Egypt - Health AND Travel Advice

Health Advice

Recommended Immunisations

Hepatitis A
Polio
Tetanus
Typhoid Fever

Yellow Fever Yellow Fever Certificate is required for entry into Egypt if travelling from a Yellow Fever infected area. This includes passengers transiting through an infected area.

Malaria Most of Egypt has a very low malaria risk, however anti-mosquito measures should still be strictly observed to avoid bites. The one exception is the El Faiyum region (50 km south of Cairo), which has a low malaria risk between June and October. However chloroquine resistance is not a problem.

Passport & Visa

A valid passport for at least 6 months on arrival and at least one blank page is required for entry into Egypt.

Visas are required for most EU member states and can be obtained from the Egyptian Consulate or on arrival at all Egyptian airports. Obtaining visas on arrival in Egypt is very straightforward, you can buy the visa stamps from the exchange bureaux in the arrivals hall, but this can result in some delay.

Please note when arriving at Sharm airport you can obtain either a full Egypt visa (valid for the whole country) or a cheaper Sinai visa (valid only to travel around the Sinai Peninsula).

General Tips

Water in Egypt is a frequent source of infection and tap water is <b>not</b> recommended for the use of drinking water or even brushing teeth. Always use bottled water which is widely available and very cheap.

The local currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound. The exchange rate is approximately US$1 = LE5.50, £1 = LE 8 and €1 = LE7.

Credit cards are not widely accepted in Egypt. There are ATMs available for cash withdrawals, but please note that these are often out of order or out of cash. Always carry cash or Traveller’s cheques for emergencies.

Internet and email facilities are widely available in most towns and cities

Egypt uses 220V electricityand generally the European two round-pin socket type.

The local time zone is GMT+2, meaning that most of the year, Egypt is 2 hours ahead of the UK and 1 hour ahead if most other West European countries.

For more general health & travel advice, packing tips and travel insurance, please check our Travel Planning section.