posted
I have not tried because I don't think I'm going to, but I do know that you have to be married for 2 years before you can apply. There is a form you can download from the Egyptian Embassy website. It's all in Arabic, but it tells you what you need. If I remember correctly your husband will have to do it for you and he will need his father's birth certificate. Sounds real easy.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
It would be logical that you would need to be living in Egypt, why else apply for it? Of course, we all know logic isn't what runs things here.
In any case I know there are at least a couple of women here who have Egyptian citizenship and I know there has been at least one thread on this subject before. Maybe someone can dig it up?
I have heard both positive and negative benefits in having Egyptian citizenship. Would be interested in re-reading those as I don't actually remember.
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Positive: if you would like to start a business here it will help to be a citizen. Another is if you plan to stay in Egypt for the rest of your life - then you can be buried here.
Negative: I've heard that your Embassy will be less likely to help you if you run into problems once you become a dual citizen.
By the way - I believe you can apply from abroad (not in Egypt). The forms I found were on the Egyptian Embassy website in the US. So you should be able to do it even though you never lived in Egypt.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I don't think that 2 years of marriage prior to application is the requirement. I believe that we applied after few months. After the application they will be watching you for 2 years. They do not come to your house directly but ask your bowab whether you indeed live here, whether you live together as a couple and so on.
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Apply any time It takes 2 years and your husband has to confirm you are living together as a married couple, I think every 6 months It can be done outside of Egypt through the embassy of the country you are living in
-------------------- Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Nasto: They do not come to your house directly but ask your bowab whether you indeed live here, whether you live together as a couple and so on.
LOL Ask your Bowab...what if you live in a building with no Bowab (like I do). Ask your Bowab - sounds a bit like gossiping to me. Kind of scary to think your Bowab may know your business better than you do. Makes you wonder what else the Egyptian government is "asking your Bowab" about you. Maybe this is the real reason they go through your trash. Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Well, they never came to meet us during all these 2 years. We just learned by accident that some people asked our bowab about me. When time came to get my papers processed we went to this place on Tahrir square just to be informed that I had left the country "How come?" we wondered and got the reply that the authorities were informed that such person (me) had not been living in that place.
Regarding gossiping...it's not gossiping. I am sure they know all expats and all important details of their life Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
My point is not so much "gossiping" but the fact that the Bowab might in fact give wrong information about you. Inaccurate sources. Invasion of privacy...
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I'm happy that I live in a building with no Bowab. It would drive me crazy to have someone watching my comings and goings. Especially since I'm a foreigner they would assume all kinds of crazy stuff.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Actually, I am very surprised that you don’t have any – lucky you (although, they can be very helpful). We always have from one two three people guarding the building, in Cairo and in Alexandria the same.
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
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quote:Originally posted by Nasto: Actually, I am very surprised that you don’t have any – lucky you (although, they can be very helpful). We always have from one two three people guarding the building, in Cairo and in Alexandria the same.
We live in a family villa - hence no Bowab.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
Most of the compounds (Egyptian as well as expat - mine's about 95% Egyptians) don't have bowabs either.
We do have a few security guards knocking around but I would dread to think of what they would come up with! They got it into their heads last year that I had a baby - one even presented me with a pushchair he'd found somewhere. All I can think is that when they were rifling through my rubbish they came across wrapped up cat poop from the cat litter trays and decided it was baby poop.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I wouldn't mind having to have a bowab if they would actually do something instead of just putting out their hands for money. We have bypassed ours now and use a local lad who is eager and willing to run erands with a big smile instead of the constant scowls from the Bowabs family eveytime you ask them to do something. It would kill them to sweep the entrance way, let alone the stairs & landings. Yes I hate the way they watch your every coming and going. Our previous one was so old we were looking after him instead of the other way round as his family refused to take him back home again poor man.
Its worth paying attention to what the family is like in choosing an apartment as they can make life very difficult.
