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Access to Egyptian Nationality for Refugees
In Egypt, refugees are not granted Egyptian nationality regardless of the length of their stay in the country. To acquire Egyptian citizenship, they must follow the provisions of the Egyptian Nationality Law.
Law No. 26 of 1975 on Egyptian Nationality allows foreign nationals to apply for citizenship under specific conditions.
Acquisition of Egyptian Nationality by Birth
Children of refugees or migrants automatically acquire Egyptian nationality if born to an Egyptian father or mother. The law also permits individuals born in Egypt to foreign parents to apply for naturalisation under certain conditions, including that one parent be of Egyptian origin, provided they reside legally in Egypt and pay a fee of USD 10,000 transferred from abroad. Additionally, individuals born in Egypt to foreign parents, in case one of the parents was also born in Egypt, may apply for naturalisation within one year of reaching adulthood, provided they pay the same fee.
Acquisition of Egyptian Nationality by Marriage:
This right is granted to a foreign wife married to an Egyptian citizen, provided two years have passed since the marriage and the couple has continuously resided in Egypt during that period. The applicant must submit a formal request to the Passport, Immigration, and Nationality Authority, and the basis of residency must be marriage-based. This creates a significant obstacle, as the authorities do not allow refugees to hold a residency status other than that of refugee, even if they meet the conditions. To change their residency status, they are required to close their asylum file.
Acquisition of Egyptian Nationality by Naturalisation:
The law allows foreign nationals who have resided in Egypt for a long period to apply for citizenship, provided they have maintained legal and continuous residence in the country for at least ten consecutive years, have reached adulthood, possess a stable source of income sufficient to support themselves and their family, and meet additional conditions: good conduct, no criminal record or security cases, proficiency in Arabic, and a medical certificate confirming the absence of communicable diseases.
Acquisition of Egyptian Nationality by Special Decree:
The Minister of Interior is granted by the law the authority to award nationality by special decree in exceptional cases, based on a substantiated request, subject to assessment by the competent authorities and in consideration of security concerns and the public interest.
Acquisition of Egyptian Nationality by Investment:
Amendments to the Egyptian Nationality Law introduced a path to citizenship through investment, available via one of the following options:
- Non-refundable deposit: A minimum of USD 250,000 must be deposited as direct revenue to the state treasury, non-refundable. New provisions allow the amount to be paid in instalments over one year.
- Refundable deposit: Depositing USD 500,000 via bank transfer or from within Egypt, provided the source of funds is verified at a customs entry point. The deposit must remain for three years and is refundable in local currency at the official exchange rate, without interest.
- Purchase of state-owned or public entity property: The property must be worth at least USD 300,000 and registered in the investor’s name. It is no longer required that the amount be transferred from abroad; payment from within Egypt is now allowed if the amount had previously entered the country and is documented.
- Establishing an investment project: The minimum required is USD 300,000 invested in a project approved by the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, with the condition that it creates jobs for Egyptian nationals.
2024 Asylum Law:
Article 27 of Asylum Law No. 164 of 2024 affirms the refugee’s right to enjoy Egyptian nationality in accordance with the applicable laws, meaning that access to citizenship is neither automatic nor exceptional for refugees but remains subject to the general provisions of Law No. 26 of 1975.
Challenges Refugees Face in Accessing Egyptian Nationality
Lack of clarity on how residence duration is calculated: The Asylum Law does not specify whether a refugee’s residence period counts toward the years required for naturalisation, leaving the matter to the discretion of the competent authorities.
Administrative and legal difficulties: Most refugees in Egypt are granted temporary, not permanent, residence permits, which may legally disqualify them from applying for citizenship after ten years.
No special facilitation for refugees: The law does not include exceptional or flexible procedures to ease the naturalisation process for refugees, meaning they are subject to the same conditions as other foreign nationals.