Egypt’s Minister of Emigration and Expatriate Egyptians Affairs, Soha Gendy, announced that, in response to large demand, the Egyptian government has extended the deadline for Egyptian expatriates to settle online their military service status. The deadline was extended from 13 September to 13,October 2023.
It is compulsory for Egyptian men aged 18 – 32 to perform military service unless officially exempted for medical or family reasons; the service period may be one or three years depending on the level of education. Documents certifying the completion of, exemption from, or postponement of service are required for many legal procedures such as obtaining valid identity documents, leaving or entering the country, or securing jobs.
Egyptian expatriates have long faced difficulty in obtaining or updating their military art service documents. In August 2023, the Egyptian government opened an online application for expatriate men with outstanding military service status to settle the issue online.
According to Ms Gendy, “The initiative serves Egyptian students abroad who need to settle their military service status in order to obtain identity cards and passports, and to complete the necessary residency procedures.”
Government estimates place the number of Egyptians living outside Egypt at more than
14 million.
Watani International
19 September 2023