[3][2] Those who acquire nationality at birth include: Naturalization can be granted to persons who have resided in the territory for a sufficient period of time to confirm they understand the Arabic language, customs and traditions of the society.

[28] Typically, if someone acquires dual nationality and does not have governmental permission, there is no automatic consequence; however, if the Cabinet of Egypt has rendered a decision on the case, the affected individual is legally denaturalized.

[30][31] Within the Ottoman Empire, for six centuries, there was an internal organization that defined government functions for subjects by balancing religious and communal ties, weighing aptitudes and occupations without a centralized national ideology.

[32] Ottoman subjecthood was strongly tied to religion and non-Muslims, if they were ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book), meaning Jewish, Christian, or Zoroastrian, could benefit from being subjects by agreeing to pay a tax to the sultan.

[35] By the eighteenth century a political organization, known as the millet, managed the affairs of their respective religious communities and developed into the protégé system (Turkish: beratlılar, protected persons).

[37] Under the terms of these treaties, foreign powers could recruit Ottoman subjects to serve their needs as commercial agents, consuls, or interpreters, and extend to these protégés diplomatic immunity from prosecution and privileges of trade, including lowered customs tariffs.

[40][41] France occupied the territory until 1801, when the French were defeated and Britain set about assisting the Ottoman Empire in regaining its sovereignty.

[42][43] To curb the disruptive effects of Europeans in the empire, from 1806, the Ottoman government began sending communiques to the foreign embassies demanding compliance with the terms of their agreements.

[45] The Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856 (Turkish: Islâhat Fermânı) categorized subjects by whether they were Muslim or non-Muslim, granting different civil statuses to each.

[53] Specific provisions included that foundlings discovered within the territory; stateless persons living in the empire; Muslim women, who despite the ban on such marriages, had married Persian men and the children of such a union; unregistered persons who had not been counted in the Ottoman census, either because no census was taken or their births were unregistered, were all considered to be Ottoman.

[56] Dual nationality was permitted, but was discouraged, as the government could choose not to recognize naturalization of an Ottoman subject by another state.

[58][62] Under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Article 102, former Ottoman (Turkish) subjects resident in Egypt were denaturalized by Turkey and automatically acquired Egyptian nationality unless they were absent from the territory on 18 December 1914.

[65][66] When Britain extended this status over a territory, it took responsibility for both internal and external administration, including defense and foreign relations.

Under its provisions, she had to consent to acquiring her husband's status, wait two years after the marriage, and obtain the approval of the Ministry of the Interior to naturalize.

[9][79] The day after the law passed, the Minister of Religious Affairs ordered the expulsion of the Egyptian Jewish Community as enemies of the state.

[91] The amendment granted children born to Egyptian mothers equal provisions to derive nationality from either parent, and was made effective retroactively.

[93] After that year, until further change was made in 2014, only children born after 2004 could automatically derive nationality maternally without the agreement of the Minister of the Interior.

[94][93] In 2009, the Supreme Administrative Court changed legal interpretation which denied identity documents and birth registration to persons who were not members of one of the state recognized religions, i.e. Christianity, Islam, or Judaism.

As a result of the ruling, the Ministry of the Interior issued a decree modifying the 1994 law for Implementing Statutes of Egypt's Civil Status to allow religious affiliation to be left blank in official documents.

[89][94] On 16 July 2018 the Egyptian House of Representatives approved a bill to amend the nationality law, which was ratified on 15 August 2018 by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The amendment granted that foreign nationals who deposited E£7 million would be eligible to apply for naturalization after a five-year residency period.