Introduction
Purchasing real estate has become one of the legal routes available to a foreign national seeking to apply for Egyptian nationality through investment. The current minimum threshold for this route is USD 300,000, with the possibility of paying the amount in installments over a period not exceeding one year in accordance with the prescribed rules.
However, purchasing property at this value does not result in the automatic acquisition of nationality. The route is subject to legal and security review, and the property itself must satisfy specific requirements relating to ownership, licensing, registration or supervision, in addition to proving payment of the consideration through the approved financial route.
Accordingly, real estate investment for the purpose of obtaining nationality requires an assessment different from that of an ordinary property purchase, because an error in selecting the property or in the method of transferring funds may affect both the transaction and the nationality application.
First: Legislative Background of the Citizenship by Investment Program
The modern legislative framework for the program began with Law No. 140 of 2019, which authorized the Prime Minister to grant Egyptian nationality to a foreign national in the investment cases specified by law, including purchasing real estate, establishing an investment project, and depositing funds in foreign currency.
Prime Ministerial Decree No. 3099 of 2019 was subsequently issued to regulate the cases for granting nationality, followed by Decree No. 647 of 2020 regulating the work of the Naturalization Applications Examination Unit and the procedures for submitting applications.
In March 2023, Prime Ministerial Decree No. 876 of 2023 was issued, reducing the minimum property purchase threshold from USD 500,000 to USD 300,000, reducing the deposit route to USD 500,000 for three years, and setting the investment-project route at an investment of USD 350,000 together with an additional USD 100,000 deposited as a non-refundable direct contribution to the State Treasury.
At that time, the real estate route under the implementing decision remained restricted to properties owned by the State or public legal persons.
Law No. 28 of 2023 was then enacted, deleting from Article 4 bis of the Nationality Law the restriction that the property be “owned by the State or other public legal persons.”
Prime Ministerial Decree No. 3562 of 2023 completed this development, establishing the rule that real estate may be purchased for an amount of not less than USD 300,000 without restricting the provision to State-owned properties, while specifying the documents that must be submitted in relation to the property.
Accordingly, the availability of purchases from the private sector derives from the legislative development that occurred in 2023, rather than from an amendment made in 2024.
Second: Required Property Value
The real estate route requires the purchase of property for an amount of not less than:
USD 300,000.
The official forms of the Naturalization Applications Examination Unit indicate that the investment may consist of land, a building, an apartment, or industrial land, subject to the property satisfying the required documents and legal conditions.
It should not be assumed that every property valued at USD 300,000 automatically qualifies for the program. Valid title, licensing, and the legal status of the property remain fundamental elements in the acceptance of the application.
Third: Can the Property Be Purchased from the Private Sector?
Yes. Following Law No. 28 of 2023 and Prime Ministerial Decree No. 3562 of 2023, the provision is no longer restricted to properties owned by the State.
Current official forms indicate that the property may be purchased from the State or the private sector.
However, this does not mean that any unit may be purchased from any developer without due diligence. Decree No. 3562 of 2023 requires the naturalization applicant to submit specific documents concerning the property, including the purchase agreement, the property license, and evidence that it is registered with the Real Estate Registration Office or is subject to the supervision of a State-owned authority having jurisdiction.
The legislation governing ownership of real estate by non-Egyptians and the rules applicable to areas having a special legal status must also be observed.
Fourth: Documents Required for the Property
Prime Ministerial Decree No. 3562 of 2023 specifies a set of documents that must be submitted when selecting the real estate route, including:
- A copy of the property purchase agreement.
- A copy of the property license.
- A utility receipt, if available.
- Evidence that the prescribed amount has been deposited with a bank licensed by the Central Bank.
- An undertaking not to dispose of the property for five years.
- Evidence that the property is registered with the Real Estate Registration Office or is subject to the supervision of a State-owned authority having jurisdiction.
It is therefore necessary to ensure that these documents can be provided before completing the transaction, rather than after payment of the property value.
Fifth: How Is the Property Value Paid?
The amount must be transferred from abroad in accordance with the applicable rules of the Central Bank, or must have entered Egypt through a customs port, been duly declared to customs, and then deposited with a licensed bank.
All transfer and deposit documents should be retained because they form an essential part of proving implementation of the investment program.
The current regulations do not contain a general rule requiring every purchaser of property from a private developer specifically to open a personal bank account in Egypt. Opening an account may be required in practice depending on the bank or the structure of the transaction, but it is not a separately published general statutory requirement of the program.
Sixth: Is Payment by Installments Permitted?
