URL: https://esimgo.ae/sim-card/egypt/
Buy: https://esimgo.ae/esim-egypt/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.ae)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.ae/author/
Updated: 16 Oct 2026

# Egypt SIM card from the UAE: tourist line, roaming or a data eSIM

Your passport decides which Egypt SIM card you can buy, because the tourist lines are for tourists only. WE Mobile Egypt 100 costs **EGP 100** for 5,000 MB over **30 days** (16 Oct 2026). On your UAE line, du postpaid sells **10GB** for **7 days** at **AED 100.00** (15 Oct 2026), and Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country pass covers Egypt **free** on 20GB+ plans. A data-only [Egypt eSIM](/esim-egypt/) on Vodafone starts at AED 15.99 for **1GB** and **7 days**.

Vodafone's Tourist Line is "eligible for tourists visiting Egypt only", WE's Mobile Egypt plans are "only available for tourists visiting Egypt", and e& Egypt's Travel bundles apply "Only For Tourists Visiting Egypt" (16 Oct 2026). If you are Egyptian and flying home, ask the operator before you buy.

Estimates of Egyptians in the UAE conflict: about 975,000 ([AGBI](https://www.agbi.com/employment/2026/07/egypt-expands-insurance-scheme-for-expatriates/), 2026) against about 490,000 ([Global Media Insight](https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/uae-population-statistics/)). Dubai International handled **1.8 million** passengers for Egypt in 2025, up 14.3% ([Dubai Media Office](https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/february/11-02/dxb-sets-new-global)), counting both directions and transit. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here; eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE, Vodafone Egypt, WE or e& Egypt.

## Four ways to get data in Egypt from the UAE

An Egypt SIM card for a family visit comes in four forms: an Egyptian SIM you already hold, a tourist SIM bought on arrival, a roaming pack on your UAE line, or a data eSIM installed before you fly. Only the last two do not depend on your nationality. Egypt is in the main roaming zone of e&, du and Virgin Mobile UAE.

Your UAE line won't use mobile data in Egypt unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). We have no data on how long an Egyptian line stays active while you live abroad, so ask your Egyptian operator before you fly.

## Tourist lines in Egypt: Vodafone, WE and other local SIMs

A tourist Egypt SIM card from Vodafone, WE or e& Egypt (etisalat Egypt) is for tourists only. WE charges **EGP 100** for 5,000 MB or **EGP 300** for 20,000 MB, each valid **30 days**; e& Egypt starts at **EGP 200** for 7 GB; Vodafone lists no prices (16 Oct 2026).

| Plan | Data | EGP | Validity | Local · international min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vodafone Tourist Line | "intensive data bundle", no volume | not listed | not listed | not listed |
| WE Mobile Egypt 100 | 5,000 MB | 100 | 30 days | 60 · 20 |
| WE Mobile Egypt 300 | 20,000 MB | 300 | 30 days | 120 · 60 |

Sources: [Vodafone Egypt, Tourist Line](https://web.vodafone.com.eg/en/tourist-line); [WE, Mobile Egypt](https://te.eg/en/web/guest/w/mobile-egypt) (16 Oct 2026). WE's page says "All prices are tax exclusive", and we add no tax. Per 1,000 MB the two WE plans cost EGP 20 and EGP 15 (our arithmetic).

Vodafone says "You can get your TourSIM from Vodafone airport store or from any Vodafone retail store across Egypt". The page names no airport, so for a Cairo airport SIM ask Vodafone which store is open when you land. Balance check: \*6060#. Outside a bundle a megabyte costs EGP 0.19, so 1,000 MB would cost EGP 190 (our arithmetic), 1.9 times WE's whole 5,000 MB plan.

Vodafone's page for new prepaid lines lists "valid passport and valid residency or valid refugee residency on passport , official refugee letter , exempted from residence , E-visa" (16 Oct 2026). It mentions neither the Tourist Line nor the Egyptian national ID, and we have no document list for Egyptian citizens. Orange Egypt's page did not load for us, so we quote no Orange prices.

**e& Egypt is not e&.** e& Egypt (etisalat Egypt) is a separate Egyptian operator, and its Travel bundles are local plans, not UAE roaming packs.

| e& Egypt bundle | Data | EGP | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel 200 | 7 GB | 200 | "Not Renewable" |
| Travel 300 | 12 GB | 300 | "Not Renewable" |
| Travel 450 | two cards show different volumes | 450 | "Renewable 3 Times Only" |

Source: [e& Egypt, Travel to Egypt](https://www.eand.com.eg/portal/Mobile/traveling-to-egypt) (16 Oct 2026). Travel 450 appears twice with different volumes, so we print neither. Prices are "Tax And SDF Inclusive"; validity and documents are not stated. Its own eSIM "can only be downloaded from within the Arab Republic of Egypt"; ours installs before you fly and connects when you land.

## e&, du and Virgin Mobile packs for Egypt

On your UAE line a week in Egypt costs **AED 100.00** on e& prepaid, Virgin Mobile UAE or du postpaid, and Virgin's One Country pass makes it **free** if your plan is 20GB or bigger. Egypt is one of the 34 countries on Virgin's One Country page (15 Oct 2026).

| Option | Data · days | AED |
|---|---|---|
| du bundle, postpaid | 10GB · 7 days | 100 |
| du bundle, prepaid | 10GB · 7 days | 200 |
| e& Weekly Data Pack (prepaid) | 4GB · 7 days (until 10 Jan 2027, normally 2GB) | 100 |
| Virgin weekly pack | 2GB · 7 days | 100 |
| Virgin One Country, 20GB+ plans | your plan's data · one calendar month | 0 |

Sources: [e&](https://www.eand.ae/en/c/mobile/add-ons/hybrid/roaming-prepaid/roaming-weekly-data-pack.html) (15 Oct 2026); du [postpaid](https://www.du.ae/personal/mobile/roaming/postpaid/detail) and [prepaid](https://www.du.ae/personal/mobile/roaming/prepaid/detail) (15 Oct 2026); [Virgin](https://www.virginmobile.ae/one-country-roaming/) (15 Oct 2026). Virgin offers "a FREE Data Roaming Pass" to one chosen country, you can change it every month, and "It won't auto renew". More: [e& roaming](/roaming/etisalat/), [du roaming](/roaming/du/), [Virgin Mobile roaming](/roaming/virgin-mobile/).

