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Cars 4 Rental Information on Egypt

General

Area: 1,002,000 sq km (386,874 sq miles).

Population: 67,886,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 67.8 per sq km.

Capital: Cairo (El Qahira). Population: 7,388,000 (2002).

GEOGRAPHY: Egypt is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean, to the south by the Sudan, to the west by Libya, and to the east by the Red Sea and Israel. The River Nile divides the country unevenly in two, while the Suez Canal provides a third division with the Sinai Peninsula. Beyond the highly cultivated Nile Valley and Delta, a lush green tadpole of land that holds more than 90 per cent of the population, the landscape is mainly flat desert, devoid of vegetation apart from the few oases that have persisted in the once fertile depressions of the Western Desert. Narrow strips are inhabited on the Mediterranean coast and on the African Red Sea coast. The coast south of Suez has fine beaches and the coral reefs just offshore attract many divers. The High Dam at Aswan now controls the annual floods that once put much of the Nile Valley under water; it also provides electricity.

Government: Republic. Head of State: President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak since 1981. Head of Government: Ahmed Nazif was made Prime Minister in July 2004.

Language: Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.

Religion: According to the 1986 census, over 94 per cent of the population follows Islam; the majority of the rest is Christian. All types of Christianity are represented, especially the Coptic Christian Church. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from May to September).

Electricity: Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110-380 volts AC.

Communications:

Telephone

Full IDD is available. Country code: 20. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900. Coverage is limited to Cairo, Alexandria and along the north coast line of the Red Sea from Suez to Sharm el-Sheikh and the major towns along the Nile. Network operators include ECMS-MobiNil (website: www.mobinil.com) and Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications (website: www.vodafone.com.eg).

Fax

Several of the major hotels in Cairo have introduced fax facilities; check with the hotel concerned before travelling.

Telegram

International telegram services are available from the Central Post Offices in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan and main hotels.

Internet

There are Internet cafes in the main cities, including Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab and Luxor. Tourists can also access the Internet in hotels. The main ISPs include Internet Egypt (website: www.internetegypt.com), EUN, Rite and Ritesec.

Post

The postal system is efficient for international mail. Airmail takes about five days to western Europe, and eight to 10 days to the USA. There are Poste Restante facilities at the Central Post Office; a small fee is charged when mail is collected. All post offices are open daily 0830-1500 except Friday, and the Central Post Office in Cairo is open 24 hours.

Press

The most influential Egyptian daily is Al-Ahram; others include Al-Akhbar and several weekly and periodical publications. Two daily newspapers – Le Journal d’Alexandrie and Le Progrs Egyptien – are published in French. The English-language daily newspaper is the Egyptian Gazette. The Middle East Observer is the main weekly English-language business paper.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: Egyptian Pound (E£) = 100 piastres. Notes are in denominations of E£100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5 piastres.

Currency exchange: Available at banks and official bureaux de change. There are five national banks and 78 branches of foreign banks.

Credit & debit cards: MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited. The import of local currency is unlimited. The export of local currency is prohibited.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Egyptian Pound against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May '04 Aug '04
£1.00= 10.33 11.22 11.03 11.48
$1.00= 6.18 6.16 6.18 6.23

Banking hours: Sun-Thurs 0830-1400.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera Yes 2
Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A
Malaria 4 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas (see below). Those arriving in transit from such areas without a certificate will be detained at the airport until their onward flight departs. The following countries and areas are regarded by the Egyptian health authorities as being infected with yellow fever: all countries in mainland Africa south of the Sahara with the exception of Lesotho, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe (and including Chad, Mali and Niger); Sudan south of 15N (location certificate issued by a Sudanese official is required in order to be exempt from vaccination certificate); So Tom e Principe. Also Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Egypt and the country is currently not listed as infected. However, sporadic cases of cholera have been reported and precautions could be considered. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix for further information.

3: Vaccination against typhoid and polio is advised.

4: Limited malaria risk, in the malignant falciparum and benign vivax forms, exists from June to October in the El Faiyoum area. There is no risk in Cairo or Alexandria at any time.

Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Drinking water outside main cities and towns carries a greater risk and should always be sterilised.

Other risks: Precautions against hepatitis A and E and diphtheria should be considered. Immunisation against hepatitis B is sometimes advised. Dengue fever occurs in epidemics. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present in the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Filariasis may occur in the Nile Delta. There may be a danger of snakes and scorpions in certain areas. Sandstorms are also a risk in some parts.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information consult the Health appendix.

Health care: Public hospitals and chemists are open to tourists. Health insurance is strongly advised.

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Climate

Hot, dry summers with mild, dry winters and cold nights. Rainfall is negligible except on the coast. In April the hot, dusty khamsin wind blows from the Sahara.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens during summer, with warmer clothes for winter and cooler evenings.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes Yes No
Australian Yes Yes No
Canadian Yes Yes No
USA Yes Yes No
OtherEU Yes Yes No
Japanese Yes Yes No

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least six months from date of departure required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and United Arab Emirates;
(b) those continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours, provided holding confirmed tickets.

Note: (a) The amount of stay permitted in Egypt in which visa exemptions apply to such nationals varies. It is advised to contact the nearest Embassy/Consulate prior to travel to confirm the details. (b) Those in possession of a residence permit to Egypt are not required to obtain an Entry visa if they leave Egypt and return within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist and Business (single- and multiple-entry). Cost varies according to nationality. For UK nationals: Tourist: £15 (single-entry); £18 (multiple-entry); Business: £53 (single-entry); £91 (multiple-entry). For US nationals: All visas £12. For Canadian nationals: Tourist: £15 (single-entry); £18 (multiple-entry); Business: £40 (single-entry); £70 (multiple-entry). Processing fees for other nationals vary considerably; check with the appropriate Consulate (or Consular section of Embassy) for details.

Validity: Varies, but are usually valid for six months from the date of issue for stays of up to three months. Visas cannot be post-dated. Visas can be extended (for over one month) one week before the end of the permitted stay in Egypt at Immigration.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Passport valid for at least six months with at least one blank page. (b) Application form, completed and signed. (c) One recent passport-size photo. (d) Postal applicants must enclose a registered- or recorded-delivery, self-addressed envelope and pay by postal order only. (e) Fee, payable by cash or postal order. (f) Business letter for Business visa.

Working days required: Same day for personal applications; seven days or more from day of receipt for postal applications. Processing may take longer (estimated six to eight weeks) for the following nationals, who require pre-approval from the relevant authorities in Cairo: Algeria, Bangladesh, China (PR), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

Note: Visitors from all countries except the EU and the USA must register with the police within one week of arrival in Egypt, although this service is usually undertaken by the hotel.

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