Buying property in Egypt from abroad: a guide for Egyptians abroad and foreign buyers

Two kinds of buyer, two sets of rules

If you're Egyptian and live abroad, you buy exactly as you would at home. There's no limit on how many homes you own or where. The only difference is distance, which a power of attorney and a bank transfer solve.

If you're not Egyptian, you can own homes in Egypt too, under Law 230 of 1996. The law sets limits on how many, how large and where, and on how soon you can sell. Owning property can also earn you residency, and at a higher value, citizenship.

If you're Egyptian and live abroad

Most Egyptians abroad buy in one of three ways:

1. From a developer, remotely. Reserve and sign through the developer's sales office, often by video call and courier, and pay instalments by bank transfer. You can sign in person on a visit home, or through someone you trust holding a power of attorney.
2. A resale home, through someone you trust. A family member or your lawyer views the home, checks the papers and signs for you under a special power of attorney.
3. Through the state's schemes for Egyptians abroad. The Ministry of Housing's Beitak fi Masr ("Your Home in Egypt") sells finished and under-construction units in new cities priced and paid in US dollars, with plans of up to 10 years. Beit El Watan sells building plots to Egyptians abroad, paid by transfer from abroad.

The power of attorney: get this right

A power of attorney (tawkeel) lets someone sign for you. It's the most useful document in a purchase from abroad and the most misused one in Egyptian property fraud.

• Issue it at an Egyptian embassy or consulate. You attend in person with your national ID card or Egyptian passport. You'll need your agent's full four-part name, national ID number and address. It usually takes one to three days.
• Make it special, not general. A special power of attorney names the exact home (address, unit number, project) and the acts allowed: to view, sign the contract, pay from a named account, receive the keys and register. A general power of attorney lets the holder sell or mortgage anything you own. Never sign one for a single purchase.
• Expect a check before it's used. The Real Estate Registry (Shahr El Akary) may confirm a power of attorney issued abroad before accepting it for a sale or registration, so allow a few extra days.
• End it when you're done. Once the home is registered in your name, revoke the power of attorney at a notary office or consulate.

If you're not Egyptian: what the law allows

In 2023 the Cabinet approved removing the two-home limit for buyers who pay in foreign currency transferred from abroad, and reports in 2026 say the limit no longer applies to them. We haven't found the change confirmed in law, so if you plan to buy more than two homes, have a lawyer confirm the current position for your case before you pay.

Residency and citizenship through property

These are the current thresholds: residency under Interior Minister Decree 977 of 2023, and citizenship under Prime Minister Decree 3562 of 2023. Many websites still show the older, higher residency figures from 2018, so check the date on anything you read.

For citizenship through property, the money must come from abroad through a bank (or be declared at customs), the property must be registered at the Real Estate Registry or held under a state authority such as the New Urban Communities Authority, and you sign a declaration not to sell for five years. The application fee is USD 10,000. Payment can be spread over up to a year, and citizenship is granted only once it's complete, under Prime Minister Decrees 876 and 3562 of 2023.

Paying from abroad, safely

• Always pay by bank transfer, into the developer's company account or, on a resale, the seller's own account. Never pay cash to a broker, and never to a personal account that isn't the seller's.
• Keep every transfer receipt. They prove where your money came from, which matters for residency, citizenship, and moving money out again when you sell.
• Foreign nationals are usually asked to pay in foreign currency transferred from abroad through an Egyptian bank, and for citizenship it's required. Paying by transfer also leaves the record you'll need later.
• Pay against the contract, not before it. A reservation fee to a developer is normal. A large deposit before you or your representative has seen the contract and the home is not.

Checking a home you can't see in person

• Ask for a live video viewing, not recorded clips. Ask the person filming to show the view from the windows and the building entrance, so you know it's the right unit.
• Choose checked listings. Every home on Feinh has been confirmed with the owner or developer: authority to sell, price, photos, size and availability.
• Verify the agent on Feinh Verify before you share documents or money.
• Have your own lawyer in Egypt review the contract, the seller's ownership chain and the developer's licences. Our guide to the legal checks before you buy lists what to ask for.

Mistakes we see most often

1. Signing a general power of attorney for a single purchase.
2. Sending a deposit to a broker's personal account to "hold" a unit.
3. Relying on old residency figures, or assuming an off-plan contract qualifies for residency before checking what the authorities accept.
4. As a foreigner, buying a third home on the strength of a news story, without a lawyer's confirmation.
5. Not keeping proof that the money came from abroad, then struggling to move it out when you sell.