A clear, evidence-first look at Egypt's four investor routes to a second citizenship — donation, real estate, business or bank deposit. We tell you what it is good for, and what it is not.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against Egyptian Nationality Law (Law No. 190 of 2019) and Prime Minister's Decree No. 3099/2019.
Free Egypt Citizenship Eligibility Assessment — donation (from USD 250,000), real estate (from USD 300,000), business (from USD 350,000 + donation) or refundable bank deposit (USD 500,000).
Get Assessment| Egypt Citizenship by Investment (Law 190/2019 · Decree 3099/2019) | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Government of Egypt (Egyptian Nationality Law framework) |
| Lowest-cost route | Donation from approximately USD 250,000 (non-refundable, to the public treasury) |
| Other routes | Real estate from USD 300,000 (5-yr hold) · business from USD 350,000 + USD 100,000 donation · refundable bank deposit USD 500,000 (3 yrs) |
| State fee | Approximately USD 10,000 (reported per family/application) + translation/notarisation from approximately USD 1,000 |
| Processing | Approximately 6–12 months (guidance, not a promise) |
| As of | 12 June 2026 |
Investment figures are set by the Government of Egypt and are subject to change. Cosmos professional fees are confirmed after assessment and are separate from the government amounts above.
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. Our role is to convert a complex government program into a clear, executable plan — and to be honest about whether an Egyptian second passport actually fits your goals.
The objective is not speed alone — it is correctness, the right route for your profile, and a realistic picture of what the passport does and does not do.
Egypt's citizenship-by-investment program starts from approximately USD 250,000 in 2026 as a non-refundable donation to the public treasury — the lowest-cost of four routes under Law No. 190 of 2019. A mandatory state fee of about USD 10,000 applies across all routes, plus document translation and notarisation from roughly USD 1,000.
The donation is the headline number, but it is not the only one. Real estate starts from USD 300,000, business from USD 350,000 plus a separate USD 100,000 donation, and the bank-deposit route requires USD 500,000. The route that fits depends on whether you want your capital back, and how you hold assets. We map that against your real situation first. Find out which route fits you — free assessment.
Egypt offers four investor routes to citizenship under Decree No. 3099/2019: a donation from USD 250,000, real estate from USD 300,000, a business investment from USD 350,000 plus a USD 100,000 donation, and a refundable bank deposit of USD 500,000. As of June 2026, the donation route is the cheapest and the most straightforward.
Each route trades cost against what you keep. The donation is gone for good but lowest. Real estate (held five years, anywhere except the Sinai region) leaves you owning an asset. The bank deposit is the largest figure but is returned after three years — in Egyptian pounds, with no interest. October 2024 amendments added joint and shared property options on the real estate route. Message us on WhatsApp and we'll compare the routes for your profile.
Egypt has no ongoing residency requirement and no language test to hold the citizenship, but since 2025 in-person presence is required during the process. Reporting indicates a minimum two-day visit at the application stage, plus a post-approval physical presence of either one month-long visit or two visits totalling about four weeks.
This 2025 change replaced the older fully remote model, so the visit obligation is now central to planning. If you cannot travel to Egypt during the process, this program may not work for you — and we would rather establish that in your first session. Travel ability is one of the first things we screen for. Check your eligibility — free assessment.
The Egypt citizenship-by-investment process typically takes approximately 6 to 12 months in 2026, with initial background screening running around six months, according to industry program guides. There is no separate or faster queue for Gulf-based or Indian applicants; everyone moves through the same vetting.
Document quality and the timing of your Egypt visit set most of the timeline. Egypt runs a small, carefully checked program — only 36 investor citizenships were granted in all of 2025 — so this is a deliberate process, not a fast one. Sequencing your paperwork and visit early is what keeps the timeline on track. Preparation is what separates clean applications — and preparation is assessable.
For Egypt citizenship by investment, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners within our professional network. Cosmos Immigration coordinates eligibility assessment, documentation and case management — so you have one structured point of contact while the licensed specialists handle filing under Egyptian law.
Egypt's citizenship-by-investment program lets you include a spouse in a registered marriage and unmarried children under 21, as of June 2026. Children acquire citizenship at the same time as the main applicant; a spouse's passport is reportedly issued around two years later. Parents and grandparents are not standard dependants.
For most family planning, this means the main applicant and minor children move together, while a spouse's documentation runs on a longer track. If your goal is to secure a route for children specifically, the structure works in your favour. We'll map exactly who can be included in your file. Message us on WhatsApp to plan your family application.
All criteria and figures are set by the Government of Egypt and are subject to change.
1. The passport is modest, not powerful. The Egyptian passport reaches roughly 49–55 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival and ranks around 77th–83rd globally (Henley / Passport Index 2026). Critically, it has no Schengen visa-free access — Egyptian ordinary-passport holders must apply for a Schengen visa in advance. Treat this as a second-citizenship and diversification play, a genuine Plan B — not a European or visa-free-travel upgrade.
2. It is small and slow. Only 36 investor citizenships were granted in all of 2025, with newly tightened in-person verification and 6–12 month processing. Set realistic expectations on both the timeline and the mandatory Egypt visit(s). If you need a high-mobility passport quickly, the honest conversation is whether Egypt is the right fit at all — and we'll have it with you upfront.
Egypt allows dual citizenship — but India does not. Under the Citizenship Act 1955 (section 9), an Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires Egyptian citizenship automatically ceases to be an Indian citizen and must surrender their Indian passport. This is India's rule, not Egypt's, and it applies regardless of what Egypt permits.
To later hold OCI status, a former Indian national must submit a Certificate of Renunciation of Indian citizenship with the OCI application. Note that OCI is not citizenship; it is a long-term visa/status, per Ministry of Home Affairs rules. Funding the investment from India is governed by the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme, currently USD 250,000 per person per financial year.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
← View all citizenship-by-investment programs on the CBI hub page.
Yes. Egypt's citizenship-by-investment program is open and accepting applications as of June 2026, operating under Law No. 190 of 2019 and Decree No. 3099/2019. It is a small program — only 36 investor citizenships were granted in 2025 — with enhanced due-diligence and verification applied across the board.
No. The Egyptian passport has no Schengen visa-free access; holders must apply for a Schengen visa in advance. It reaches roughly 49–55 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival and ranks around 77th–83rd globally (Henley / Passport Index 2026). It is best understood as a second-citizenship and diversification option, not a travel upgrade.
Yes. The bank-deposit route requires approximately USD 500,000 held for three years, typically via the Central Bank of Egypt. It is refundable at maturity, but returned in Egyptian pounds with no interest — so currency movement matters. The donation route, by contrast, is non-refundable. We help you weigh which trade-off fits your goals.
Egypt permits dual citizenship, so on Egypt's side you are not required to renounce your existing nationality. However, your home country's rules may differ. Indian nationals, in particular, must surrender Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act 1955 — see the India note above before proceeding.
Yes, you can apply, but with an important consequence: acquiring Egyptian citizenship means automatically losing Indian citizenship and surrendering your Indian passport under the Citizenship Act 1955. OCI is available afterwards but is a long-term status, not citizenship. Funding from India follows the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme — speak to a chartered accountant first.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, working through CICC-, MARA- and IAA-registered professionals, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. For Egypt citizenship by investment specifically — a program outside our directly licensed jurisdictions — applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners within our professional network, while Cosmos coordinates your eligibility assessment, documentation and case management. You can check our registered credentials yourself, free, on the public registers. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official and industry sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether an Egyptian second passport fits your goals — even if the answer is no.
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