World Watch/Egypt/Digital Nomad & Residency

Digital Nomad & Residency · Egypt

Egypt digital nomad visa & residency (2026)

Via other routeEgypt has no dedicated remote-work/digital-nomad visa. Entry and stay of foreigners are governed by Law No. 89 of 1960 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners (administered by the Ministry of Interior's Passports, Immigration & Nationality Administration), the e-Visa system run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and investor-residency rules under Minister of Interior Decree No. 977 of 2023.Country index 74 · B+

Egypt shaded by its digital nomad & residency status

As of 2026 Egypt offers no specific digital-nomad or remote-work visa. Remote workers typically enter on a 30-day tourist e-visa (valid 3 months, extendable in-country) and, for longer stays, must obtain an ordinary residence permit under Law No. 89/1960 or qualify for investor (property/bank-deposit) residency. There is no work-income-based 'remote work' pathway, so the realistic routes are tourist-extension or investment-based residency.

Key points

No dedicated nomad visa

Egypt has not enacted a digital-nomad or remote-work visa; remote workers rely on standard tourist entry plus residence-permit renewals, not a purpose-built remote-work category.

Tourist e-visa entry

Nationals of eligible countries can obtain an electronic tourist visa via the official portal visa2egypt.gov.eg, allowing up to 30 days' stay and valid for 3 months; single-entry USD 25 / multiple-entry USD 60.

Long-stay residence permit

Under Law No. 89 of 1960, foreigners apply to the Passports, Immigration & Nationality Administration for residence permits (commonly 1, 3 or 5 years) after entering on a tourist or other visa; renewal is required to remain beyond the initial stay.

Investor / property residency

Minister of Interior Decree No. 977 of 2023 grants renewable 'non-touristic' residency to property owners: 3 years for property worth at least USD 100,000 and 5 years for at least USD 200,000; bank-deposit options also exist. PM Decree 3326/2023 requires proof of foreign-currency conversion via an authorized bank.

Investment regulator (GAFI)

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) administers investment-linked incorporation and licensing, the channel through which investor-residency and citizenship-by-investment claims are processed.

Proposed 5-year visa (unconfirmed)

Reports of a proposed long-validity (5-year) multiple-entry tourist visa have circulated, but no official enacted regulation or launch date has been confirmed on government portals; treat as not-yet-in-force.

Timeline - major decisions & events

Mar 26, 2024guidance
Foreign property buyers required to pay in hard currency from abroad

Egypt's Real Estate Registration and Notarisation Authority (Technical Publication 8) required foreigners to fund property purchases with foreign currency transferred from overseas, tying the FX-payment property route — a key residency pathway for remote workers — to the country's dollar-shortage drive.

Ahram Online
Jan 3, 2024lawofficial
Parliament amends Desert Land Law to let foreigners own land for investment

The House of Representatives removed prior caps that limited foreign ownership of desert land, allowing foreigners to fully own land for investment projects — broadening the property-based footing on which residency can be claimed.

Egypt State Information Service
Aug 1, 2023decisionofficial
PM decree mandates hard-currency fees and a window to legalize residency

A Prime Ministerial decree gave undocumented foreign residents a grace period to legalize their stay (later extended to June 2024) on payment of US$1,000 in hard currency, and required residency-application fees to be paid in foreign currency through licensed banks.

Library of Congress
Jun 19, 2023decision
Egypt launches five-year multiple-entry visa

Egypt introduced a US$700 five-year, multiple-entry visa allowing stays of up to 180 days per visit for citizens of 180 countries — the closest practical long-stay option for remote workers absent a dedicated digital nomad visa.

Ahram Online
May 7, 2023lawofficial
Parliament approves new amendments to the citizenship law

The House of Representatives passed amendments easing terms for foreigners to acquire Egyptian citizenship through investment, reinforcing the investment-to-citizenship track that sits above the residency framework.

Library of Congress
Mar 2, 2023decision
Cabinet expands citizenship-by-investment options (PM Decree 876/2023)

Egypt added and clarified investment routes to citizenship — including bank deposits, real estate, business investment, and a non-refundable contribution — explicitly aimed at attracting hard currency amid an FX crunch.

Al Arabiya
Jul 31, 2019lawofficial
Parliament approves law allowing citizenship by investment (Law 190/2019)

Egypt enacted a framework empowering the Prime Minister to grant citizenship to foreign investors via property purchase, business investment, deposit, or donation — the legal foundation of the current investment-migration system.

Library of Congress
Aug 27, 2018lawofficial
Law 173/2018 introduces deposit-based residency

Amending the 1960 aliens law, this measure let foreigners who deposit at least EGP 7 million (or FX equivalent) in a state bank apply for a renewable residency permit — establishing the money-for-residency model later expanded for remote and wealthy migrants.

Library of Congress
Jan 1, 1960lawofficial
Law No. 89 of 1960 on Entry and Residence of Aliens

Egypt's foundational immigration statute set the categories of foreign residency (temporary, ordinary, and special) and the permit system that every later remote-worker and investor pathway still operates within.

UN ESCWA Migration Policies in the Arab Region

Egypt - other topics

Last verified 5/23/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →