To support foreign residents and families of mixed nationalities, the Ministry of Justice inaugurated the country’s first family legal aid office for foreigners at the Foreigners Services Building in the New Capital on Monday, 11 May, offering free legal and family counseling to those living in Egypt and to individuals married to Egyptian citizens.
The move comes in response to the rising demand for legal guidance in cases involving mixed-nationality marriages and family disputes. The office will provide advice on family rights, explain legal procedures, and connect people with the right legal channels, all aimed at reducing conflicts and supporting family stability.
Speaking at the inauguration, Minister El-Sherif said that under President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, Egypt is committed to improving access to justice, simplifying legal procedures, and offering specialized support so that everyone, Egyptian or foreign, can navigate the justice system with confidence.
The office is the result of more than a decade of cooperation between Egypt’s specialized courts sector and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), strengthened by a 2024 agreement. With modern technical and digital facilities supported by the Dutch government under the UNDP’s global rule of law program, the office is ready to help families navigate legal challenges with clarity and confidence.
Foreign residents in Egypt often face complicated legal challenges when navigating the country’s family laws. Many struggle to understand custody rules, marriage and divorce procedures, and inheritance rights, which can lead to long delays and stressful court battles.
Language barriers, unfamiliar bureaucracy, and limited access to specialized legal resources make these cases particularly daunting.
Recent media reports have highlighted the struggles of foreign women who have faced difficulties taking their children back to their home countries. For instance, two Canadian girls are currently stuck in Egypt due to a travel ban imposed by their Egyptian-Canadian father, who is living in Canada.
Egypt is not a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This means that foreign parents may have limited legal recourse if they are trying to take their children out of the country following disputes over custody or parental rights.
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