## Bringing a phone from the UAE: the NTRA rule

Egypt's regulator NTRA ended the customs exemption for a phone a passenger carries in on 21 Jan 2026, with one exception: the exemption "will continue to apply to mobile phones of Egyptians living abroad and to tourists for a period of 90 days" ([NTRA](https://www.tra.gov.eg/en/end-of-exceptional-exemption-on-imported-mobile-phones-carried-by-passenger-following-success-of-local-manufacturing-at-competitive-prices-effective-1200-noon-wednesday-january-21-2026/), 20 Jan 2026).

The notice says taxes and fees can be paid in the "Telephony" app (hotline 15380) and grants "A 90-day grace period, effective the date mobile phone was activated". It gives no fee rate and does not say how the 90 days apply to Egyptians living abroad compared with tourists, so we quote it and do not interpret it. We have not checked later NTRA notices.

The rule is about the phone, not the SIM: an eSIM does not change it. Check the Telephony app or call 15380 before you fly.

## A long family visit: unlimited only up to 10 days

Our Egypt eSIMs run on Vodafone (4G) in sizes from **1GB** to **20GB**, and unlimited only for **3, 5 or 10 days**, at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. There is no 30-day unlimited plan for Egypt.

| Our Egypt eSIM | Data · days | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1GB · 7 days | AED 15.99 |
| Medium | 10GB · 30 days | AED 64.99 |
| Large | 20GB · 30 days | AED 139.99 |
| Unlimited (3GB a day at full speed) | 10 days | AED 129.99 |

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The 20GB plan costs about AED 4.67 a day (our arithmetic). For a month at home take the 20GB plan, buy two 10GB plans, or top up the same eSIM; Virgin's 20GB pack is AED 300.00 for 30 days and du's 30GB bundle AED 500.00 for 60 days (15 Oct 2026). One r/Egypt commenter (17 Mar 2025) wrote: "There's no unlimited data in Egypt to begin with." That is one person's experience; our Egypt plans do include unlimited, but only for 3, 5 or 10 days. See [unlimited eSIMs](/esim-unlimited/) and [how much data do I need](/how-much-data-do-i-need/).

Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see [how to pay](/how-to-pay/).

Our eSIMs for Egypt are data-only: no calls, no SMS, no number. Keep your UAE SIM in the phone for those; calls you receive abroad are charged per minute, and no operator page we read promises that bank SMS codes arrive, so ask your bank. Setup: [keep your UAE number](/help/keep-your-uae-number/). Calling apps are subject to the rules of the country you are in.

Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. Install before you fly; it connects when you land in Egypt, and the days count from then. iPhone and Android set the APN automatically for Egypt. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.

## FAQ

### What SIM card can you use in Egypt?

Three tourist offers exist: Vodafone Tourist Line, WE Mobile Egypt from EGP 100 and e& Egypt Travel from EGP 200, all for tourists visiting Egypt only (16 Oct 2026). From the UAE you can also add a roaming pack from AED 100.00 a week, or install a data eSIM before you fly (15 Oct 2026).

### What is the Vodafone Egypt tourist line?

Vodafone says its Tourist Line is "eligible for tourists visiting Egypt only" and lists no prices on the page. You get the TourSIM at a Vodafone airport or retail store, and outside a bundle a megabyte costs EGP 0.19 (16 Oct 2026).

### Egypt local SIM vs eSIM for a family visit?

Your passport and your phone decide. The tourist SIMs are for tourists only, and we have no document list for Egyptian citizens, so ask the operator first. A data eSIM needs no ID check and installs before you fly, but it has no number, calls or SMS; keep your UAE SIM for those.

### Where to buy a SIM at Cairo airport?

Vodafone says you can get its TourSIM at its airport store or any Vodafone retail store in Egypt, but the page names no airport. We could not confirm airport counters for WE or e& Egypt (16 Oct 2026). Ask the operator, and ask Vodafone whether an Egyptian citizen may buy the Tourist Line.

### Can I still use WhatsApp with an eSIM in Egypt?

Our Egypt eSIM is data-only. Calling apps are subject to the rules of the country you are in. Your UAE number stays on your main SIM for calls and SMS.

## Sources

- Vodafone Egypt, Tourist Line and required documents: web.vodafone.com.eg (16 Oct 2026)
- WE (Telecom Egypt), Mobile Egypt: te.eg (16 Oct 2026)
- e& Egypt, Travel to Egypt and eSIM tips: eand.com.eg (16 Oct 2026)
- NTRA, notice on imported mobile phones: tra.gov.eg (20 Jan 2026, read 16 Oct 2026)
- e&, weekly data pack: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026); du, roaming bundles: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- Virgin Mobile UAE, One Country roaming: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- [AGBI](https://www.agbi.com/employment/2026/07/egypt-expands-insurance-scheme-for-expatriates/) and [Global Media Insight](https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/uae-population-statistics/), Egyptians in the UAE: agbi.com, globalmediainsight.com; [Dubai Media Office, DXB 2025](https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/february/11-02/dxb-sets-new-global): mediaoffice.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- r/Egypt, comment thread: reddit.com (17 Mar 2025)