Dual Nationality

Obtaining the approval of the Egyptian authorities

 to acquire foreign nationality while retaining Egyptian citizenship, 

pursuant to Article 10 of Law No. 26 of 1975concerning Egyptian nationality

General Directorate of Passports, Immigration, and Nationality:

Immigration and Nationality Administration:

Nationality Department:

• Nationality: is a political and legal bond between an individual and a state, resulting in the individual becoming a member of its people, bound by allegiance to it, in exchange for its commitment to protect them domestically and abroad. Egyptian law permits Egyptian citizens to acquire foreign nationality while retaining their Egyptian nationality, subject to obtaining prior authorization by a decision issued by the Minister of Interior.
• Upon issuance, the authorization shall extend to minor children (up to 18 years of age) and shall not extend to adult children or the spouse, each must submit a separate application.
• Egyptian law permits citizens who are authorized to acquire foreign nationality while retaining their Egyptian nationality to be exempted from military service in Egypt.
• A person who has been issued a ministerial decision granting permission to acquire foreign nationality is not considered to have lost Egyptian nationality until they acquire the foreign nationality.
• A person who has been authorized to acquire foreign nationality without retaining Egyptian nationality may submit a request to retain Egyptian nationality within one year from the date of the decision or from the date of their actual acquisition of the foreign nationality. If they do not exercise their right to retain Egyptian nationality within this period, they may submit a request to restore their Egyptian nationality.

Required Documents for Obtaining Approval from the Egyptian Authorities for Permission to Acquire Foreign Nationality while Retaining Egyptian Nationality:

1. A certified copy of the Egyptian birth certificate.
2. A certified copy of the Egyptian birth certificate of the applicant’s father or one of the paternal uncles or aunts, without any omissions in the registry (to prove that the grandfather is of Egyptian nationality).
3. The grandfather’s birth certificate, if available, or the birth certificate of one of the uncles or aunts who are siblings of the father from the same mother, born in 1950 or earlier.
4. A certified copy of the first pages of the Egyptian passport (must be valid), with the original for verification.
5. A certified copy of the Egyptian national ID card, with the original for verification.
6. A certified copy of the first pages of the foreign passport (must be valid), with the original for verification.
7. A certified copy of the certificate of naturalization with the foreign nationality (if available), with the original for verification.
8. Spousal consent for the wife to acquire foreign nationality (if the application is for the wife).
9. If the applicant is a male and has reached the age of 30, the original military service certificate must be submitted.
10. If the application is submitted for the purpose of military exemption, the following must be submitted:
    • The three-digit military registration number.
    • A movement certificate from the Monitoring Department for the last three years prior to the application, addressed to the Military Draft administration.
11. Four (4) photographs.

Timeframe for Completing the Service of Acquiring Foreign Nationality While Retaining Egyptian Nationality:

Three months from the date of submitting the application for the issuance of a ministerial decision.

Notes:

A birth certificate with a registration omission is one where the date of birth differs from the registration date in the birth register (the registration date found at the bottom left of the birth certificate) by more than one year. This certificate is not considered valid.