Buying an apartment in Egypt in 2026

A foreigner can hold up to two properties, resell only after 5 years, and in Sinai mostly lease. Hurghada prices, the deal process and citizenship for a purchase from $300,000.

In detail

A foreigner can buy an apartment in Egypt, with three restrictions: no more than two residential properties per family, no resale for 5 years, and in Sinai usually long-term use instead of ownership. On the other hand, housing here is among the cheapest by the sea, and a purchase from $300,000 opens a route to citizenship. Property search and checks are described on our property in Egypt page; here is the short answer.

How much an apartment in Egypt costs in 2026

The market most popular with foreigners is the Red Sea resorts. In Hurghada an apartment in a typical residential complex costs about $1,000 per square metre, and from $1,800 on the seafront. A 40 m² studio in an ordinary complex costs about $40,000, an 80 m² two-bedroom apartment about $90,000.

The other pole is Cairo and the New Administrative Capital, where people buy for price growth and business rentals. Prices there depend more on the developer than on the area, so the developer's reputation is checked first.

Rules for foreign buyers

The rules are the same for all foreigners, including Russian citizens: the law sets no special bans or privileges by nationality.

How to buy an apartment in Egypt: step by step

1. Check the developer and title: permits, land status, registration.
2. Check the form of ownership: freehold or long-term use, especially in Sinai.
3. Contract and payment through a bank in foreign currency or pounds. For the citizenship programme, the payment must be in foreign currency and confirmed by the bank.
4. Register the right with the real estate registration office.
5. Documents to the citizenship programme, if the purchase is for a passport.

Many new builds are sold in instalments over years. Convenient, but ownership is registered only after full payment, so the developer's reliability matters more than a discount.

How much the purchase costs: taxes and fees

The buyer pays for registration and legal checks, and a 2.5% tax on the price is paid on sale. Resort rentals need a management company, and the income is taxed in Egypt. Rates are on the taxes in Egypt page.

Example calculation. A two-bedroom apartment in Hurghada for $90,000 plus registration and checks. Russian citizens can use a visa on arrival for a viewing trip; resort life is covered in the Hurghada guide.

Renting out at a resort

Resort rentals in Hurghada are seasonal: the peak comes in the months when Europe and Russia are cold, and demand drops in summer. Owners usually let through the complex's management company, which takes a commission, and the income is taxed in Egypt. Yield is calculated from the complex's actual occupancy in past seasons, not from the developer's brochure: promised double-digit returns appear more often in brochures than in bank statements.

Does buying an apartment give Egyptian residence or citizenship

Owning a home can be a basis for a renewable residence permit. And buying state property from $300,000 is one of the official options of the citizenship by investment programme: the property is held for at least 5 years. All options and costs are on the Egyptian citizenship pages and in our review of the cost of Egyptian citizenship.

How we help

The law does not forbid buying an apartment on your own. But mistakes cost more than taxes: a developer without land rights, a long-term lease in Sinai instead of the expected ownership, a payment in pounds where the citizenship programme requires foreign currency. Murblz specialists check the developer, title and restrictions for foreigners, calculate the investment for the citizenship programme and support payment and registration. Our manager in the chat will calculate the cost of support.

FAQ