Can your phone get blocked in Egypt for using a local SIM card?
Based on 2 discussions with 3 participants · Last activity: 6 days ago
TL;DR
Yes, it can happen — especially on a second visit. A phone that previously had an Egyptian SIM inserted may get blocked on a return trip, becoming unusable even with a foreign SIM card.
What the community said
Egyptian law allows authorities to block phones that have been in the country for more than 90 days. In practice, many travelers are unaffected — two phones used during an April 2025 trip continued working normally afterwards.
1 day ago 90-day threshold under Egyptian law
One out of three phones in a travel group got blocked. The device had been to Egypt in 2024 and twice in 2025 — it was blocked on the second 2025 visit. After blocking, it stopped working even with a foreign SIM in roaming — completely bricked.
1 day ago Blocked on second visit in 2025
The risk of blocking is higher on a return visit to Egypt if a local SIM was previously used in the phone. On a second trip, the device may stop accepting any SIM or eSIM and only work via Wi-Fi.
today Higher risk on return visits
The Orange Egypt SIM is considered unreliable by travelers — the advice is to discard it while still in Egypt and switch back to your home SIM. This suggests local carrier SIMs may be linked to blocking issues.
today Orange Egypt SIM — not recommended