Do tourists need to pay tax on a second phone in Egypt, and can a phone be blocked when using an Egyptian SIM card in Sharm El Sheikh?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 4 days ago
TL;DR
Tourists can bring multiple phones into Egypt without paying import duty. The potential issue is using an Egyptian SIM: an unregistered IMEI may later be blocked within Egypt, including on a future visit.
What the community said
Tourists do not need to pay tax or import duty for a second—or several—personal phones when entering Egypt. The possible restriction relates to inserting an Egyptian local SIM card, not bringing the device in.
4 days ago Multiple personal phones — no import duty
If a phone is used with an Egyptian SIM card, its IMEI could be blocked on a later trip to Egypt. This type of block applies only inside Egypt, not in other countries.
4 days ago IMEI blocking — Egypt only
For a backup phone, use roaming, an eSIM, or Wi‑Fi rather than inserting an Egyptian SIM. If the IMEI has already been blocked in Egypt, an eSIM may not restore connectivity.
4 days ago Roaming, eSIM, or Wi‑Fi