Will my phone get blocked in Egypt if I use a local SIM card?

A real case from June 2026: a Samsung S25 that had been used with a local Egyptian SIM the previous year failed to connect to Egyptian networks on a return visit. A phone shop confirmed the device was IMEI-blocked on Egyptian networks due to an unpaid tax debt of 1,470 Egyptian pounds.

According to a phone repair and sales shop in Hurghada: there are currently no special tourist SIM cards in Egypt. Any phone (specifically the SIM slot used) gets blocked 90 days after using a local Egyptian SIM — even if you've already left the country. Phones that were used with a local SIM in Egypt before January 1, 2025 are exempt.

Phone blocking is an Egyptian government measure against illegal phone imports. Only the specific SIM slot used with the local SIM gets blocked.

If you plan to visit Egypt multiple times and your phone wasn't used with a local SIM there before January 1, 2025, it's safer to avoid buying a local SIM. Alternatives: eSIM, hotel Wi-Fi, a mobile Wi-Fi router, or international roaming.

Note: even buying an old spare phone specifically for an Egyptian SIM won't help — it will also get blocked after 90 days unless it was previously used with a local SIM in Egypt before January 1, 2025. After blocking, the phone only works on Wi-Fi.