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Egypt Travel Warnings


This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments throughout. The overall level of the advice has not changed.

There is a high threat from terrorism in Egypt. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Since October 2004 there have been three separate bomb attacks in the Sinai Peninsula. These attacks killed and injured a number of British nationals. The most recent incident was on 24 April 2006 when explosions at three separate locations in the resort town of Dahab killed 23 people, and injured more than 60 including 3 British nationals. See the Terrorism Section of this advice for more details.

Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Egypt have resulted in a number of human fatalities. See the Health (Avian Influenza) section of this advice and the FCO’s Avian and Pandemic Influenza Factsheet for more details.

Approximately 1,033,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2006. Most visits are trouble-free. The main types of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance in Egypt in 2006 were for: hospital cases, especially in relation to psychiatric illness; and death, mostly from natural causes and drowning. The majority of consular cases occur in Cairo, Luxor and Sharm el-Sheikh, where most tourists stay.

Egyptian society is conservative and women should dress modestly. See the Local Laws and Customs section of this advice for details.

The crime rate in Egypt is low but you should safeguard valuables including your passport and money. You should carry some form of photographic ID at all times. A copy of your passport is sufficient.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and the Travel Insurance for more details.