Egypt Cuts Minimum Investment Amounts for its Citizenship by Investment Program
Minimums will drop in the real estate investment and bank deposit options. After a slow start, the program approved 200 applicants last year.
One of the world’s youngest citizenship by investment programs, Egypt’s CIP gives investors a flexible range of contribution options, ranging from simple donations to business acquisitions to property investment. The process takes 6-9 months from start to finish.
Egyptian passports, however, are unlikely to improve the visa-free travel prospects of most applicants; Egyptians enjoy visa-free travel to only 51 destinations.
Program Type | Direct Citizenship Program |
Time to citizenship | 6-9 months |
Time to permanent residency | 6-9 months |
Minimum investment | US$ 250,000 |
Physical presence requirement | None |
Application processing time | 6-9 months |
Grants visa-free travel to | 51 destinations |
Contribution types available | Donation, Business Investment, Property Investment,Bank Deposit |
General program requirements
Egypt’s CIP has five different contribution options:
Real Estate Investment Option
The investor can purchase one property or more, that must be from a government-owned project, with a minimum investment of US$500,000.
Company Establishment Option
An investor may choose to establish a new company in Egypt or invest in a previously established company in Egypt. This option requires a new minimum investment of US$400,000 and the investor must have at least a 40% stake in the company. This is in accordance with the rules and regulations stated in Investment Law No. 72, established in 2017.
Donation Option
The investor is required to make a non-refundable contribution to the CIU account in the Central Bank of Egypt, with US$250,000.
If the investor wishes, he may also apply using the Central Bank of Egypt deposit investment program. This program requires the applicant to make one of the following bank deposits:
Bank Deposit Option 1
The investor must make a deposit of US$750,000, refundable after 5 years, in the Egyptian local currency, without interest.
Bank Deposit Option 2
The investor must make a deposit of US$1 million, refundable after 3 years, in the Egyptian local currency, without interest.
Program benefits
Requirements to qualify for citizenship
The applicant is awarded Egyptian citizenship immediately upon approval.
Legislation upon which this program is based:
Parliament Law No. 190 of 2019
No statistics available for this program yet.
The transfer must be made from abroad. Funds transferred from within the country are not accepted.
Yes.
Both are accepted.
No.
On average, the whole process should take from 6 to 9 months.
At first, all required documents are submitted along with the receipt of payment of US$10,000, nonrefundable, for governmental fees. Only once the applicant has received the initial approval are they required to pay the remainder of the required funds.
The main applicant and minor children below the age of 21 obtain the citizenship at the same time and the spouse after two years.
No, Egypt recognizes the right to dual nationality.
Yes, it is possible, but only through a special arrangement with commercial banks.
No, it will only be issued in the Egyptian local currency.
The prevailing exchange rate will either be the rate at the time of the initiation of the deposit – or – the exchange rate at the time of the holding period completion. Whichever rate is lowest at the time of the deposit withdrawal, will be the rate used in the transaction.
No, but if the investor has already obtained Egyptian citizenship, they will be required to transition to the Donation Option, by making a non-refundable contribution of US$250,000 in order to maintain their Egyptian citizenship.
Both are acceptable as long as it’s government-owned.
Both options are acceptable, but they must be one of the government-owned projects. It can be a shop, factory, apartment, etc.
In order to be eligible to apply, it is required that the minimum investment amount of US$500,000 be paid in full. If the property’s price is over US$500,000, the applicant can pay the extra amount in installments.
No, not as long as the property is located in a government-owned real estate project.
No, there must also be proof of a bank transfer, made from abroad.
In order to obtain citizenship, the property must be held for a period of 5 years. After 5 years, the investor has the right to sell the property.
If the investor has already obtained Egyptian citizenship, they will be required to transition to the Donation Option, by making a non-refundable contribution of US$250,000 in order to maintain their Egyptian citizenship.
