Middle East and North Africa

Terrorism

There is a high threat from terrorism in Egypt.  Security is tight throughout Egypt, especially in resort areas.  There remains a risk of indiscriminate attacks in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, such as hotels and restaurants.  Egyptian security forces continue to carry out counter-terrorist operations in some areas of Sinai.  Security authorities may insist on escorting you in some areas.

On the evening of 10 May 2009, an explosion occurred outside St Mary’s Church in Zeitoun, Cairo. No one was injured. The security services are still at a high state of alert and you may be stopped and questioned. We recommend that you carry photo identification and co-operate fully with officials.

You must apply for a permit from the Travel Permits Department of the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior, located at the corner of Sheikh Rihan and Nubar Streets in downtown Cairo, if you intend to travel to the south west corner of the country near the Egypt/Sudan/Libya border. We advise extreme caution in travelling to this area. The issuing of permits was suspended during the autumn of 2008 following the kidnap of 19 people whilst on safari in the Karkur Talh area, near the border. The borders in this area are porous and bandits and armed groups operate. You should not travel to the area without a legally obtained permit and you should closely consider whether your security arrangements are adequate.

Since 2004 there have been three separate bomb attacks in the Sinai Peninsula.  Three of these attacks have killed and injured a number of British nationals.  The most recent incident involving British nationals occurred on 24 April 2006 in the resort town of Dahab killing 23 people, and injuring more than 60 including three British nationals. The Multinational Force and Observers are also targets of indiscriminate attacks and have been the victims of bomb attacks in 2005 and 2006.

You should be aware that some of these attacks have taken place over local holiday weekends. Egyptian security forces tend to step up their presence at these times. For more general information see our Terrorism Abroad page.

Crime

The crime rate in Egypt is low but you should take precautions.  Take care of your passport and valuables, use hotel safes and be aware of pickpockets and bag snatchers.  If you are travelling alone or in small groups, you are advised to take extra caution, as there have been many cases of harassment, the majority targeting women, especially on the streets of busy cities or at the beach resorts.  If you are the victim of any crime you must report it to the Tourist Police immediately.  Failure to report crimes before you leave Egypt will make it impossible to seek a prosecution at a later date.

During 2008 there was an increase in reports of sexual assault cases by British Nationals to Consular staff. In 2008, we handled 24 cases of serious sexual assault and six cases of rape. Some of these assaults were against minors. Many have occurred in what were considered to be safe environments e.g. hotel premises

For more guidance about this see our Rape and Sexual Assault page.

 

Be aware that alcohol and drugs can lead to you being less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment.  If you are going to drink, know your limit.  Remember that drinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK.

Taxis and minibuses often overcharge tourists for airport transfers.  You should ensure that you agree with the driver a charge for the ride before taking it.

 

For more general information see our Victims of Crime page.

 

Political Situation

Egypt Country Profile

Opposition in Egypt to Western and British policy in the Middle East is widespread.  You should follow news reports and be alert to developments in the Middle East that might trigger public disturbance.  You should avoid political gatherings and demonstrations, and respect any advice or instruction from the local security authorities.

 

Border Areas

The area of the border between Egypt and Gaza is tense due to the situation there.  The Rafah crossing is controlled by the Egyptian authorities and remains closed indefinitely, however the Egyptian authorities do occasionally open it for short periods. You should contact the Egyptian authorities for details of any of planned temporary openings. For the latest requirements on crossing from Egypt to Gaza, delivering aid or entering for humanitarian purposes, you should contact the Egyptian Embassy in London. All aid to Gaza from the Egyptian side is channelled through the Egyptian Red Crescent (Tel + 20 226 703 979, + 20 226 703 983, Fax + 20 226 703 967). You should contact the Egyptian Red Crescent, in parallel with the Egyptian authorities, to agree the consignment methodology and agree any costs involved well in advance of sending any aid/medical equipment or supplies. Short notice requests and those made in Egypt are unlikely to be considered. You can also contact the British Embassy in Cairo for more information about crossing into Gaza and you should see the Travel Advice for Israel and the Occupied Territories.

Other border areas with Libya, Sudan and Israel should also be treated with extreme caution. You should obtain the necessary permits before travelling to these areas and check regularly for updates. See the Road Travel section of this advice (below) for more details.

