Egyptian Citizenship for the Family: Wife, Children under 21 and Who Needs a Separate Application

Family pricing is Egypt’s strongest point: one amount for the applicant, the wife and children under 21. The rules on who becomes a citizen and when are more detailed, and I want you to know them before paying the fee. Sources are the official portal and the BRIDGES programme page, checked on 26 October 2026.

Who is in the application

Relative	Status
Wife	in the same application, no extra amount
Children under 21	in the same application, become citizens with the parent
Children aged 21 or over	separate application with their own investment and fee
Parents	separate application
Siblings and other relatives	separate application

The age of full legal capacity in Egypt is 21, which is why the line is drawn there.

When the wife becomes a citizen

According to BRIDGES, the wife does not get citizenship on the same day as the husband. Under Article 6 of Law No. 26 of 1975 she declares her wish to the Minister of the Interior, and citizenship follows after two years if the marriage continues. In that period the minister may refuse by a reasoned decision. BRIDGES also points out that the rule is written for the wife of a naturalised man, so a female applicant’s husband does not become a citizen on this ground.

I have not read the article in the original myself, so treat these details as BRIDGES information and confirm them with the agent for your case.

Children

Children under 21 acquire citizenship together with the parent. According to BRIDGES, a child who lives abroad and keeps the former citizenship may choose it instead of the Egyptian one within a year of coming of age. The official FAQ says naturalised children are not required to do military service.

For children born later, the official FAQ says any child born to an Egyptian father is Egyptian, even if born outside Egypt. The portal also says citizenship obtained this way is permanent and passes to the next generations.

Documents for the family

The official list asks for the number of wives and children, their citizenships and the documents that prove them, such as passports or ID cards. In practice that means birth and marriage certificates, translated and legalised. Children over the age of criminal responsibility may need their own certificates, so ask your agent.

What a family pays

Family	Contribution route	Deposit route
Applicant alone	$260,000	$510,000
Applicant + wife + 3 children under 21	$260,000	$510,000
The same family + one son aged 23	$520,000	$1,020,000

My calculation from the official amounts, with the $10,000 fee per application. An adult child is a full second application.

Two practical tips

If a child is about to turn 21, file early. And if the main earner in the family is a woman, discuss with the lawyer who should be the main applicant before anything is paid.

What the family gets from the passport is in the passport guide.