Moving & Living - Egypt - Complete Guide

01Choose a city around your actual daily journey

Start with the place you must reach most often. In Greater Cairo, a home advertised as “near” a school may still involve a long road journey. Pin the workplace, campus or school entrance, rather than its general district, and compare the trip at your expected departure time. A Nile view and a practical school run are separate decisions.

1. Put three daily destinations on a map and choose two candidate neighbourhoods.
2. Confirm the institution's actual site. AUC's principal student campus is in New Cairo; programme location can differ, including Arabic study at Tahrir. Read the university's programme-location guidance.
3. Book a short initial stay with a usable written address. Visit the area during working hours and after dark, inspect groceries and pharmacies, and repeat the commute.
4. Compare buildings as well as streets: lift access, ventilation, road noise, water pressure and reliable connectivity matter inside the home.

For a metro-based routine, use the operator's station list rather than assuming every district is directly served. Keep the first stay flexible until the immigration appointment and school or work timetable are clear.

02Separate your entry visa from your residence basis

Egypt's online tourist visa is an entry product. It does not establish a long-term home or authorise work. Decide whether your move is supported by employment, university study, a qualifying family relationship or an assessed investment project before choosing the application channel.

1. Read the official e-Visa FAQ for your passport and travel document. Eligibility is nationality-specific; being resident in an eligible country does not make every passport eligible.
2. For an exploratory tourist visit, use the official e-Visa service, which recommends applying at least seven days before travel. Prepare a passport valid for at least six months on arrival, travel information and accommodation details. Print the approval and carry it with the passport.
3. For a work or study move, have the sponsor establish the appropriate pre-entry procedure. Ask the Egyptian consulate serving your application location about any required prior approval and the supporting letter.
4. Prepare a separate file for each accompanying person. A job offer or student acceptance for the principal applicant does not automatically give a partner employment permission.

The current tourist e-Visa fee is USD 30 for single entry or USD 65 for multiple entry. These are tourist application fees, not residence-card prices. The official visa conditions preserve the separate requirement for employment or business permission.

Residence applications are handled inside Egypt, as the Egyptian Consulate in London explains. For the eventual category, use the Interior Ministry's residence directory. Its detailed panels could not be accessed during this review: this guide therefore does not assign a universal family, property or non-working threshold. Obtain the category-specific written checklist before paying for the move.

03Have the employer arrange permission before you start

A foreign-worker application is normally a project for the employing organisation, not something to leave until your first day. Ask HR to identify the Ministry of Labour office handling the file, the intended job title and the entry arrangements. Read the current labour-law directory with the employer.

1. Agree a written offer covering salary currency, payment date, benefits, probation, location and responsibility for immigration costs. Calculate take-home pay separately from the headline salary.
2. Have the employer begin the recruitment and approval process described in the ministry's employer services. Its supporting file includes company records, foreign qualifications and relevant experience. Establish which evidence requires authentication and Arabic translation.
3. Keep copies of the submitted job description, application and official receipts. Make the proposed start date conditional on the permission actually covering the work.
4. For a business, establish the permitted activity and required approvals through GAFI's licensing procedures. Company formation, an activity licence, residence and permission to perform work are different parts of the setup.

The newer Decree 279 of 2025 requires work permission and an appropriate immigration purpose. It generally requires three years' authenticated relevant experience and limits foreign staffing to 10%, with specific exceptions. It also prohibits employers from retaining workers' passports. The employer should assess any exemption against the actual category rather than assume every foreign shareholder is exempt.

Remote work: no dedicated digital-nomad route was verified in the official material reviewed. Obtain a determination for your foreign employment or freelance activity; neither a tourist visa nor payment from abroad establishes an exemption. Describe the work accurately, including where you physically perform it, instead of using a tourism application as the business plan.

