Rules for foreign buyers, neighbourhoods, new-build and older properties, rents and taxes: what to know before buying in Cairo.
Buying an apartment in Cairo as a foreigner is possible, but the framework is changing. A 1996 law currently limits foreign nationals to two properties at most, in two different cities. In July 2026, the government of Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli announced it wanted to lift these limits and allow foreigners to own as many properties as they wish, wherever they wish, with a new online platform to simplify the process.
The market, for its part, is pausing. In the first quarter of 2026, the country's top ten developers signed around 271 billion Egyptian pounds (EGP) of sales, 6.5% less than a year earlier, and the number of homes sold fell by about 15%, to 15,500 units. The consultancy The Board Consulting calls it a "healthy correction": buyers are becoming more selective in the face of rising prices and currency adjustments.
Before you start, four questions are worth settling: which neighbourhood to buy in, new-build or older property, under which rules for a foreign buyer, and with what budget once costs and currency risk are taken into account.
Greater Cairo is a megacity of more than 20 million people, and each area suits a different project.
On Gezira Island, in the middle of the Nile, Zamalek is home to embassies, galleries, the Cairo Opera House and the Gezira Sporting Club. Garden City, on the Nile bank, is quieter and also hosts many embassies. Supply there is scarce, mostly in older buildings, and these are the most expensive addresses in the city.
In the south, Maadi and Maadi Degla attract expat families with their tree-lined streets, shops and international schools. An established neighbourhood, popular for a main residence.
Heliopolis, a historic neighbourhood near the international airport and well connected to the rest of the city, remains more affordable than the centre. Nasr City, a working-class area, suits smaller budgets.
In the east, New Cairo (Fifth Settlement, Katameya Heights) is dominated by gated, secure residential complexes with pools and green spaces, close to international schools. East Cairo remains the country's leading sales hub: around 130 billion pounds of sales in the first quarter of 2026, compared with around 30 billion for West Cairo, home to Sheikh Zayed City and its modern compounds.
The 1996 law remains the reference until the announced reform comes into force: two properties at most per foreign buyer, in two different cities. For a first purchase in Cairo, this limit is rarely a problem; it matters if you are considering several properties. Check the exact state of the law at the time you sign, as the government announced the lifting of these restrictions in July 2026.
Procedures have long been slow, in particular the security clearances linked to the buyer's nationality. In July 2025, the Prime Minister announced a digital platform on which developers offer homes to foreign buyers: the buyer submits their application online, the developer handles the formalities and clearances are meant to be issued within a few days. Payment is made in dollars and goes directly to the Egyptian banking system.
In parallel, an official real estate platform was presented in February 2026 as the state's gateway for selling Egyptian properties internationally, with a database listing developers, intermediaries and buyers.
Developers have driven the market in recent years with many launches and instalment payment plans. Faced with more cautious buyers, they are now adjusting their prices, reducing the size of homes and splitting their projects into phases. Buying off-plan lets you spread the payment, but exposes you to the risk of delivery delays: the developer's track record matters as much as the brochure.
In older properties, particularly in the city centre, one point deserves special attention: the regulated leases known as "old rent". Law No. 164 of 2025 sets out their gradual phase-out: a mandatory 15% increase per year from September 2026, then full liberalisation of residential leases at the end of a seven-year transition period, in about six years. An apartment occupied by a tenant on an old lease therefore does not become vacant immediately, and its rent stays far below market level during this period.
If you plan to rent out your property, look closely at rents. According to the Cairo rent index published by the Marsad Omran observatory in July 2026, the median asking rent reaches 10,000 EGP per month in the second quarter of 2026, up 15% over six months, based on more than 18,000 listings in 26 neighbourhoods. The gaps are considerable: from 3,500 EGP per month in Al-Marg to 31 times more in Zamalek. Rents jumped 55% in Zamalek but fell 25% in New Cairo, where the supply of compounds is plentiful. The study points out that advertised rents do not necessarily reflect those actually paid.
If you are preparing your purchase from France, a Remoters home finder based in Cairo can search for properties that match your project, view them for you, help you put the file together and have the documents reviewed before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.
Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.
Sources cited in this article
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