Getting an Egyptian SIM Card with Your Passport

The Chinese Embassy in Egypt notes that emergency numbers such as police 122 and ambulance 123 are meant to be dialled from a local SIM. So getting a local SIM soon after you arrive is part of basic safety preparation.

Can foreigners get a line, and what do you need?

At a 2026 press conference, the CEO of Egypt's National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) said:
Foreigners legally resident in Egypt can get mobile lines with their **passport and residence documents**;
A foreigner's line is **linked to the legal residence period** and stops when the residence ends;
The new biometric "digital identity" verification also covers legally resident foreigners.

Why register in your own name?

On 10 August 2026, NTRA announced it had referred the four mobile operators to the Public Prosecution over lines registered in people's names without their knowledge. It required actual holders of lines registered to organisations to sign new contracts in their own names at operator branches, or have the lines cancelled.

Checklist

Original passport;
Residence, if you have it;
Go to an operator-run branch and sign a contract in your own name;
Keep the contract and SIM details.

Practical tips

Don't use a line registered to someone else, and don't lend your passport for others' SIMs;
After renewing residence, ask your operator whether the line's validity needs updating;
Short-term visitors can ask operators about tourist SIMs;
A phone brought from abroad may need registering in the "Telephony" (تليفوني) app — see our phone-registration article.

Reminder

Procedures and plans differ by operator and rules change. Check NTRA and operator branches for the latest.
Compiled by Wang Fu Egypt for general guidance. For binding rules, please refer to NTRA and the mobile operators.

Sources

NTRA – 10 Aug 2026 statement on line registration (Arabic): https://www.tra.gov.eg/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%B4/
Al-Ahram Gate – NTRA CEO: foreigners' lines stop when residence ends: gate.ahram.org.eg (non-government / press)
El Watan – NTRA CEO: passport and residence documents for foreigners' lines: https://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/8346611 (non-government / press)
中国驻埃及使馆 12 Aug 2026 提醒（紧急号码仅限当地电话卡拨打）: https://eg.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw/202608/t20260812_12002404.htm
Telephony app FAQ (tourist SIMs mentioned): https://telephony.gov.eg/

Your first week in Egypt

Get a local SIM card and save key addresses in Arabic.
Keep some Egyptian pounds in cash and use official exchange channels.
Check your health insurance and the nearest hospital.
Save emergency numbers and your embassy contact from its official website.
Install a ride-hailing app and find the supermarket and pharmacy near your home.

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