04Build a quoted budget and establish the tax treatment

Budget in Egyptian pounds for local bills and retain the original currency for visa fees or internationally quoted services. A bank opening deposit remains your money; it is not equivalent to a fee. Separate refundable guarantees, actual charges and the cash you need before a salary arrives.

Obtain dated quotations for flights, initial accommodation, shipping, translations, insurance, school fees and rental guarantees. For the monthly sheet include rent, building service charges, electricity, water, internet, transport, food and healthcare. Annual tuition, insurance and residence costs also need a monthly reserve. There is no useful single national price that represents both a Maadi family household and a student residence.

The personal income-tax law uses progressive bands reaching 27.5%, with different treatment of lower bands at higher incomes. Its salary allowance is not a universal deduction from every type of foreign income. The July 2026 amendments also change other tax provisions. Give your adviser the contract, expected days in Egypt, foreign tax-residence evidence and income sources; determine payroll withholding, business registration and the relevant country-specific tax treaty.

Keep payslips and travel-day records from the beginning. Ask ETA on 16395 which office and procedure handle your activity. A residence card and a bank transfer description do not settle your tax position.

05Secure school or university admission before choosing the lease

A school shortlist should come before a permanent home. Compare curriculum continuity, teaching language, exam pathway and travel arrangements alongside fees. An application receipt is not a place offer, and neither guarantees the immigration permission for the child or parent.

1. For a Maadi starting point, read Cairo American College's admissions information. It serves the American curriculum through Grade 12, with an IB option at the relevant level. Its address is 1 Midan Digla.
2. Use the actual application portal for the relevant entry year. Assemble the requested school reports, recommendations and identity records, and clarify grade placement before accepting a lease based on the school.
3. Request the current tuition quotation, including enrolment, transport and other charges. No public figure was verified on that page, so this guide does not invent one.
4. For AUC, follow the international admission steps for the degree or visiting programme. Submit the academic and language evidence for that programme and retain the final acceptance.
5. Once admitted, use AUC's residence workflow: activate the university account, access the housing system, choose from available rooms and complete the contract. Admission does not guarantee a room.

Immigration timing can affect the academic calendar. AUC's visa instructions identify Polish, Portuguese and Finnish students as needing the specified 90-day visa before travel; the university's registration requirements also vary by nationality. Ask the international office to classify your case before booking. The university page still contains an older arrival-visa price: use the current official visa fee in step 2.

For another institution, obtain its own admissions and foreign-student procedure. Do not assume an AUC checklist applies to every Egyptian university or that a school acceptance creates a parent's work permission.

06Establish a non-working residence basis before retiring here

A plan to spend retirement in Alexandria or Cairo needs a lawful residence basis separate from the attraction of the location. No dedicated pension-income retirement visa was verified in the official sources reviewed. A pension statement may help demonstrate finances, but this guide cannot turn it into an invented visa threshold.

1. Ask PENA which non-working category, if any, fits your nationality and circumstances. Explain any Egyptian family relationship, proposed property ownership or investment accurately.
2. Obtain the required evidence, validity, renewal conditions and restrictions in writing. Distinguish a longer tourist stay from residence intended for your circumstances.
3. Arrange a trial stay near the hospital and everyday services you expect to use. Test lift access, summer cooling, pharmacy access and the journey to a specialist.
4. Calculate pension transfer charges, currency conversion and healthcare costs. Have the tax adviser assess the pension itself and the treaty, rather than assuming every overseas pension is tax-free.
5. Retain a reserve for medical treatment and travel, and establish who can assist locally if you are admitted to hospital.

If the proposal is genuine investment, GAFI's current investor-residence reform provides for renewable five-year residence within its assessed framework. The economic-performance process evaluates the actual project. Incorporating a dormant company is not a substitute for establishing eligibility. Get the project assessment before transferring capital or promising the household an approved residence outcome.

Include every accompanying person's status in the plan and record what happens if the principal residence basis ends. A clear category and an affordable care arrangement should precede a long lease or property purchase.

