Egypt citizenship by investment in 2026: cost and visa-free countries

Which countries can Egyptian passport holders visit visa-free in 2026

The honest number is 49. That is how many destinations the Egyptian passport opens in 2026, the same as Jordan's.

The count includes three kinds of entry: visa-free, visa on arrival and an electronic travel authorisation (ETA - a short online form that is approved automatically and is not a visa). eVisas are not part of the total, because they must be applied for in advance, carry a fee and can be refused.

This is where the marketing figures of 80 or even 100-plus countries come from: the eVisa list gets added to the honest 49. By that logic Turkey and the UAE count as open too, even though nobody boards a flight there without an approved application.

Where an Egyptian passport still needs a full visa

The whole Schengen area and the European Union, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and most of Latin America. Kazakhstan is on the visa-required list as well, and so is Grenada, one of the Caribbean countries that sells its own citizenship.

Getting a Schengen visa on an Egyptian passport is hard work. European Commission statistics for 2025 show 226,865 short-stay Schengen applications lodged in Egypt, with a refusal rate of 24.2%, almost one in four. The global average was 14.6%. If you already hold a passport with a clean visa history, there is no reason to apply for Schengen on the Egyptian one.

Entry rules change several times a year. For the current rules for your trip, ask an expert. For the wider picture, see our passport ranking for 2026.

How the Egyptian passport compares with other passports

An Egyptian passport opens 49 destinations. For holders of stronger passports it adds only a handful of countries, mostly in Africa, and none of them is on the list that justifies buying a second passport.

For Ukrainian passport holders the gain is even thinner: 9 countries, Benin, The Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Sierra Leone, and they already have Schengen. For citizens of Kazakhstan it is twelve destinations, mostly in West Africa. For Indian citizens the numbers do not add up either: India already scores 55, and India does not allow dual citizenship at all. Under section 9 of the Citizenship Act 1955, voluntarily acquiring another nationality ends Indian citizenship.

The flip side matters too. For holders of Pakistani, Iraqi, Lebanese or Nigerian passports, the Egyptian document is a modest but real step up, especially across Africa and the Arab world.

One more uncomfortable detail. A second citizenship does not cancel the first. Banks, European Union consulates and payment providers ask about every nationality you hold, so an Egyptian passport does not hide your first one when you open an account or apply for a visa. If travel is the main goal, look at programmes with stronger passports instead.

How much Egypt citizenship by investment costs in 2026

The cheapest way in is a USD 250,000 non-refundable contribution to the treasury, plus a government fee of about USD 10,000. There are four routes in total, and legally they are equal: the passport is identical, the only difference is whether the money comes back and in what currency.

The programme rests on Law No. 190 of 2019, which amended Egypt's nationality law, Law No. 26 of 1975. Today's thresholds come from Prime Ministerial Decree No. 876, issued in March 2023. Before it, real estate cost USD 500,000, a business investment USD 400,000 and a deposit USD 750,000 for five years. The government needed foreign currency: the real estate and deposit thresholds were cut and the business route was restructured.

The government fee of about USD 10,000 is paid on submission whatever the route, and it is not refunded if the application fails. Check the amount again before you file.

What else goes into the budget

On the cheapest route costs start from USD 260,000: the USD 250,000 contribution plus about USD 10,000 in fees. On top come translations and legalisation of documents for every family member, medical certificates from an Egyptian clinic, flights and accommodation for the mandatory visits, and support from Murblz specialists. We quote its cost and the total for your family in the chat after reviewing the documents.

If you choose real estate, selling the property after five years triggers a 2.5% tax on the full sale price with no deductions. On a USD 300,000 flat that is USD 7,500, even if the property has not gained a cent.

Compare with all programs: second passport cost in 2026

Can you get Egyptian citizenship through real estate

Yes, from USD 300,000, but the hard part is not the price, it is the title deed. According to Egypt's then Justice Minister Omar Marwan (February 2022), more than 90% of property in the country is not entered in the state register. The market runs on chains of private contracts, while the programme requires a registered title.

Title registration is handled by the Justice Ministry's Real Estate Publicity Department (known in Egypt as al-Shahr al-Aqari). An off-plan flat bought from a developer stays unregistered for years. Legal due diligence on the property is not a formality in Egypt; without it the application is not accepted.

What changed in 2024

In October 2024 the real estate rules were tightened and clarified:

• Joint purchases. Two or three buyers can share one property, provided each share exceeds USD 300,000.
• Egyptian bank account. When buying from a private developer, the money must be transferred in dollars from abroad through an account with an Egyptian bank.
• Building permit. The permit is checked separately to rule out illegal construction.

