Connectivity and essentials
Staying connected in Egypt: SIM cards, Wi-Fi and plugs
The short answer
To buy a local SIM, go in person to a mobile operator’s own branch with your original passport; the line is registered to you and you sign a contract. If you would rather use roaming or an eSIM from your home provider, settle the price and coverage before you fly. Egypt uses two-round-pin Type C and Type F sockets at 220 volts, so most visitors need a plug adaptor and few need a voltage converter.
At a glance
- Buying a SIM
- In person at an operator’s branch, with your original passport
- Registration
- The line is registered in your name and tied to your permitted stay
- Sockets
- Type C and Type F, two round pins
- Electricity
- 220 V, 50 Hz
- Language
- Arabic. English is widely understood in cities and tourist areas
Official government advice
Buying a local SIM: the regulator’s rules
Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority sets the rules for selling mobile lines to foreign customers. You visit a branch of the mobile operator and present your own original, valid passport and the document showing your permitted stay, which the regulator calls a residency document. The agent keeps a colour copy of both, and you sign the contract in person and receive your copy.
The operator must link the line’s validity to the length of your permitted stay, and the line is disconnected a month after that period ends unless you present an extension. The regulator also caps the number of lines a foreign customer may register with each operator.
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Doing it without losing an hour
Buy from the operator’s own branded branch or counter, not from a reseller or a stranger offering a pre-registered SIM; a line registered to someone else can be cut off, and it is not yours. Opening hours and queues at airport counters vary by terminal and time of day, so do not rely on one being open when you land. Before you leave the counter, check the package, its expiry date and that data works on your phone, and keep the receipt.
Your phone must be unlocked to take a local SIM. If it is not, or you would rather not hand over your passport at a shop, arrange roaming or an eSIM with a provider you already trust and check the price and coverage for Egypt before you travel.
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Wi-Fi
Most hotels and many cafés offer Wi-Fi, and speed varies a great deal. If you need to work or make video calls, ask the hotel about the connection in the room you are booking, not just the lobby. On a Nile boat, expect the signal to come and go as you move between towns, and do not plan a deadline around it. Mobile data is often the more reliable of the two.
Plugs and power
Electrical Safety First, the UK charity, lists Type C and Type F plugs for Egypt, both with two round pins, on a 220-volt, 50-hertz supply. Visitors from the UK and Ireland need a plug adaptor but not a voltage converter. Visitors from North America need an adaptor and should check that each charger is marked 100–240 V; anything that is not needs a converter. A power bank earns its place on long site days.
Sources: Electrical Safety First (UK charity)
Language, and six phrases
Arabic is the official language. Experience Egypt says many people in urban centres and tourist destinations understand English and speak it fluently. A few words of Egyptian Arabic are still appreciated, and “no, thank you” is the one you will use most.
| English | Arabic | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | أهلاً | ahlan |
| Thank you | شكراً | shukran |
| No, thank you | لا، شكراً | la, shukran |
| Please | من فضلك | min fadlak (to a man), min fadlik (to a woman) |
| Yes / No | أيوه / لأ | aywa / la’ |
| How much is it? | بكام؟ | bikam? |
Sources: Experience Egypt
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What this means before you fly
- Check that your phone is unlocked if you want a local SIM.
- Keep your passport on you on the day you buy the line.
- Download offline maps and your booking confirmations before you land, so the first hour does not depend on data.
- Pack one Type C or F adaptor per person and check the voltage marking on hair tools and older chargers.
- Save your driver’s or planner’s local number where you can reach it without a connection.
Sources
Open the source behind a claim and check it against your own dates, passport, health and route. Rules, prices and schedules can change after our check.
Time-sensitive facts last checked against these sources:
- National Telecom Regulatory Authority: Mobile SIM sales rules
Official identification and registration rules for mobile lines bought by foreign visitors.
- Electrical Safety First (UK charity): Travel adaptor for Egypt
Plug types, voltage and frequency, and whether you need an adaptor or a converter.
- Experience Egypt: Official practical information
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities portal for transport, useful numbers, and visitor information.