07Prepare authenticated records, household goods and pet travel

Create an original-document folder and a secure digital copy. Keep passport details, approvals, employer or admission letters, birth and marriage records, qualifications and relevant medical records together. Ask the receiving authority which documents need consular legalisation and Arabic translation; do that before the document leaves its country of issue.

1. Match names and dates across the passport, certificates and application. Resolve spelling differences with the issuer or receiving authority before an appointment.
2. Ask the employer or university for its current checklist and required photographs. Keep the supporting letter and destination address in hand luggage.
3. For freight, obtain an inventory, insurance terms and a written Egyptian clearance quotation from the carrier. Specify new versus used goods and electrical equipment; do not assume a household shipment qualifies for duty-free entry.
4. For pets, establish the origin-country export route and the airline's carriage arrangement before buying the ticket.

US-origin dog or cat example: the APHIS Egypt page links the actual health certificate. That certificate is valid for 14 days after issue and specifies rabies vaccination within the preceding 12 months, with arrival at least 30 days before the vaccination's 12-month anniversary. Have the authorised veterinarian complete the correct certificate and endorsement workflow. This is an origin-specific example, not a global checklist for every pet.

Carry prescribed medicines in their labelled packaging with the prescription and a clinician's explanation. For anything potentially restricted, obtain the consulate's written guidance before travel. Keep the quantities and purpose explicit. Leave a small practical bag accessible while shipped belongings are in transit: paperwork, chargers, medication and a change of clothes.

08Enter on the correct permission and establish your first address

Before the flight, send yourself the accommodation address in Arabic and English, the host's contact number and your sponsor's arrival instructions. Save the information offline. Confirm the pickup arrangement and how to identify the driver, especially if an employer or university has booked it.

1. Present the passport, appropriate approval and supporting travel documents. Explain the purpose consistently with the actual permission.
2. Check the entry stamp or record before leaving the immigration area. Photograph the relevant page and record the permitted-stay date for the appointment file.
3. Complete any required customs declaration. The British government's entry guidance describes the EGP 5,000 local-currency limit and declaration requirement for foreign currency above USD 10,000 equivalent; use it with your own travel circumstances.
4. Reach the temporary accommodation and confirm that its written address matches where you are staying.
5. Contact the sponsor's immigration coordinator immediately with the arrival date and entry record. Establish the first appointment and any nationality-specific registration deadline.

For eligible British passport holders using arrival facilities, the current guidance distinguishes the USD 30 physical visa from Cairo's USD 36 digital arrival option, including its service charge. Those details are not universal permission for every nationality or every passport type, and the online tourist e-Visa remains a separate purchase channel.

Keep an international payment method and some manageable local cash available until local banking is established. Pay against an identifiable bill or receipt. The first priority is preserving lawful status and making the residence file ready, rather than rushing to furnish an apartment on the first day.

09Complete the sponsor-led residence and registration appointments

The residence authority is PENA, the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration. The official directory lists its headquarters on Al Seka Al Bayda Street in Abbassia, Cairo, and regional offices. Confirm which office handles your category: a branch listed for Egyptian passport issuance is not automatically the right foreign-residence counter.

1. Have the sponsor identify any arrival-registration obligation and its deadline for your nationality. Do this immediately; do not wait for a long lease.
2. Prepare the passport and entry record, photographs, actual address and the employer, university or family evidence specified for the category. Keep originals available for inspection and copies organised by person.
3. Attend the designated appointment, pay through the instructed official channel and retain the receipt, file number and collection instructions.
4. Check the issued document's name, passport number, purpose and expiry. Record renewal and travel requirements before leaving the office.

For AUC students, the university's own procedure includes Business Support coordination and nationality-dependent arrival registration. Its published residence fee is EGP 7,100 and re-entry fee EGP 850, as reviewed on 13 October 2026. These are the university's stated student-process figures, not a nationwide quotation for every household. Do not assume a pending application or supporting letter permits employment.

