Is it secure to journey to Egypt proper now? Newest recommendation

In regular instances, Egypt is a well-liked vacation vacation spot. Tourists come to its Red Sea coast for year-round solar and water sports activities, and its cities for fascinating historical past stretching again millennia. However, its location in northern Africa, bordering Israel, means Egypt feels regional warmth when there’s an escalation in violence within the Middle East.

Following missile fireplace between Iran and Israel, airspace throughout the area has shut, inflicting the cancellation of 1000’s of flights. However, for the time being, the UK Foreign Office considers it enterprise as ordinary in Egypt, though guests ought to use their frequent sense and remember that the scenario may change shortly.

Longstanding UK Foreign Office recommendation towards all journey to inside 20km of the Egypt-Libya border and North Sinai, which borders Israel, stays in place, as does the equally enduring warning towards non-essential journey to the Western Desert. The authorities considers vacationer locations together with Cairo and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Hurghada secure to go to.

The Foreign Office does, nonetheless, warn of elevated regional tensions through the battle, which may result in journey disruption. Britons ought to comply with recommendation from native authorities. If you’re planning a vacation to Egypt, right here’s what it’s essential know.

Are flights to Egypt cancelled?

Flights are nonetheless working between the UK and Egypt however are topic to cancellations, delays and longer routings as a result of closure of the airspace of neighbouring international locations (Iran, Israel, Iraq and components of Syria).

The scenario is underneath evaluate by Egypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. You ought to verify the newest recommendation from the airline you might be attributable to journey with earlier than leaving for the airport. If your flight has been cancelled by your airline, you might be entitled to a full refund of your flight.

What is the newest Foreign Office recommendation on journey to Egypt?

There are longstanding “no-go” areas for journey, together with the northern and central parts of the Sinai peninsula, which borders Gaza and Israel. A big swathe of western Egypt, which borders Libya, is taken into account not secure for journey. As ever, the vacationer resorts of Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Sharm el-Sheikh and cities of Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria are thought-about secure.

The UK Foreign Office has not up to date its recommendation for the reason that begin of the battle. It advises British nationals ought to “take sensible precautions” and monitor native and worldwide media for the newest info, making an allowance for issues will change shortly. Visit the gov.uk web site for extra info.

Can I get a refund if I select to not journey to Egypt?

The Foreign Office doesn’t presently advise towards travelling to most components of Egypt. If you wish to cancel your vacation to someplace the Foreign Office considers secure, regular reserving circumstances apply. Any request to cancel your vacation is taken into account to be “disinclination to travel” and you can’t anticipate a refund underneath the Package Travel Regulations. Nevertheless, it’s price sharing issues together with your tour operator or journey agent in case they will supply flexibility. You in all probability gained’t get your a refund, however you could possibly change the dates, the vacation spot or each.

What are my rights if my vacation is cancelled?

If you will have booked a bundle vacation — a mix of a flight and lodging purchased from a tour operator with an Air Travel Organisers’ License (ATOL) — to any vacation spot made inaccessible by the closure of Middle Eastern airspace, you might be entitled to a full refund (however no compensation) underneath the Package Travel Regulations. This contains not solely Gulf states such because the UAE and Qatar but in addition locations additional afield together with India, the Far East and Australasia. However, in case your vacation spot isn’t topic to Foreign Office journey warnings, your tour operator can discover you seats on another flight, and if the substitute journey isn’t considerably completely different from that you just bought as a part of your bundle, the proper to a refund doesn’t apply.

Is it usually secure to journey to Egypt?

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Broadly, sure, and the vacationer resorts are far-off from the battle zone in Israel and Gaza. Sharm el-Sheikh is greater than 200 miles away from the Gaza border; Hurghada even additional. More usually, there is no such thing as a journey advisory in place for common vacationer spots in Egypt resembling Cairo, cities alongside the Nile resembling Luxor and Aswan, and resorts by the Red Sea resembling Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada.

As with the opposite international locations within the area, the Foreign Office warns of “ongoing hostilities”, including that the scenario “could escalate quickly and pose security risks”. Travel might be disrupted and there could also be protests, so guests are informed to observe native and worldwide media for the newest info and to be vigilant and comply with the directions of native authorities if something occurs.

However, there are additionally some no-go areas. The Foreign Office is advising towards all journey to the North Sinai Governorate, which incorporates the Rafah crossing, and inside 20km of the Libyan border (besides El Salloum, the place it advises towards all however important journey).

It advises towards all however important journey to a number of different components of the nation, for instance the northern a part of South Sinai.

As with different international locations, the Foreign Office has warned that terrorists are more likely to try assaults in Egypt. The threat is heightened throughout public holidays and festivals, resembling Christmas and Ramadan, and is especially excessive round non secular websites, giant public gatherings and locations frequented by foreigners. Stay vigilant and carry picture ID with you always.

In phrases of security on the bottom, it pays to watch out. Protests happen regularly and foreigners participating in political actions within the nation might be detained or subjected to different measures.

