Buying property in Egypt as a foreigner

Foreigners can buy homes in Egypt, but the rules sit across several laws and decrees, and some changed recently. As a broker, you are often the first person the buyer asks. Here is what to know and say.

The short version

1. The base law is Law 230 of 1996: residential use, each property up to 4,000 m², no antiquities, and no resale for five years unless the authorities allow it.
2. The old two-property cap has been lifted by government decision, on condition that the price is paid in foreign currency transferred from abroad.
3. Land and agricultural land are off limits. Sinai has its own restrictive regime.
4. Most new homes are sold on a primary contract. Full registration at the shahr aqary is a separate, slower step.
5. The seller pays a 2.5% disposal tax on the gross sale value.
6. Property can support a residence permit, but check the current thresholds before you promise anything.

What Law 230 of 1996 says

The government’s own investment portal summarises the rules. A non-Egyptian may own property for private residence for himself and his family (spouse and minor children), plus property needed for a licensed business. Each property must not exceed 4,000 m² and must not be a listed antiquity. The non-Egyptian cannot transfer ownership for five years from acquisition, unless the Prime Minister allows it earlier; those powers have since been delegated to the Minister of Justice. A deal that breaks these conditions is void and cannot be registered.

A company is treated as foreign if Egyptians do not hold most of its capital, even when it is incorporated in Egypt.

Some areas are treated more generously. Under Prime Minister Decree 548 of 2005, foreigners are treated like Egyptians for homes in new urban communities and in listed tourist areas, including Ras El Hekma, Sidi Abdel Rahman, Hurghada and the Red Sea, subject to security approvals.

The unit cap and paying in dollars

In 2023 the Cabinet moved to lift the limit of two properties if the buyer pays in foreign currency. Al-Ahram Weekly reported in July 2026 that the cap has been scrapped by a Prime Minister’s decision, that the price must be paid in foreign currency from abroad, and that registry offices accept a developer contract plus proof of US dollar payment for units under state authorities such as NUCA. The decree number has not been published in what we could find, so ask the notary office to confirm before you advise a buyer of a third unit.

The same report says the easing covers built units, not land. Agricultural land and most desert land remain closed to foreigners, according to Al Tamimi.

Sinai and border areas

Sinai is governed by separate legislation. Al-Ahram Weekly says foreign ownership is banned across Sinai except Dahab, Sharm El Sheikh and the Gulf of Aqaba tourism zone, and Sharm El Sheikh itself works through usufruct rights of up to 99 years rather than freehold. Some security and border areas are closed to private ownership for everyone. If a listing is in Sinai or near a border, send the buyer to a lawyer before any deposit.

Primary contract versus shahr aqary registration

Most new homes are sold on a primary contract (aqd ibtidaei) signed with the developer. It binds the parties but it is not registered title. Full registration happens at the Real Estate Publicity Department, the shahr aqary, under the Ministry of Justice, and produces the registered “blue contract.”

Enterprise described the process in 2023: a survey and zoning certificate, the Lawyers’ Syndicate stamp (1% of value, capped at EGP 25,000), registry fees, and a full chain of contracts. Total costs often reached EGP 30,000 to 50,000, and for foreigners a security clearance can stretch registration from about 60 days to a year. Resale homes often come with a chain of unregistered contracts, and a gap in that chain can mean a court case to validate the sale, so ask early.

The 2.5% disposal tax

When an individual sells a built property, or land for building inside city limits, the seller owes 2.5% of the gross sale value, with no deductions. It applies whether the contract is registered or not, and is due within 30 days of the sale. Some transfers are exempt, such as gifts between spouses, parents and children.

Residency linked to property

Owning property can support a residence permit. Press reports from 2023 described one-, three- and five-year permits tied to purchases of roughly USD 50,000, 100,000 and 200,000 paid in foreign currency, but we could not confirm the current thresholds on an official page. Tell clients to check with the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration.

What a broker must explain

• Which law applies to this unit and area, and whether a security approval is needed.
• That payment must come in foreign currency from abroad, with bank proof kept.
• Whether the unit is on a primary contract or already registered, and who pays registration costs.
• The five-year resale lock, unless the area is exempt.
• That the seller owes 2.5% disposal tax.
• That you are registered with GOEIC, and that your fee is in a written contract and paid by bank, not cash.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules for foreigners changed in 2023 and 2026. CloserPass is not affiliated with any Egyptian authority.

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