How to buy property in Egypt from abroad

Last checked 2026-10-03

Many Egyptian homes change hands on contracts that were never registered, so the seller you meet may not be the registered owner. Registering your purchase at the Real Estate Registration Office, the Shahr El Akary, is what protects you against other claims.

Who can buy

Egyptian citizens, including those living abroad, can buy freely. Foreigners can own residential property under Law No. 230 of 1996, with limits on number and area; the government announced in 2024 that foreigners may own more than two properties, so check the current limits with a lawyer.

The steps

  1. Hire your own Egyptian lawyer.
  2. Check the seller's title and tax records, and whether the property is registered or only held on a chain of unregistered contracts.
  3. Get a cadastral survey certificate confirming the boundaries and legal description.
  4. Sign the sale contract and have it validated at the Shahr El Akary with both parties' IDs.
  5. Register the property in your name. Law No. 9 of 2022 reformed registration to shorten the process.

Selling or letting from abroad

Many people abroad own property in Egypt: a house they built, family land, or a home they inherited. You can usually sell it or let it out without travelling, but owners who live abroad are also a common target for fraud. These are the general steps. The rules, taxes and forms in Egypt are for a lawyer there to confirm.

Selling from abroad

  1. Confirm the property is registered in your name. If it belonged to a relative who has died, the estate usually has to be settled and the title transferred to the heirs before anyone can sell it.
  2. Hire your own lawyer in Egypt, not one introduced by the buyer or an agent.
  3. Get a current official search of the title, so you know what the buyer's lawyer will see.
  4. If someone will sign for you, give them a power of attorney limited to this one property and this one sale, with an end date. Ask your lawyer how it must be signed and authenticated (before a notary, by apostille or through the embassy) and whether it must be registered.
  5. Ask your lawyer which taxes and fees fall on the seller, such as tax on the gain and transfer or stamp duties, and whether any tax clearance is needed before the transfer.
  6. Have the buyer pay into your lawyer's client account or your own bank account, never to a relative or agent personally.
  7. Ask your bank and lawyer how to move the money abroad, and keep the paperwork that shows where it came from.

Letting it out from abroad

  • Use a written tenancy agreement and keep a copy yourself.
  • Choose a manager or agent you can check up on, and agree in writing what they collect, what they charge and when they pay you.
  • Ask about tax on rent. Many countries tax rent earned there even when the owner lives abroad, and some make tenants withhold tax from rent paid to owners abroad.
  • Have someone you trust visit regularly, and check the title register now and then. Forged sales of absent owners' property are common.

Warning signs for owners abroad

  • An agent or relative asking for a general power of attorney over everything you own.
  • A buyer who wants to pay in cash, or to pay someone other than you or your lawyer.
  • Pressure to sign before your own lawyer has seen the documents.
  • Someone else listing or showing your property without your knowledge.

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Common questions

Why register property at the Shahr El Akary?

Registration at the Real Estate Registration Office makes your ownership official and protects it against third-party claims. Many Egyptian properties are held on unregistered contracts, which give much weaker protection.

Can foreigners buy property in Egypt?

Yes, residential property, under Law No. 230 of 1996. The law historically limited foreigners to two properties and a total area; the government announced in 2024 that the number limit would be lifted, so confirm the current rules with a lawyer.

Can Egyptians abroad buy property without travelling?

Yes, through a lawyer acting under a power of attorney, usually authenticated at an Egyptian consulate.

Can I sell my property in Egypt while living abroad?

Usually, yes. Most sales from abroad go through a local lawyer and a representative holding a power of attorney limited to the one sale. Ask a lawyer in Egypt how that power of attorney must be signed and registered.

Do I pay tax when I sell property in Egypt?

Often. Many countries tax the gain on a property sale and charge transfer or stamp duties, including for owners who live abroad. Ask a lawyer or tax adviser in Egypt what applies before you agree a price.

Can I list my own property on ResidentFinder?

Yes. Owners can list a home for sale or for rent themselves, without an agent, and listing is free. Buyers and renters contact you directly through ResidentFinder.

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Sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice, and is not definitive. Laws, fees and procedures change; confirm every step with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.