Law of Egypt

Module 6

The Civil Code, property, family and inheritance: contract and remedies, civil liability, real estate and its registration, tenancy, marriage and divorce for Muslims and Christians, and succession

Egyptian private law rests on the Civil Code of 1948, which is the most important statute in the legal system and a model for many other Arab codes. It follows the French tradition of general principles for contracts, civil liability and property, with Egyptian additions: courts may reduce an excessive agreed penalty, adjust a contract when exceptional events upset its balance, and set aside a contract made by exploiting another party’s weakness. Real estate is governed by the Code and by registration statutes, and many Egyptians still hold property by unregistered (‘urfi) contracts, a trap for foreign buyers. Family law and inheritance are in separate statutes: for Muslims, personal status statutes and inheritance statutes drawn from Islamic jurisprudence; for Christians and Jews of the same community, their own rules on personal status. This module explains how the system works for the people who sign, buy, marry and inherit in Egypt.

General education on the law of Egypt, using invented people and businesses. It states laws and procedures in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law and its practice change, and every case turns on its facts, the authority and the community concerned. It does not offer legal representation or a legal opinion on any case. Consult an Egyptian advocate for any real matter.

This course was written on 5 November 2026. To the best of our knowledge, it describes the law of Egypt as it stood on that date. Laws change, and we may have missed or misunderstood something. If you notice a change, or have other information, please do not hesitate to contact us: we will review it and update the course. We do not claim to be the final source of the law.