The property must be held for at least five years. After that it can be sold with no effect on citizenship, but the sale happens on the local market and in Egyptian pounds. Foreigners face special restrictions on land ownership in the Sinai Peninsula, so property there needs separate checks.

If you need residency rather than a passport

You do not have to buy citizenship to live in Egypt. Interior Ministry Decree No. 977 of 2023 grants foreign property owners a residence permit: one year for property worth at least USD 50,000, three years from USD 100,000 and five years from USD 200,000. A bank deposit also works: USD 50,000 for one year or USD 100,000 for three years. The permit is renewable as long as the investment is kept, but it does not lead to citizenship automatically. Our overview of residency through real estate in 2026 compares other countries.

How to get Egyptian citizenship: the process step by step

Egyptian citizenship by investment takes 5 steps: pre-screening, documents, first security vetting, temporary residence with the investment transfer, and a second vetting with the government decision.

Most nationalities can apply, and the process is the same for everyone. Applications go through a dedicated investment citizenship unit attached to the Cabinet, which works with the Interior Ministry and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI).

1. Pre-screening. The unit checks whether the applicant's nationality is accepted and where the money comes from. Egypt can close the door to specific countries: new applications from Syrian citizens were suspended in December 2024. If Syrian is not your only citizenship, we check before filing whether the unit will accept an application on the other passport.
2. Documents. Passports of all family members, birth and marriage certificates, police clearance certificates from the countries of citizenship and residence, a medical report from an Egyptian clinic, photographs, proof of the source of funds and the fee receipt.
3. First security vetting. The longest stage, lasting several months or more.
4. Temporary residence and investment transfer. After approval, a residence permit of up to six months is issued, during which the investment is transferred.
5. Second vetting and decision. Citizenship is granted by government decision, after which the passport and national ID card are issued.

GAFI reviews an application in 3 to 6 months, and the whole process takes 6 to 12 months, longer when decisions come out in batches, which happens a few times a year. In 2025 Egypt granted 36 citizenships: 11 in March and 25 in July. That makes it a very small programme next to the Caribbean ones, which issue passports by the thousand.

A trip to Egypt is required

The old line about a fully remote process is out of date. Since 2025 applicants spend at least two days in Egypt at the application stage, and after approval either one visit of about a month or two visits totalling four weeks. It is not relocation, but it does need to be planned into the calendar.

What to do at home once you have the passport

Some countries require a second citizenship to be reported within a set deadline, and the rules for their citizens are under rules for specific nationalities. Other countries have their own rules, and some, such as India, do not allow dual citizenship at all. Check your home country's position before anything on the Egyptian side.

Which family members can be included

Children get the passport together with the investor, a wife gets it two years later, and the husband of a female investor has no route in the law at all. That kind of imbalance is rare even among investment programmes, and it is worth knowing before you file.

The main applicant must be an adult with no criminal record, a documented lawful source of funds and a medical certificate. Children under 21, the age of majority in Egypt, receive citizenship alongside the investor. Children over 21 are not included and need their own procedure. The applicant's parents cannot be added, unlike in Grenada and other Caribbean programmes.

A wife: a declaration and a two-year wait

Article 6 of Nationality Law No. 26 of 1975 works like this: the wife of a foreigner who becomes Egyptian does not acquire citizenship automatically. She files a declaration with the Minister of the Interior, and if the marriage is not dissolved within two years of that declaration, she becomes a citizen. The minister has the power to refuse by reasoned decision before the two years are up. For an investor's family this means the spouse receives the passport two years later.

A husband: no route in the law

The 1975 law was written for wives. If the investor is a woman, there is no dedicated route for a foreign husband, neither in Article 6 nor in Article 7 on marriage to an Egyptian. So if the wife is the investor in your family, get the husband's position confirmed in writing before any money moves.

The practical conclusion: if the goal is to secure status for the whole family at once, Egypt is poorly suited to it. If the goal is a passport for one adult and minor children, the structure works.

Does an Egyptian passport qualify for the US E-2 visa

Yes, but only after three years of living in Egypt. Egypt is indeed on the list of countries whose citizens can apply for the US E-2 Treaty Investor visa (the visa for people investing in and running their own business in the United States); the treaty has been in force since 27 June 1992. Egypt has no E-1 treaty for traders.

On 23 December 2022 the US signed the defence budget, Public Law 117-263, which included the AMIGOS Act amendment. It requires anyone who acquired a treaty country's citizenship through investment to have been domiciled in that country continuously for at least three years before applying for an E-1 or E-2 visa.

