In August 2023, the cabinet issued a decree requiring foreigners residing in Egypt without valid residence permits to legalize their status before 15 March 2024 before extending the deadline to 30 June 2024.

Foreigners residing in Egypt who seek to legalize their status must pay a $1,000 fee and provide documentation from an Egyptian host.

Those who fail to legalize status on 30 June will lose access to services provided by state institutions to foreign residents.

In tandem, the grace period granted to foreign residents who are exempt from acquiring residence permits to acquire residence exemption cards from the General Administration of Passports, Immigration, and Nationality is set to expire on 30 June 2024.

Foreign residents who are exempted from acquiring residence permits include individuals married to Egyptian nationals.

Around 9.1 million foreigners from 133 countries reside in Egypt, according to a recent report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This figure includes 646,291 registered refugees and asylum seekers from 62 countries, according to the latest data released by the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR).