National
- Determine how the second nationality was acquired: by birth, naturalization, or subsequent acquisition of Egyptian nationality.
- Review the status of Egyptian nationality: and confirm the existence of the appropriate official decision or statement.
- Obtain the military three-part number: if it has not previously been determined.
- Obtain the dual-nationality statement: through the competent authority within the Ministry of Interior or the consulate, depending on the place of residence.
- Obtain a movement certificate: if required for the relevant transaction.
- Prepare the Egyptian and foreign passports and identity documents.
- Submit the prescribed military service form.
- Do not rely solely on the submission receipt: follow up the file until the official military service status certificate is issued.
- Review the type of certificate: whether temporary or final, and its expiry date.
- Reassess the status immediately upon any change in the foreign nationality.
Seventeenth: An Egyptian Residing Abroad – Where Should the Process Begin?
A person residing abroad may begin with the Egyptian consulate competent for the country of residence.
Egyptian diplomatic missions provide services relating to permission to acquire a foreign nationality while retaining Egyptian nationality, as well as forwarding applications for determination of military service status to the competent authorities in Egypt.
However, documents, fees, and service appointment procedures may differ from one consulate to another. Accordingly, it is preferable to refer to the official page of the diplomatic mission having jurisdiction over the person’s place of residence before preparing the file.
Eighteenth: An Egyptian Residing in Egypt – Where Should the Process Begin?
If the person is inside Egypt, the nationality-related aspect should first be completed before the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality, followed by review with the relevant Conscription and Mobilization Area or the competent Conscription Department according to the person’s status.
Dual nationality should not be treated as a simple administrative matter that can be established by a foreign passport alone. The file moves between the nationality authorities and military authorities, each of which has an independent jurisdiction.
The Role of the Office of Dr. Mostafa El Rouby – Attorneys and Legal Consultants
Dual-nationality and military service files require precise determination of the chronological sequence of events before any procedure is commenced.
The most important questions that should be answered include:
- When did the person acquire the foreign nationality?
- Was it held from birth or acquired through naturalization?
- Was permission issued by the Ministry of Interior?
- Did the permission include retention of Egyptian nationality?
- How old was the person when the decision was issued?
- Was the person residing in Egypt or abroad?
- Had any deferment, exclusion, or exemption certificate previously been issued?
- Did the person reach the age of thirty without determining military status?
- Did the person perform military service in a foreign State?
- Does the person still retain the foreign nationality?
By answering these questions, it becomes possible to determine whether the required step is completion of the dual-nationality file, issuance of a military service status certificate, renewal of a temporary exclusion, issuance of final treatment, or settlement of a previous failure to report for military service.
Conclusion
The military service status of a dual national in Egypt is more nuanced than the common statement that “a dual national is exempt from the army.”
Legally, the matter is connected with Article 6 of the Military and National Service Law and the decisions regulating excluded categories, foremost among them Minister of Defense Decree No. 280 of 1986, while the Nationality Law regulates the acquisition of foreign nationality and retention of Egyptian nationality.
Application differs according to place of residence, the manner in which dual nationality arose, age, and previous military status. A person residing abroad has a clear procedural route for referral to the competent authorities, whereas a person residing in Egypt is subject to examination of his case to determine whether he will be excluded or otherwise treated for military service purposes as determined by the Armed Forces.
Likewise, acquisition of a foreign nationality after the age of thirty does not erase a previous failure to report for military service, particularly following the amendment of Article 49 by Law No. 2 of 2026 and the stricter penalties prescribed for this situation.
Accordingly, the correct step is not merely to obtain a foreign passport, but rather to regularize the nationality status first, then obtain the official military service treatment document establishing the person’s legal status.
The Office of Dr. Mostafa El Rouby – Attorneys and Legal Consultants – advises Egyptians holding foreign nationalities, particularly those residing abroad, not to postpone determination of their military service status until the age of thirty, to review dual-nationality documents and military service certificates at an early stage, and to update the competent authorities immediately upon any change in nationality status.
Written and Prepared by: Dr. Mostafa El Rouby