Client story
Client's story
Where they started
The client came with a clear but atypical request for investment programs. He is an active entrepreneur accustomed to money working for him. The idea of "making a non-refundable contribution and forgetting about it" did not appeal to him: he wanted the investment for Egyptian citizenship to be not an expense, but an investment - in an asset that generates income and that he could develop further if desired.
Why the standard route did not work
The Egyptian program offers several paths to a passport: non-refundable contribution to the treasury from $250,000, real estate purchase from $300,000, bank deposit from $500,000, and business investment. The client dismissed the first three himself: the contribution is money "down the drain," rental property did not inspire him, a deposit is frozen funds at modest interest rates. The business option remained, and it was exactly what he wanted.
What BRIDGES had to solve
It was important to set expectations on the figures right away. The business route is structured as follows: you need an investment in a project of at least $350,000 and in addition to it - a non-refundable contribution to the state treasury of $100,000. That is, it is not "either contribution or business," but "business plus contribution": the government payment in this option is less than the pure donation route, but it exists. However, the main amount does not go nowhere, but into a project that remains the client's asset.
Why a standard answer would not do
At BRIDGES, the client came to properly structure this business option: to structure the project so that it meets program requirements and passes through the General Authority for Investment (GAFI), to confirm the source of funds, and to conduct it in parallel with citizenship formalities - so that in the end he would receive both a working asset and an Egyptian passport.
I am an entrepreneur, and it was important for me that the money work, not simply be lost as a contribution. BRIDGES explained that Egypt's program has a business option: you invest in a project from $350,000, plus $100,000 - a non-refundable contribution to the treasury. Yes, the contribution remains, but the main sum is my asset, not money wasted. They structured the project according to the requirements, took it through GAFI, and confirmed the source of funds. As a result, I have both a working business in Egypt and citizenship. For me, this was not a passport purchase, but a normal investment that also provides a second passport.