Both. The applicant has the choice to invest in a previously established company or to establish a new company. The one requirement in both cases is that the applicant must make a minimum investment of US$400,000 and own at least 40% of the shares in the company.
No.
It should be deposited in the company’s bank account and can be used as funds for the company for a minimum of 5 years.
If the company declares bankruptcy within those 5 years, the investor will be required to transition to the Donation Option, by making a non-refundable contribution of US$250,000 in order to maintain their Egyptian citizenship.
Applicants who have residency in Egypt will get a faster reply than the average waiting time for an applicant from abroad.
It should be noted that the timely manner in which the applicant collects their documentation will, in turn, impact the speed of the processing period.
Yes, it can.
Any official spouse of the main applicant can be included in the application, and they will obtain Egyptian citizenship 2 years after the main applicant.
While citizens from all countries can apply for the Egyptian CIP, the government has the right to deny or reject any application at its sole discretion without disclosing the reasoning behind the rejection.
No, neither.
No.
Yes, 21 years old and not married.
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Minimums will drop in the real estate investment and bank deposit options. After a slow start, the program approved 200 applicants last year.
Hany Mostafa Moawad has undertaken an extensive Q&A session with Egypt’s newly established citizenship by investment unit.
Egypt is set to open the world’s 13th formal citizenship by investment program, with minimum investments starting at US$250,000.
What had initially been a residency program with a path to citizenship is shaping up to become a bona fide CIP without the need for a residence period.
Human rights advocate Sherif Gaber tells the harrowing story of how Egyptian authorities are preventing him from leaving the country and asks his followers to help him invest in a Dominica citizenship.
The Egyptian parliament has passed a law that will grant residency – and, after a five-year period of continued residence,
Programs that offer citizenship within months in exchange for investments or donations, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Programs that offer citizenship in exchange for investments following a 1-2 year period, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Bulgaria Investor Program (discontinued)
Malta MEIN
Programs that offer residence permits within months in exchange for passive investments, with limited physical presence requirements.
Andorra Residence Without Lucrative Activity
Anguilla Permanent Residency Program
Australia BIIP Investor Streams
Bahamas Economic Permanent Residence
Barbados SERP Program
Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate (EIC) Program
Brazil Investor Visa (VIPER)
Cambodia My 2nd Home
Cayman Islands Investor Visa
Colombia Investor Visas M and R
Costa Rica Investor Visa
Curaçao Investor Permit Program
Cyprus Golden Visa
Georgia Investor Visas
Greece Golden Visa
Guernsey Investor & Entrepreneur Residency
Ireland Immigrant Investor Program (discontinued)
Italy Investor Visa
Latvia Investor Visa
Luxembourg Investor Visa
Malaysia M2H Visa
Malta Permanent Residence Program
Mauritius Permanent Residency Program
Monaco Carte de Séjour
Netherlands Investor Visa
New Zealand Investor Visa
Nicaragua Investor Permanent Residency Program
Panama Qualified Investor Visa
Philippines Special Investor Residence Permit
Portugal Golden Visa
Russia Investor Visa
South Korea Investor Visa
Spain Golden Visa
Taiwan Golden Visa (APRC Plum Blossom Card)
Thailand Elite Residence Program
UAE Golden Visa
UK Investor Visa (discontinued)
United States EB-5
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who can demonstrate income or personal wealth above a certain level, usually requiring that the holder not take up employment locally.
Argentina Rentista and Pensionado Residency
Austria Independent Means Visa
Barbados Welcome Stamp
Gibraltar Category 2 HNWI Residence
Greece FIP Visa
Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS)
Ireland Independent Means (Stamp 0)
Italy Elective Residency Visa
Jersey High Value Residency
Mexico Legal Residency Visa
Nicaragua Pensionado and Rentista Visas
Panama Rentista Retirado Visa
Paraguay Permanent Residency Program
Portugal D7 Visa
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Uruguay Independent Means Visa
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who physically relocate to start and/or run a business. Startup and entrepreneur visas fall under this category.
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