Egypt: President Ratifies Law Amending Residency and Citizenship Laws
Published: 27/Aug/2018
Source: Library of Congress
(Aug. 27, 2018) On August 14, 2018, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified Law No. 173 of 2018, which allows foreign nationals who deposit at least 7 million Egyptian pounds (EGP) (about US$391,000) in local Egyptian banks to be granted a five-year residency and the opportunity to apply for Egyptian citizenship. (Law No. 173 Amending Law No. 26 of 1975 and Law No. 89 of 1960, AL-JARIDAH AL-RASMIYYAH [OFFICIAL GAZETTE], vol. 32 (Duplicate (b)), 14 Aug. 2018 (in Arabic).)
Law No. 173 amends Law No. 26 of 1975 on Citizenship and Law No. 89 of 1960 on the Entry and Exit of Foreigners. Article 1 of the new Law amends article 17 of Law No. 89, which regulates the residency of foreigners. (Id. art. 1.) The new law also adds a new category of residency for foreigners, called “deposit residency.” In addition, article 2 of Law No. 173 adds a new article (article 20 duplicate) to Law No. 89, which stipulates that foreigners who deposit at least EGP7 million or the equivalent in foreign currency at a state-run Egyptian bank are eligible to apply for a new type of residency permit. (Id. art. 2.)
Article 3 of Law No. 173 adds article 4 duplicate to Law No. 26 of 1975. Article 4 duplicate provides that Egyptian citizenship may be granted to all foreigners who have lived in Egypt under a “deposit residency” for at least five consecutive years prior to applying for Egyptian citizenship. Those foreigners must also meet all other requirements of citizenship under Law No. 26. (Id. art. 3.)
Read further: http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/egypt-president-ratifies-law-amending-residency-and-citizenship-laws/