For staff supported by AUC, use Business Support's employment and residence assistance. For another employer, get the corresponding coordinator and office reference from HR.

Tax registration is separate: ETA's service guide lists passport-based simplified registration for specified cases, including payroll, capital gains and e-commerce. That service is not a replacement for ordinary business registration. Describe your activity to ETA and obtain the correct registration channel rather than opening an unrelated online account.

10Open an eligible account and test your payment methods

Approach a branch with a complete file instead of assuming an Egyptian mobile-only onboarding flow accepts foreign residents. CIB's account-opening FAQ provides a useful starting point: for the adult account it identifies age 21 or above, a passport for foreigners, income evidence and proof of the permanent address.

1. Gather the passport, available residence documentation, employment or other accepted income evidence and a recent address document. If the address differs from the identity record, clarify what bill or lease the branch accepts.
2. Explain whether you need Egyptian-pound salary payments, foreign-currency transfers or both. Ask the bank to classify your residence and source-of-funds position before depositing money.
3. Compare the opening deposit with the ongoing balance requirement, account fees, card costs and transfer charges. Obtain the current fee schedule for the selected product.
4. Register the mobile number you control, activate access and test a small transfer and ATM withdrawal. Keep the bank's lost-card and access-recovery procedure.

The Classic account currently lists EGP 20,000 as its local-currency opening minimum and 1,000 units for the USD, EUR or GBP account. These are product-specific opening balances, reviewed 13 October 2026. They should not be described as the cost of every Egyptian account. CIB's simplified Bedaya, Easy and myCIB products have Egyptian-nationality conditions; a foreign passport should not be treated as eligible by default.

Ask specifically about international card use and incoming foreign transfers. A locally issued debit card does not necessarily have the same spending permissions as your overseas card. Keep receipts for rent, school and official fees, and match a transfer beneficiary to the signed contract before sending a large payment.

11Inspect the apartment and write the rental terms clearly

Use the temporary stay to inspect several actual apartments. Request the complete price before negotiating: rent, security deposit, agent commission, building charges and included services. Egyptian tenancy terms depend on the contract and applicable legal regime; this guide does not impose an unverified nationwide deposit cap or assume an older protected tenancy applies to a newly advertised furnished apartment.

1. Meet the owner or an authorised representative and verify the right to let the property. Match the address, apartment number and names to the proposed contract.
2. Test water pressure, hot water, air conditioning, sockets and the lift. Inspect for leaks and photograph the furniture and any existing damage.
3. Obtain a readable contract, with an accurate translation if needed. Include duration, payment currency and method, renewal, notice, early termination, repairs, deposit return and responsibility for every service charge.
4. Clarify how meter balances and outstanding bills are settled at handover. Obtain the keys, access arrangements and a signed inventory.
5. Pay according to the agreed milestone and keep a receipt identifying the property and payment purpose.

Hypothetical arithmetic, not a Cairo market quotation: if rent is EGP 20,000, the agreed deposit is EGP 20,000 and the agent fee is EGP 10,000, the initial payment is EGP 50,000 before utilities or moving costs. Substitute the actual quotation; none of those amounts is presented as a legal minimum or standard commission.

A student with confirmed admission can compare that lease against the university residence contract. For a private rental, retain the written address and owner details for banking and immigration evidence. If a clause or ownership document is unclear, resolve it with an independent local lawyer before signing.

12Arrange cover and choose where you will receive care

Arrange cover that applies to residence and the activities you will actually undertake, rather than assuming a short holiday policy remains valid after a move. Compare outpatient care, hospital admission, medication, existing conditions, maternity where relevant and evacuation or travel assistance.

1. Ask the insurer which Cairo or Alexandria providers accept the policy and whether treatment requires advance approval.
2. Identify a nearby hospital and a clinician for ongoing conditions. Transfer a concise medical summary, prescription names and recent results.
3. Establish how the provider verifies cover, whether you must pay first and which receipts are needed for reimbursement.
4. Before a planned admission, obtain the insurer's authorisation and confirm what the hospital will bill directly.