 

Local Travel

Road Travel

You can drive in Egypt on an International driving licence for up to six months. If you intend to remain in Egypt for a longer period you must apply for an Egyptian driving licence.

Road accidents are very common in Egypt, mainly due to poor roads, dangerous driving and non-enforcement of traffic laws. Police estimate that road accidents kill over 6,000 people in Egypt each year.  This is twice the UK figure.  Avoid driving on country roads at night and observe the local speed limit. Make sure you obtain adequate third party insurance. In the event of an accident emergency medical facilities are limited.

By law, seatbelts must be worn when travelling in the front of a vehicle. Where available, seatbelts should be worn at all times. Child car seats are available locally.

Only certain categories of foreign residents may import vehicles. Vehicles of visitors should be temporarily imported with a valid “carnet de passage” available from the Automobile Association.

Pavement and pedestrian crossings are not always present and drivers do not give right of way to pedestrians.

 

There have been eight serious bus crashes since January 2006, in which over 100 people have been killed. If you are a passenger in a vehicle that is travelling at an unsafe speed you should firmly instruct the driver to slow down.

If travelling off road, a qualified guide should be employed. The hiring of quad bikes can be dangerous. There have been several serious quad bike accidents involving British nationals in resort areas. You should take the same safety precautions as you would in the UK as safety standards can vary considerably. You should always wear a crash helmet and you should ensure that your travel insurance policy covers you fully before you hire a quad bike.

There have been three serious hot air balloon accidents in Luxor so far in 2009. You should consider the operator's safety arrangements carefully.

 

Travellers to remote destinations away from the main towns and border areas should contact the Travel Permits Department of the Ministry of the Interior, located at the corner of Sheikh Rihan and Nubar Streets in downtown Cairo as written permission may be required. You should not travel to these areas with a valid permit.

For more general information see our Driving Abroad page.

Rail Travel

Egypt's extensive rail network has experienced a number of accidents in recent years.  The most serious took place in February 2002, when a fire developed in a train in southern Egypt and led to 361 fatalities.  Most recently 42 people died and dozens were injured when a passenger train collided with traffic 270 north west of Cairo on 17 July 2008. There were no British nationals among those killed or injured.

River/Sea Travel

There have been four significant fires on Nile cruisers since September 2006. An Egyptian ferry sank in the Red Sea between Duba, Saudi Arabia and Safaga, Egypt in February 2006.

 

Egypt has a stable coastline and an active coastguard and therefore does not see the scale of piracy experienced in the Horn of Africa. However, there were two incidents in 2006 where robbers threatened smaller boats and stole equipment.  Travellers in small or slow boats are advised to move in convoy and obtain detailed advice from the coastguard before carefully considering the risks in travelling through the Red Sea. Some cruise ships departing from Egyptian ports travel through the Gulf of Aden. You should consult the Department for Transport's latest advice on piracy in the Gulf of Aden if you are considering travelling through this region.

If you are considering diving or snorkelling in any of the Red Sea resorts you should be aware that safety standards of diving operators can vary considerably.  A basic rule is never to dive or snorkel unaccompanied.  Where possible you should make any bookings through your tour representative, and ensure that your travel insurance covers you fully before you dive.  Diving beyond the depth limit of your insurance policy will invalidate your cover.

 

You should ensure that your travel insurance, or that of the tour or dive company, provides adequate cover for the costs involved in any air/sea rescue if you are lost at sea.  The current fee can exceed $4000 per hour.  The Egyptian authorities will only undertake air/sea rescue operations on receipt of a guarantee of payment.  The British Embassy is unable to provide this initial guarantee, but does facilitate communication between the insurance company and the Egyptian authorities.  There have been delays in the past in starting a rescue operation while such a guarantee has been sought from the insurance company.  It is essential, therefore, that you have effective cover in place beforehand.

For more general information see our River and Sea Safety page.

 

Mines

 

There remains a small risk from unexploded mines in certain desert areas in the north west of Egypt near to Alamein, and on some limited stretches of the Mediterranean coast near Marsa Matrouh and on the Red Sea coast south of Suez. Danger areas are usually well marked with signs and barbed wire fencing. You should exercise caution and follow local advice, especially if planning trips off marked roads.