For many, no matter how modernised Egypt has become, it’s difficult to look past the fact that it’s a northern African country; with that comes thoughts of the property buying process being every bit as vague and unofficial as picking up gifts at the local souks.

In fact, the government has been extremely active in promoting foreign investment in Egypt and it has even gone as far as amending some of the laws pertaining to residential tourism in order to make the process easier for foreigners. Non-nationals can own two properties in Egypt, so long as neither exceeds a generous 4000m².

The laws are every bit as legitimate and systematic as in European countries, however there are certain differences to be aware of.

Buying property in Egypt involves two processes:

• A private sale and purchase agreement between buyer and seller;
• Registering the title of the purchaser with the Real Estate Department and Public Notary.

First off, check the title documentation to ensure that the seller is indeed the person named on it. Many Egyptians don’t register their title to avoid the registration fee that it requires (3% of the property’s total value). However, this is fraudulent and you shouldn’t attempt to do the same or buy from anyone that has done this.

Next up, you’ll need to visit the Official Pledge Registry at the Public Notary to make certain that the property is free from any third party mortgages or pledges – in Egypt these are made on the property itself and continue upon the transfer of the title.