Middle East and North Africa

Insurance

 

You are recommended to obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  Make sure it covers the cost of local hospitalisation and medical repatriation to your country of residence.  You should check any exclusions, e.g. pandemic flu and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. If you intend to hire a quad bike you should always wear a crash helmet and ensure that your travel insurance policy covers you this. You should contact your insurer if you have had a previous health condition, including mental illness, as this may not be covered if it recurs.  For more general information se eour Travel Insurance page.

If things go wrong when overseas, see our When Things Go Wrong page`.

Registering with the British Embassy

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  

 

Money

 

Cash machines are quite common in Egypt, especially in the main tourist areas.  Scottish and Northern Irish bank notes are not exchangeable in Egypt.

 

Major hotels and medical facilities will usually accept payment by credit card, however smaller hotels and medical establishments may expect payment in hard currency.

 

Purchase of Property

 

British nationals have purchased land in many parts of Egypt. Some have encountered problems. If you intend to purchase a property in Egypt we advise you to engage a local lawyer in whom you have confidence. A list of English speaking lawyers is available on the British Embassy Cairo website. You should deal only with established and reputable lawyers and estate agents or with other contacts whom they know to be reliable and genuine, and you should make all payments within bank premises and/or through banking channels and not in cash.

 

In parts of Egypt and increasingly, in the area of the West Bank in Luxor your land tenure rights can be severely curtailed by local legislation.  It is important that your lawyer obtains an extract from the local land registry to satisfy you that the property or land in question is formally registered.  You should again seek legal advice before entering into any contract.  Don't sign anything that you do not understand.  A list of translators is available on the British Embassy, Cairo website (see above).  You should ensure that your personal details and the full purchase price of the property are reflected on the deeds.

The British Embassy is unable to interfere with court or legal proceedings. Neither can it lobby or provide updates to British national involved in land or property disputes.