Posts: 3809 | From: Paradise | Registered: Mar 2003
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We got 3 bawabs on shifts, they hardly exert any effort in keeping the white marble staircase clean, though they pour lots of foamy water buckets onto the main entrance every other day just to please us, making things a mess while going in and out of the building. All 3 have this habbit of eavesdropping to conversations while we neighbours meet at the entrance, and obviously looking through each and everything we bring home..groceries and newly purchased appliances are their favorite curiosities. All the young ladies of the building tend to cover themselves well when going out at night in a fancy dress to a wedding or whatever so as to pass through the bawab scan when leaving or returning home late. I would've liked doing that job if I were less fortunate and forced into doing something with my life. Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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All the same here. But what I like about having them is that whenever we need to get rid of smth they take our old stuff, they carry our luggage, they load our car when we move smth. They even call the elevator once they see us with shopping bags Anyway, it’s a strange system. Back home we do not have anything like that. At first, I was very uncomfortable feeling to be watched constantly. Getting used to it now.
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
I dont know why you want to apply for Egyptian Citizenship? If you plan to live and work in Egypt for more than 10 years then applying maybe a good idea. Otherwise think twice on this as any children born in egypt will be Egyptian citizens. Makes it much harder for you to take your children out of egypt if something goes wrong.
Keep your own citizenship is the best thing to do.Always think ahead and plan things to work in your favour.
quote:Originally posted by Nasto: Well, they never came to meet us during all these 2 years. We just learned by accident that some people asked our bowab about me. When time came to get my papers processed we went to this place on Tahrir square just to be informed that I had left the country "How come?" we wondered and got the reply that the authorities were informed that such person (me) had not been living in that place.
Regarding gossiping...it's not gossiping. I am sure they know all expats and all important details of their life
Indeed Nasto.
Egypt is a Police State – Interior Ministry. Immigration is not run by “immigration officials”, it's under “thubaat”(officers – police officers). The very fabric of a Police State is “control.” Egypt achieves this by having NUMEROUS informants. Bowabs, taxi drivers, car washers, cafe employees, etc, etc. There is a word for it in Egypt, how many of you know it??
Like America, like most countries in the world they get $ for info. People who live in or work near “places of interest” must be registered (internally) and if you live or work in such a place and haven't been “interviewed on the spot”, then consider they already know about you.
How do I know all of this? Well I actually “lived” amongst Egyptians, actually assimilated, shared a drink here and there with a “taxi driver” or “car washer.” One of my friends was joking with me and said, a taxi driver he never knew before took him directly to the front of his building without him giving the exact address. I died laughing.
Conclusion: Egypt is a Police State = control freaks = they know what they want to know. And you know what it's all good. Because how much crime is in Egypt? Practically NONE, for a dirt poor country with 80-90 million ppl, that is damn impressive.
Not my cup of tea, as I believe in social freedom and the ability to do as you please. But for Egypt it works.
Take away the Police State and the Bowab you adore, will break into you apartment the minute he has a chance.
Posts: 2275 | Registered: Dec 2009
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quote:Originally posted by Exiiled: Egypt achieves this by having NUMEROUS informants. Bowabs, taxi drivers, car washers, cafe employees, etc, etc. There is a word for it in Egypt, how many of you know it??
Do you mean the "B" word? Or no?
Posts: 758 | From: Here. There. Everywhere. | Registered: Mar 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Exiiled: Egypt achieves this by having NUMEROUS informants. Bowabs, taxi drivers, car washers, cafe employees, etc, etc. There is a word for it in Egypt, how many of you know it??
Do you mean the "B" word? Or no?
What's the "b" word? ... I was alluding to the "m" word as in mokh-bireeen
Posts: 2275 | Registered: Dec 2009
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Ask your Bowab...what if you live in a building with no Bowab (like I do). Ask your Bowab - sounds a bit like gossiping to me. Kind of scary to think your Bowab may know your business better than you do. Makes you wonder what else the Egyptian government is "asking your Bowab" about you. Maybe this is the real reason they go through your trash. ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
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"How come?" we wondered and got the reply that the authorities were informed that such person (me) had not been living in that place. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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