The Foreign Office says: “Avoid large gatherings, demonstrations and protests as the situation could change quickly and without warning. Police have used water cannons, tear gas, birdshot and live ammunition as crowd control.”

At common vacationer spots, guests may be harassed for cash or to purchase issues. There’s additionally a threat of theft and mugging, even in taxis. Travelling as a part of an escorted tour will help scale back the dangers. If you’re a sufferer of crime, you need to contact the native vacationer police who will help you make a report.

Public shows of affection will also be frowned upon.

What recommendation is there about boarding a Red Sea tour?

There have been a number of high-profile vacationer submarine and boat tour incidents within the Red Sea. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in early 2025 advisable: “Prospective customers are advised only to book live-aboard dive holidays through reputable vendors who can provide assurance about the safety standards applicable to the dive boat. On arrival on board, customers should request that the crew provide a thorough safety briefing before departure.”

Customers ought to all the time verify crews are skilled in case of an emergency; that escape routes are marked clearly with emergency lighting and don’t include lockable doorways; that lifesaving tools is in date and simple to search out; and that fireplace detection techniques and dealing extinguishers are in place.

While this recommendation is particular to live-aboard dive holidays, it must be utilized to any boat tour worldwide. Always make sure that to organise applicable journey insurance coverage earlier than travelling.

Is Cairo secure?

The Foreign Office isn’t advising towards journey to Cairo. However, it’s a giant and busy metropolis so guests ought to keep vigilant for petty crime and harassment.

Is it secure to journey to Sharm el-Sheikh?

Sharm el-Sheikh is certainly one of Egypt’s hottest vacation resorts, attracting round ten million vacationers a yr, in line with official figures. The Foreign Office considers it secure to go to. Since it reopened to British vacationers in October 2019, 4 years after a bomb exploded on a Russian aircraft carrying 224 passengers and crew, there have been additional security checks. Security measures had been elevated on the Red Sea resort: x-ray scanners in inns, safety partitions and excessive perimeter fences across the airport had been put in.

Is it secure to journey to Hurghada?

The Foreign Office doesn’t advise towards journey to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, which is understood for its nice diving and water sports activities. As with Sharm el-Sheikh, there are additional safety measures in place to guard vacationers.

Can you drink alcohol in Egypt?

Egypt is an Islamic nation. While attitudes are extra relaxed in vacationer resorts, customs may be very completely different elsewhere and extra strict throughout Ramadan. Public ingesting, for instance, can result in arrest — alcohol is barely permitted in a licensed restaurant or bar.

Possession, use or trafficking of unlawful medication can result in lengthy jail sentences and even the demise penalty. Visitors must be conscious that what’s authorized within the UK might not be authorized in Egypt. In 2017, for instance, a British lady was jailed for 3 years for taking tramadol tablets into the nation. Tramadol, an opioid painkiller, is a prescription drug within the UK however is prohibited in Egypt.

What about taking images in Egypt?

Be conscious of what you’re photographing. Taking photos of army property (strictly prohibited), embassies, authorities buildings, church buildings and even infrastructure resembling railway stations can result in arrest. If you wish to {photograph} any Egyptian residents, you should have written permission from them; photographing kids isn’t permitted.

Taking or sharing images which might be perceived to be damaging to the nation’s picture can be forbidden. Similarly, making strongly adverse feedback concerning the Egyptian authorities or its politics, together with on social media, can result in you being detained.

What are Egypt’s entry necessities?

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For entry into Egypt, you’ll want a minimum of six months’ validity in your passport. You’ll additionally want to use for a vacationer visa to go to many of the nation. These may be obtained online earlier than you journey (legitimate for as much as three months) or on arrival at devoted desks contained in the airport (legitimate for as much as 30 days), and price US$25.

If you’re travelling to the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, you will get a free entry permission stamp upon arrival for stays of lower than 15 days. You’ll need to get a visa if you wish to keep longer or go to different locations.

Is Egypt secure for feminine travellers?

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In common, sure, it’s secure for feminine travellers. However, there have been reported incidents of sexual assault and harassment within the nation, together with some affecting minors. Most of the reported incidents have taken place within the Red Sea area and, in line with the Foreign Office, are sometimes dedicated by somebody the sufferer had already met, together with resort employees and tour workers.

The Foreign Office advises: “Female travellers should exercise caution when travelling alone, particularly at night, in buses, taxis and microbuses. If you are travelling on public transport, including microbuses, avoid being the last passenger left on board.”

Is Egypt secure for LGBT travellers?

It may be problematic for LGBT travellers. While homosexuality isn’t technically unlawful in Egypt, expenses underneath “debauchery” legal guidelines have been used to prosecute LGBT folks previously, in line with the Foreign Office. Some had been arrested in 2017 on “debauchery” and “sexual deviance” expenses after waving a rainbow flag at a live performance in Cairo, for instance. Again, attitudes are sometimes extra relaxed in vacationer areas, however public shows of affection are more likely to trigger points.