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Will my mobile phone work in Egypt? Everything you need to know
Traveling soon and wondering, “Will my mobile phone work in Egypt?” This guide contains various ways to stay connected, including a digital travel solution.
A trip to Egypt is incomplete without visiting the Great Pyramids, taking a Nile River cruise, eating famous Egyptian falafel, and having a reliable mobile connection. You’ll need it to navigate, communicate with locals, and stay in touch with friends and family.
The good news is that, yes, your phone will work in Egypt. But if you want to stay connected throughout your trip, there are a couple of essentials to know. This guide covers various options, including a local SIM card, a pocket WiFi device, international roaming on your existing plan, and the easiest and most reliable solution — a travel eSIM.
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Can I use my phone in Egypt?
You can use your phone in Egypt, but you’ll need to check that it is unlocked before you land. If your device is locked to a specific carrier, you won’t be able to get an international data plan or connect to foreign networks that don’t have agreements with your home carrier.
The steps to use your phone in Egypt depend on where you travel from and your home carrier. Here is some info for US and UK travelers:
Do American phones work in Egypt?
Below, we cover the major USA mobile carriers, including Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, and how to use your phone and get mobile internet in Egypt. While US phones work with Egyptian frequency bands, most will be locked.
Does Verizon work in Egypt?
According to Verizon’s policy, newly purchased devices are locked to work on the Verizon network for 60 days. After that, your phone should connect to foreign carriers.
You can confirm this by heading to your phone’s settings and following these steps:
- Go to Settings → General → About → Scroll down until find Carrier Lock → If you see “SIM Locked” your iPhone is locked. If you see “No SIM restrictions”, your iPhone is unlocked and ready to use an eSIM.
Verizon’s international roaming services offer roaming-inclusive monthly plans, such as the Monthly International Plan. This plan offers unlimited data, talk, and text message allowances in Egypt.
If you’re not on this plan, you can purchase a Travel Pass with a daily $12 (USD) charge to use unlimited data, talk, and text in Egypt.
Does T-Mobile work in Egypt?
T-Mobile has particular device unlock eligibility requirements, meaning your phone could be locked in Egypt. But if you meet these requirements, your device will be unlocked automatically.
To confirm whether your device is unlocked or not:
- Go to Settings → General → About → Scroll down until find Carrier Lock → If you see “SIM Locked” your iPhone is locked. If you see “No SIM restrictions”, your iPhone is unlocked and ready to use an eSIM.
Similar to other providers, T-Mobile’s international roaming offers roaming-inclusive monthly plans, such as the Experience More and Experience Beyond plans, which offer separate data allowances for Egypt and other destinations.
If you’re not on these plans, you can opt for international passes with 1-30 day durations, starting at $5 (512 MB) and ending at $50 (15 GB).
Does AT&T work in Egypt?
Your AT&T phone may be locked in Egypt if you do not meet the unlock requirements. To check whether your phone is locked:
- Go to Settings → General → About → Scroll down until find Carrier Lock → If you see “SIM Locked” your iPhone is locked. If you see “No SIM restrictions”, your iPhone is unlocked and ready to use an eSIM.
If your phone is locked, you’ll have to submit an unlock request on AT&T’s website.
AT&T’s international roaming services offer roaming-inclusive monthly plans, but only for 20 Latin American countries, and Egypt is not included. Therefore, for your trip to Egypt, you’ll need a $12 daily roaming pass, which gives you access to your regular balance of calls, texts, and data.
Do British phones work in Egypt?
Below, we discuss whether your phone will work in Egypt with Vodafone UK, Three, EE, or O2 as your mobile carrier. Since all UK phones work on Egyptian networks, they’ll be unlocked. All you need is an international roaming solution.
Can I use my Vodafone phone in Egypt?
Yes. Egypt falls in Vodafone’s roaming Zone D, and to access your Vodafone international roaming, you’ll have to get a roaming pass, which costs £7.86 (~$10) daily to use your existing allowances.
Can I use my Three phone in Egypt?
