Residence in Egypt for Foreign Nationals

 

Egypt grants legitimate foreign nationals the right for temporary residence in the country. There are two main cases of residency permits in Egypt :

• Special Residence: is usually granted for a period of 10 years, renewable. Special residence is granted to those born in Egypt prior to 26/5/1952 or those having resided in the country for the 20 years preceding 26/5/1952 and whose stay has been uninterrupted; it is also granted to their wives and minor children.
• Ordinary Residence: is granted for a period of either 3 or 5 years.

Three-Year Residence
Non-nationals are entitled to obtain temporary 3-year residence (renewable) in Egypt if they belong to any of the following categories:

• Non-national husbands of Egyptians.
• Children:
  - Minor children entitled to special or ordinary residence in like manner to their deceased father.
  - Adult children whose father is entitled to special, ordinary or 3-year residence provided a source of income is available to them. 
  - Adult Palestinian male children of those employed by the Department for the Governor General of Gaza , or of those retired there from, who have completed their studies and are not working in the country.
• Those employed by the government, public institutions, public sector companies and public business sector.
• Palestinians employed by the Department for the Governor General of Gaza and those retired there from.
• Palestinians in possession of travel documents issued solely by Egyptian authorities who have been resident in Egypt for a period of 10 years.
• Non-nationals who receive a monthly pension from the National Authority for Insurance and Pensions.
• Non-national residents of homes for the elderly and disabled.
• Political refugees.
• Refugees registered at the UN Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
• Spouses of those non-nationals entitled to special or ordinary residence.
• Egyptian spouses who forfeited their nationality of origin following marriage to non-nationals and the acquisition of the latter's citizenship.
• Spouses and children of those non-nationals exempt from residence permits and restrictions.
• Non-nationals who, for any reason, waived their entitlement to special or ordinary residence.
• Those non-nationals employed by the Swiss Institute for Architectural and Archeological Research in Egypt .
• Non-nationals who, according to international treaties, are entitled to obtain 3-year residence.
• Those granted approval on 3-year residence from the Ministry of Interior.
• Spouses and children of those non-nationals entitled to 3-year residence under any of the previous cases.

Five-Year Residence
Non-nationals are entitled to obtain temporary 5-year residence (renewable) in Egypt if they belong to any of the following categories:

• Investors.
• Egyptians and their minor children who forfeited their nationality of origin due to their admission to a foreign citizenship.
• Children:
  - Of Egyptian mother.
  - Whose father was granted Egyptian citizenship.
  - Adult children whose mother is entitled to special, ordinary or 5-year residence in case of the death of the father.
  
  
• Those of age 60 or more who have been resident in Egypt for 10 years provided that a source of income is available to them.
• Non-nationals who, according to international treaties, are entitled to obtain 5-year residence.
• Spouses and widows of Egyptians.
• Spouses of those non-nationals entitled to ordinary residence.
• Spouses and children of those non-nationals entitled to 5-year residence under any of the previous cases.