Who owns what in a marriage in Egypt?

Depends on the spouses' religion or personal law

In Egypt the personal-status rules apply, each spouse generally owns their own property, and the marriage contract can include agreed conditions.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Each spouse owns their own property. The husband has duties of support, and a wife is entitled to her dowry.

When the marriage ends in divorce

Each spouse generally keeps their own property, and financial claims depend on the personal-status rules and on the court.

A marriage contract

The marriage contract can include conditions the spouses agree to, such as on the wife's rights.

What stays your own, and gifts

Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

For a foreign spouse, get local advice on which rules and which courts apply.

Understand the legal system first

Egypt belongs to the Religious (Islamic) law is a leading source family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Egypt legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

Official sources

Egypt State Information Service

TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.