Yes. The USD 300,000 amount may be paid in installments over a period not exceeding one year.
However, nationality is not granted before the entire prescribed amount has been paid.
During the installment period, the naturalization applicant is granted temporary non-tourism residence.
If the applicant is unable to complete payment or withdraws the application, amounts previously paid are refunded in Egyptian pounds at the exchange rate announced by the Central Bank on the date of refund, provided that the exchange rate does not exceed the rate applicable on the date of payment, and without interest.
Installment payments are not available for all citizenship programs. The official platform currently limits them to the real estate purchase route of USD 300,000 and the direct-contribution route of USD 250,000.
Seventh: Nationality Application Fee
The naturalization applicant must pay a non-refundable fee of:
USD 10,000 or its equivalent in accordance with the prescribed rules.
This fee is separate from the value of the property and is payable for submitting and examining the naturalization application.
Eighth: Legal Due Diligence on the Property Before Purchase
Legal due diligence in this context is not a formality. At a minimum, it should include:
- Verifying the seller’s title and legal capacity.
- Reviewing the title deed and chain of prior transactions.
- Verifying the license relating to the property or project.
- Reviewing registration with the Real Estate Registration Office or the competent authority having jurisdiction.
- Searching for mortgages, attachments, and judicial disputes.
- Verifying restrictions applicable to foreign ownership in the relevant area.
- Reviewing whether the property is eligible for acceptance under the citizenship program.
Due diligence becomes particularly important for units under construction, land, and private projects that have not yet completed all of their regulatory documentation.
Ninth: Must the Purchase Agreement Be Registered with the Real Estate Registration Office?
The current wording is more precise than simply stating that every final purchase agreement must be registered before submission.
Decree No. 3562 of 2023 requires evidence that the property is registered with the Real Estate Registration Office or is subject to the supervision of a State-owned authority having jurisdiction.
The legal status of the property itself and the authority supervising it must therefore be examined rather than applying a single rule to all types of real estate.
Tenth: The Five-Year Property Holding Requirement
The naturalization applicant must submit an undertaking not to dispose of the property for five years.
This requirement is intended to ensure the seriousness of the investment and prevent the property purchase from being used as a temporary sham transaction solely to obtain nationality and then immediately dispose of the property.
Eleventh: What Happens If the Property Is Sold Before Five Years Have Elapsed?
One of the most common errors is the assertion that a sale before five years automatically results in withdrawal of nationality or a fine equal to 15% of the property value.
This does not reflect the current official system.
If the naturalized person disposes of the property before five years have elapsed, retaining Egyptian nationality requires the deposit of:
USD 250,000.
The amount is deposited with the Central Bank of Egypt by bank transfer from abroad as a direct contribution accruing to the State Treasury and is non-refundable.
This amount may be paid in installments over a period not exceeding one year.
Accordingly, the USD 250,000 amount is not a punitive “fine,” but an alternative financial condition for retaining nationality where the property is disposed of early.
Twelfth: Is There a Rule Permitting Joint Ownership by Several Investors?
The current published official provisions do not contain a clear general rule permitting several independent applicants to purchase one property and then count a USD 300,000 share for each of them for the purpose of obtaining nationality.
Accordingly, advertisements or marketing materials referring to such a structure should not be relied upon as establishing a legal entitlement without confirmation from the Naturalization Applications Examination Unit.
If the transaction is based on co-ownership or another non-traditional ownership structure, its acceptability should preferably be confirmed before funds are transferred.
Thirteenth: Stages of Submitting a Nationality Application
In practice, the application passes through several stages:
- Preparing the nationality application form and compiling the personal and property documents.
- Paying the application fee of USD 10,000.
- Legal and security review of the application.
- Issuance of preliminary approval where the file successfully passes the review stage.
- Completion of the investment program and payment of the full amount if the applicant is using the installment option.
- Issuance of the final decision after completion of the program and the required documentation.
The official program platform indicates an overall indicative timeframe of between 6 and 12 months, although the actual period varies according to completeness of the file, security review, and implementation of the investment.
Fourteenth: Principal Personal Documents
In addition to the property documents, the naturalization procedures require a set of personal documents, depending on the circumstances, including:
- A valid passport.
- A birth certificate or official extract thereof.
- The required personal photographs.
- Marriage and children’s documents, depending on the case.
- A declaration of other nationalities.
- Foreign and Egyptian criminal records in accordance with the requirements of the file.
- Movement certificates required by the Unit.
- An official medical examination certificate issued by a public hospital.
The competent authority may request additional documents depending on the circumstances of each application.
