Technical article
Can a Foreigner Own the Land? Leases and Limits in Four Places
Their lawyer asks whether they want to buy it or lease it.
Picture a couple named Ruth and Anil, both 62. They have found a house they love near the sea. Their lawyer asks whether they want to buy it or lease it. They had not known there was a difference.
There is, and it differs by place. Here is what I could read.
What the official pages say
| Place | What a foreigner may hold | Detail from the page |
|---|---|---|
| Zanzibar | Lease only | ZIPA: "the foreigner can not own the land according to The Land Tenure Act 1992." Leases up to 99 years, with approval of an investment project (ZIPA). |
| Kenya | Leasehold only | Embassy of Kenya: Article 65(1), "a person who is not a citizen may hold land on basis of leasehold tenure only." A longer lease is treated as 99 years. |
| Egypt | Ownership, with limits | Law No. 230 of 1996: no more than two properties for private residence, each no larger than 4,000 square metres. |
| Namibia | Not stated | See below. |
Zanzibar
ZIPA is the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority. Its page says leases may go to Zanzibaris and non-Zanzibaris for investment use, "subject to the approval of an investment project by ZIPA or other relevant authorities." It lists land in free economic zones and islets. The page has no date. It does not say what a lease costs.
Kenya
The Embassy of Kenya document says that a lease longer than 99 years counts as a 99-year lease, and that leases can be renewed (paraphrase). It also says freehold held by a non-citizen becomes a 99-year lease at a very small rent (paraphrase of the Sixth Schedule). The document has no date. The constitution site itself could not be opened, so Article 65 is not read there.
Egypt
The General Authority for Investment document gives three limits for private homes. It allows two properties across the country, each up to 4,000 square metres. It also says title may not be passed on "before the elapse of five years", though the Prime Minister may allow an earlier sale. In Sharm El-Sheikh, usufruct rights may run up to 99 years. The document has no date. Its latest item is a 2024 Prime Minister decree, so rules may have changed since.
Namibia
The only official text I read was a 2003 amendment to the farm land law. It lets the Minister acquire farm land that a foreign national obtained "in contravention of section 58 or 59". Those sections were not in the text. So I cannot say whether a foreigner may buy farm land, or under what terms. Town property is left open.
What is left open
- Namibia's rule on foreign buyers (sections 58 and 59 of the farm land law).
- Any lease fees or taxes in Zanzibar and Kenya.
- Whether any of these rules changed after the dates of the documents.
You could…
- Ask a local lawyer to explain what happens to a lease at the end of its term.
- Ask whether the lease can be passed on, sold, or mortgaged.
- Ask a lawyer or accountant who works with Americans abroad about tax on a lease.
- Check the current text of each law on the official site before paying a deposit.
Would you be comfortable holding land for a number of years rather than forever?
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: 10 October 2026.
Tell us in the comments