The purpose is blunt: to close the pattern of buying a passport purely for a fast American visa. The rule covers every investment citizenship, so Turkey and Grenada are in exactly the same position. There are two exceptions: people who already held E status before, and people who acquired citizenship through birth, marriage or ordinary naturalisation rather than money.

You cannot buy an Egyptian passport and apply for an E-2 six months later. If the American visa is the main goal, the conversation should start not with choosing a programme but with where you are prepared to actually live for three years. Other routes to the US are covered on our page on US citizenship by investment.

What taxes Egyptian citizens pay

The passport alone does not make you an Egyptian tax resident. Under Income Tax Law No. 91 of 2005, you are resident if you have a permanent home in Egypt or spend more than 183 days in the country within any 12-month period. Citizenship is not part of the test.

There is a catch for those who choose the real estate route. A flat in Egypt formally fits the definition of a permanent home. Where residence is disputed, the double tax treaty between Egypt and your home country decides, so the tax position is settled before buying. We explain how the 183-day rule works across countries in our piece on tax residency and the 183-day rule.

Personal income tax in 2026

Residents pay tax on Egyptian income, and on foreign income if the centre of their commercial or professional activity is in Egypt. The scale is progressive and set in Egyptian pounds; the dollar figures in brackets use a rate of about EGP 51.5 per USD.

Employees get an annual exemption of EGP 20,000 (about USD 390). The top 27.5% rate kicks in at an income of USD 23,300 a year, so for a well-off resident Egypt is a high-tax country.

Capital gains, property and inheritance

The 10% tax that residents used to pay on gains from listed shares has been replaced by a stamp duty on turnover. The head of the Egyptian Tax Authority, Rasha Abdel Aal, confirmed in July 2026 that such gains are exempt from income tax, with the changes written into Income Tax Law No. 91 of 2005 and Stamp Duty Law No. 111 of 1980.

Social insurance: employees pay 11% and employers 18.75%, with the contribution base capped at EGP 16,700 a month in 2026 (about USD 325). The bottom line: of all the marketing claims, only the absence of inheritance and gift taxes survives scrutiny. Egypt is not a tax haven; if taxes are the goal, compare tax regimes in other countries.

Do new Egyptian citizens have to do military service

Conscription in Egypt applies to all men aged 18 to 30, with service lasting 12 to 36 months depending on education, followed by years in the reserve. The legal basis is Military and National Service Law No. 127 of 1980. A man whose military status is unresolved can be stopped from leaving the country, and that is not a theoretical risk.

It is widely believed that investors and their sons are exempt. The conscription law contains no blanket exemption for naturalised citizens. Deferral or exemption for citizens living permanently abroad is granted by a separate decision of the relevant authority, through a consulate or in person.

Practical advice: if a son of conscription age, or younger, is included in the application, get his status confirmed in writing before he first enters Egypt on an Egyptian passport, not afterwards.

Rules for naturalised citizens

Article 9 of Law No. 26 of 1975: a naturalised foreigner cannot exercise political rights for five years from the date of naturalisation and cannot be elected or appointed to a parliamentary body for ten years. A presidential decree can lift these limits, but that is an individual exception, not a rule.

Article 15 of the same law allows citizenship to be withdrawn. If it was obtained through forged documents or false statements, within ten years. If it was obtained by naturalisation or marriage, within five years, in cases of a conviction for a criminal offence, a custodial sentence for a crime against honour or a conviction for a crime against state security, or if the new citizen has not lived in Egypt for two consecutive years without a reason acceptable to the Minister of the Interior. How that last ground applies to investors who do not live in Egypt has no public track record. Murblz specialists clarify this point in writing before the application is filed.

Egypt tolerates dual citizenship, and investors are not asked to give up their original passport. Egyptians themselves, however, can take a foreign nationality only with the Interior Minister's permission under Article 10 of the same law, which is worth remembering for children who will grow up as Egyptians.

Pitfalls: what can actually go wrong

The riskiest route in the programme is the one that looks safest. The USD 500,000 deposit is refundable on paper, but in Egyptian pounds. Since early 2022 the pound has lost more than two thirds of its value against the dollar, sliding from about 15.7 to 51-52 per dollar in 2026.

The deposit comes back in pounds

The money sits for three years without interest and is then paid out in local currency at the prevailing rate. In 2022-2024 Egypt went through an acute dollar shortage, and converting pounds back into hard currency was a project in its own right. Three years of inflation with no interest is another hidden cost. When the pound falls, the nominally refundable route is the most expensive of the four: a deposit made in early 2022 would have come back three years later worth a third as much in dollars.