Fifteenth: Purchasing the Property Does Not Guarantee the Grant of Nationality
Purchasing property that satisfies the prescribed value does not convert the application into an automatic entitlement to nationality.
The Nationality Law authorizes the Prime Minister to grant nationality based on the submission and recommendation of the Naturalization Applications Examination Unit after the legal and security requirements have been satisfied.
Accordingly, an investor may satisfy the financial element while the grant of nationality remains dependent on completion of the remaining elements of the application.
Sixteenth: Status of the Wife and Minor Children
It should not be stated that the investor, spouse, and children all obtain nationality on the same day.
Under Article 6 of the Nationality Law, minor children acquire Egyptian nationality in principle when their father or mother acquires it, subject to the exceptions prescribed by law concerning ordinary residence abroad and retention of their original nationality.
However, a foreign wife does not automatically acquire nationality as a result of her husband’s naturalization.
She must notify the Minister of Interior of her desire to acquire nationality, and the marriage must not terminate for a reason other than the husband’s death before two years have elapsed from the date of such notification, while the Minister of Interior retains the statutory authority to issue a reasoned decision depriving her of the acquisition of nationality during the prescribed period.
The two-year period is therefore calculated from the date on which the wife declares her desire, not merely from the passage of two years since the investor acquired nationality.
Seventeenth: Difference Between the Real Estate Route and the Bank Deposit Route
The two routes should not be confused.
Under the real estate route, the investor pays the property price and becomes owner of the asset in accordance with the agreement and applicable legal rules, and may subsequently dispose of it after the relevant restrictions expire.
The bank deposit program, however, is a separate route, currently requiring USD 500,000 for three years.
After the three-year period expires, the deposit is refunded in Egyptian pounds at the exchange rate announced by the Central Bank on the date of refund and without interest.
The USD 250,000 direct contribution, by contrast, is a contribution to the State Treasury and is non-refundable.
Eighteenth: The Most Important Practical Mistakes
- Purchasing the property before verifying that it can be accepted under the program.
- Relying on the developer’s advertisement without reviewing title and licensing.
- Transferring funds through a method that does not satisfy the official requirements for proving the investment.
- Treating joint ownership among several applicants as an accepted rule without official confirmation.
- Believing that sale before five years necessarily results in withdrawal of nationality or a 15% fine.
- Confusing refund of the bank deposit with sale of the property.
- Believing that the wife automatically obtains nationality with the investor.
- Treating the USD 300,000 amount as the sole guarantee of obtaining nationality.
Nineteenth: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum property purchase amount?
USD 300,000 under the current system.
Can the property be purchased from the private sector?
Yes, but the property must satisfy the legal and documentary requirements prescribed for the program.
Is payment by installments permitted?
Yes, over a period not exceeding one year, and nationality is not granted before payment has been completed.
Must the property be retained for five years?
Yes. The investor submits an undertaking not to dispose of it during this period.
Can the property be sold before the five-year period expires?
Early disposal may result in a requirement to deposit a non-refundable USD 250,000 in order to retain nationality under the current system.
Does the wife obtain nationality with the investor?
No. She has a separate route based on declaring her desire and the passage of two years subject to the conditions prescribed by law.
Does the investor recover the USD 300,000 amount from the State?
No. It is the purchase price of property, not a deposit held by the State. The investor recovers the value of the investment—wholly or partly depending on the market—through disposal of the property when legally permitted, not through repayment by the State Treasury.
How long do the procedures take?
The official platform indicates an overall indicative period of 6 to 12 months, although this may vary depending on the individual application.
Advice from the Office of Dr. Mostafa El Rouby
As the Office of Dr. Mostafa El Rouby, specializing in nationality and investment matters, we advise investors selecting the real estate route to begin with legal due diligence before choosing the property, rather than after signing the agreement.
- Review the title, license, and legal status of the project.
- Verify in advance that the documents required by the Naturalization Applications Examination Unit can be provided.
- Review the purchase agreement to protect the investor if the property cannot be approved for the program.
- Document the flow of funds from the moment they leave the foreign country until they are deposited and paid.
- Do not rely on marketing information unsupported by official provisions or instructions.
- Do not dispose of the property before the five-year period expires without calculating the resulting financial consequences.
- Examine the status of the wife and children separately as part of the family’s nationality plan.
Success in the real estate nationality route does not depend solely on having the investment amount available, but also on selecting a legally eligible property, executing the transfers correctly, and completing the required documents and reviews until the final decision is issued.
Written and Prepared by Dr. Mostafa El Rouby