Egyptian customs rarely cause trouble for tourists, as long as you stay within the limits. This guide gives the allowances written in Egypt's customs regulations, what changed for phones in January 2026, the cash rules, and what you may bring back home.
Egypt duty-free allowance for tourists
Article 73 of Egypt's Executive Regulations of the Customs Law lets a tourist bring in, without duty:
- Tobacco: 200 cigarettes (one carton), or 25 cigars, or 200 g of tobacco.
- Alcohol: 1 litre of spirits. The tobacco and alcohol quantities are recorded in your passport.
- New items and gifts: up to a value of EGP 10,000, as long as they are not for resale. Above that, customs duty is due.
- Personal belongings: used clothing, and the items travellers usually carry, such as cameras and personal jewellery, new or used.
- Medicines for your own use, at the customs officer's discretion.
Duty-free shops on arrival
You can also buy at the airport duty-free shops within 48 hours of arrival, up to US$200, with a maximum of 1 litre of spirits and two cartons of cigarettes. One litre of spirits may be swapped for a carton of beer.
Bringing your phone: the 2026 rule
Since 21 January 2026, Egypt charges taxes and fees on mobile phones brought in from abroad: the one-phone passenger exemption has ended. According to the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), the exemption still applies to tourists for 90 days. For a holiday, your own phone keeps working. Longer stays: fees are paid in the official "Telephony" app (hotline 15380).
To get online on arrival without a local SIM shop, an Egypt eSIM from eSIM Égypte gives unlimited data on the Vodafone, Orange and e& networks. You receive the QR code by e-mail and can install it before you fly. Check that your phone supports eSIM first.
Cash: how much money can you bring?
There is no ceiling on foreign currency, but you must declare more than USD 10,000 (or the equivalent) on arrival and departure. Egyptian pounds in cash are limited to EGP 5,000 per person, according to the travel guidance of the UAE and Qatar embassies in Cairo.
Banned and restricted items
- Narcotics, weapons and ammunition.
- Drones: they need prior permission from the Ministry of Defence; without it they are confiscated and, according to France Diplomatie, never returned. See our guide to photography permits and rules.
- Antiquities: taking genuine ancient objects out of Egypt is illegal. Buy modern replicas only.
- Prescription medicines: keep them in their original box with the prescription.
How much can you bring back from Egypt to the UK?
This is the other half of most questions: the limit for cigarettes and alcohol is set by the country you fly back to. For Great Britain, GOV.UK gives these allowances (age 17 and over):
- Tobacco: 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco, or 200 heated-tobacco sticks. You can split it: 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars, for example.
- Alcohol: 42 litres of beer and cider, 18 litres of still or sparkling wine, plus 4 litres of spirits over 22%, or 9 litres of drinks up to 22% (such as port).
- Vaping liquid: 50 ml.
- Other goods: up to £390. Above that, tax is due on the whole value, not just the excess.
Travelling back to France or another EU country? The EU limits are lower: see the French version of this guide, Douane égyptienne.
At the airport
- Nothing to declare and within the limits: green channel.
- Above an allowance, or more than USD 10,000 in cash: red channel, and declare it.
- Keep receipts for expensive new items such as jewellery or electronics.
Sources, read on 16 October 2026: Egypt's Executive Regulations of the Customs Law (Minister of Finance Decree No. 430 of 2021, article 73, on customs.gov.eg), the National Telecom Regulatory Authority notice of 20 January 2026 (tra.gov.eg) and GOV.UK. Rules change: check before you travel.