Which costs are non-refundable

The government fee is not refunded on refusal, and neither are the costs of documents, translations and support. Egypt does not publish approval statistics, and decisions come out rarely and in batches. It makes sense to file only after an honest assessment of your chances, not after the money has been wired. Source of funds gets particular scrutiny, so assemble that part early; see our guide on proving the source of funds.

Rules change by government decision

Thresholds, document lists, visit requirements and the eligibility of specific nationalities change by decree with no transition period. Syrian applications were suspended in December 2024; in-person visits arrived in 2025. Build in a buffer of both time and money.

Egypt, Jordan, Turkey or the Caribbean: which to choose

For the same 200,000-250,000 dollars that Egypt charges, the Caribbean programmes offer three times as many visa-free destinations. Turkey costs more, but its passport opens 112 destinations against Egypt's 49. Jordan costs twice as much as Egypt and delivers exactly the same score.

The Caribbean programmes carry their own risk: the European Union is pressing them and threatening to review visa-free access, and the Vanuatu passport has already lost its Schengen waiver. The details are in our analysis of the European Union ultimatum to Caribbean passports. Egypt faces no such risk for a simple reason: it has nothing to lose in Europe.

Egypt's strengths lie elsewhere. It is the most populous Arab country, its programme does not depend on decisions made in Brussels, and Egypt itself has not joined Western sanctions. For a business operating in Egypt, Africa or the Middle East, that outweighs the number of visa-free countries.

The comparison also shows where Egypt sits on price. Among programmes with no Schengen access it is the cheapest entry point in this table, USD 150,000 below Turkey's property route and about half of Jordan's minimum. Among programmes that include Schengen, it is simply more expensive for less.

Who Egyptian citizenship suits, and who should look elsewhere

Most people shopping for a second passport are not a good fit for this programme, and it is better to find that out before paying the fee.

• The goal is travel and Schengen. Egypt gives you neither Schengen nor the UK nor the US, and Schengen consulates refuse almost one Egyptian application in four. For mobility, look at Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda or European residency routes.
• The goal is a US E-2 visa. Since the 2022 amendment, any investment citizenship requires three years of living in the country. Egypt is no faster than the rest.
• The goal is lower taxes. A scale that reaches 27.5% at around USD 23,300 a year, plus tax on foreign income when your centre of activity is in Egypt.
• The whole family needs status at once. A wife waits two years, a female investor's husband has no route, and children over 21 and parents are excluded.
• Capital preservation matters. The contribution is gone for good, the deposit comes back in pounds, and property sells on the local market.

Who it does make sense for

Business owners in Egypt, North Africa and the Middle East who would find it easier to operate as a local citizen. People who already own property or other assets in the country. Those who want a back-up passport outside Western jurisdiction and are ready for several visits and slow bureaucracy. And holders of passports for whom the Egyptian one is a genuine upgrade across the Arab world and Africa.

Rules for specific nationalities

Egypt runs one procedure for every nationality, and the extra rules come from the applicant's home country.

• Russia. Russian citizens are accepted: they were among those granted preliminary approval in 2025. A Russian passport opens 114 destinations, and an Egyptian one adds just eight countries to it: Benin, The Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. Russia itself is on the visa-required list for Egyptian passport holders. Russia and Egypt have a double tax treaty dated 23 September 1997, and it decides where tax residence is disputed. After the passport, the second citizenship is reported to the Interior Ministry within 60 days under Russia's citizenship law No. 138-FZ of 2023. Failing to file the notice is a criminal offence under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 roubles or up to 400 hours of community service.
• Ukraine. The multiple citizenship law signed on 15 July 2025 recognises a second nationality only for countries on a list approved by the government, and support for sanctions against Russia is among the criteria. Egypt has not joined Western sanctions, so Murblz specialists check the effect on Ukrainian citizenship before filing.

More in our guide to dual citizenship in 2026.

What has changed and our sources

The program rests on Law No. 190 of 2019, which amended Citizenship Law No. 26 of 1975. The current amounts have applied since March 2023 under Prime Ministerial Decree No. 876. In December 2024 Egypt stopped accepting new applications from Syrian citizens, and since 2025 applicants must travel to Egypt at the filing stage and after approval. In 2025, 36 people received citizenship through the program. Sources: the Egyptian citizenship law as amended, government decrees and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.

What Egyptian citizenship really gives you

How to get Egyptian citizenship: step by step

FAQ

49 visa-free destinations for Egyptian passport holders