As-Salam International Hospital in Maadi publishes international-patient assistance with appointments and insurer coordination. Its payment guarantee depends on the actual policy; the existence of an international-patient team is not a promise that every insurer covers every procedure.

The Universal Health Insurance Authority's foreigner FAQ makes access subject to its conditions and reciprocity. Do not interpret the scheme as automatic free nationwide care for every newcomer. Ask the authority whether your nationality, residence and governorate qualify and obtain the contribution and registration process for that case. Keep private cover until any alternative is actually effective.

For everyday care, choose a pharmacy near home, retain original prescriptions and learn how to request the active ingredient rather than relying solely on a foreign brand name. Build a household contact sheet with the insurer, chosen provider and someone locally who can assist with documents and communication.

13Set up the phone, meter payments and your transport routine

A phone is part of the practical setup for appointments and bank access. The NTRA rules require a foreign customer's passport and valid residence document at an authorised outlet. Keep the contract in your own name and update the operator when the document is renewed; the rules provide for disconnection after residence-document expiry plus one month.

Imported handsets also need attention. The ordinary one-personal-phone exemption ended on 21 January 2026, according to the regulator's notice. Special visitor arrangements are different from moving here as a resident. Record every IMEI and consult Telephony or support 15380 for the classification and any assessment. A tourist's temporary arrangement should not be presented as permanent resident exemption.

1. At home, identify each electricity and water account, photograph readings and agree who pays existing balances.
2. For a prepaid electricity meter, obtain the correct recharge card and practise topping it up before the balance runs out. EEHC's operating guidance explains the customer's recharge responsibility; its older document is not used here as a current tariff.
3. Ask the internet operator to confirm availability at the exact address. Compare speed, data quota, tax, router and installation costs, and test the actual connection.
4. Plan the daily metro trip by station count and make a trial journey before the first working day.

These are the current operator fares, effective from March 2026. Capital Train LRT has its own fare scale. Illustrative commute: two EGP 10 journeys on 22 workdays total EGP 440; this excludes other trips and assumes each journey stays within that band.

WE's quoted broadband prices in step 4 exclude VAT. Its package conditions explain reduced speed after the quota is consumed and options for early renewal or additional data. A video-call routine needs enough quota as well as a headline download speed.

14Build a routine and close the first-month paperwork

Make a first-month checklist from the receipts and commitments you already have. Give each task a responsible person and date. A partner's residence appointment, school transport application and employer permit renewal should not disappear inside a single general “visa” reminder.

1. First days: confirm registration obligations, sponsor appointments, the entry record and a reachable phone. Save the temporary address and a copy of every official receipt.
2. First two weeks: complete the designated appointments, establish the bank file, test the commute and confirm the school or university onboarding arrangements.
3. After the lease: record the inventory and meter handover, make one successful service payment and verify internet performance at home.
4. By month-end: compare actual spending with the budget, confirm effective insurance and organise the renewal and travel documents for everyone.

For foreign employment, the current decree requires renewal application at least two months before permit expiry. Changing employers also requires updating the licence; the existing permission should not be assumed portable to a new role. Put the employer's responsible contact beside that reminder.

Build community through the places you already attend: a university society, parent group, language class or a regular activity near home. Ask organisers about joining requirements and schedules, then choose something you can reach consistently. Learn the Arabic address of the apartment and a few terms used for bills, appointments and directions; keep the written address ready when arranging a delivery.

Before an overseas trip, establish whether re-entry permission is needed and whether a pending residence application affects departure. Students should use their institution's coordinator; employees should use their sponsor and the residence authority. Review the household file after any passport renewal, job change or move of address. The useful finish line is a routine in which the home, school or work, care and paperwork all function together.