Yes, Three’s international roaming includes Egypt in their Go Roam Around the World Extra roaming zone. A roaming pass for this zone for 3-14 days costs £17.50 (~$19) to £84 (~$86).
Can I use my EE phone in Egypt?
Yes, EE’s international roaming includes Egypt in Zone 2. You can use your existing allowances if you’re on a Full Works roaming-inclusive plan.
If not, you can purchase a travel pass for Zone 2, which costs £7.50/day (~$9) or £37.50/week (~$40) to use your UK allowances.
Can I use my O2 phone in Egypt?
Yes, Egypt is in O2’s international roaming Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate. If you’re on an O2 Ultimate plan, you can use your allowances freely in Egypt.
If not, you can get an O2 Travel Pass and pay £7 (~$9) daily to use data, calls, and text message allowances in Egypt.
How to use your mobile phone in Egypt
After ensuring your phone is unlocked and ready to go, this next section covers four methods for getting online and using your mobile phone in Egypt.
Roaming
If you’re with any of the major USA or UK carriers mentioned above, you can stay connected with your roaming-inclusive monthly plan or roaming add-on.
To turn data roaming on, go to the settings menu and toggle the switch for “Data Roaming.” Your phone will automatically connect to a local Egyptian network, and you can use your phone as usual.
While it may seem the simplest option, it is often the most expensive, depending on your carrier’s fees and data usage needs. If you spend a lot of time on data-heavy apps, chances are you’ll run out of your data allowance quickly, incurring extra charges. One way to avoid this is to set a reminder for your data limit.
eSIM
With a travel eSIM for Egypt, there’s no need to buy a physical SIM card, visit a store after arrival, or get caught up in SIM card swapping.
You can purchase an unlimited data eSIM from Holafly online, scan a QR code in flight or as soon as you arrive, and enjoy your instant connection with peace of mind. There are no roaming fees, complicated registration processes, or data limits. Plus, you retain your home number to receive important calls or SMS anytime!
Peace of mind before you fly
Set up your eSIM before travel and get unlimited data on arrival.
Physical SIM
Choosing a local Egypt SIM card upon arrival can be a budget-friendly option for more extended stays, ranging from ~$1 to ~$10.
However, you’ll have to sacrifice some precious vacation time to hunt down local SIM card stores. You may find some kiosks at the airport, official provider stores in the city centers and malls, corner shops, and electronics stores. There are many tourist requirements before registering, so ensure you’re up to date with everything.
Pocket WiFi
A pocket WiFi device lets you connect multiple devices to WiFi anywhere in Egypt. You can purchase or rent one before your trip or grab one at the airport. The price for a pocket WiFi for Egypt tends to range from $50 to $200+, depending on your provider, rental duration, delivery fees, and add-ons. This is a good option if you’re traveling with multiple people. However, these can be quite pricey, and you’ll need to charge them, which can be a hassle.
Consider Holafly Plans instead. This monthly eSIM subscription acts as the digital version of a pocket WiFi device. For $64.90 per month, you can get unlimited data in over 170+ destinations and unlimited hotspot.
Will my mobile phone work in Egypt? The verdict
Yes! Your mobile phone will work in Egypt, and you can opt for a roaming data add-on, a local SIM card, or a pocket WiFi device to give you data during your trip.
However, the best way to stay connected in Egypt is with a travel eSIM. Skip the international roaming fees and hunt for a local SIM card, and avoid the extra responsibility of recharging a pocket WiFi device or relying on patchy free public WiFi.
With Holafly’s Egypt eSIM, you can enjoy instant internet connection, unlimited mobile data, reliable coverage, and 24/7 customer support from the moment you land. No registration, hidden costs, or surprises on your bills. Holafly’s eSIM plan for Egypt starts from $7.90 for one day of unlimited data, and the daily price only decreases the more days you add!
Purchase online before traveling, manage your plan from the Holafly eSIM app, and you’re ready to explore Egypt with peace of mind.
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Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!
