Is there duty-free at Sharm el-Sheikh airport and how much does alcohol cost there?

Where it is. According to a participant in September 2026, the arrivals duty-free in Sharm is after baggage reclaim: once past the carousel, turn left. He described the shop as very sparse. In June 2026 another participant added that apart from alcohol the choice is very poor.

Alcohol surcharge. From June to September 2026 participants repeated the same point: when buying alcohol on arrival, $13 is added to the price of every bottle — described as a tax or duty. In September 2026 one participant specified that the tax applies to imported alcohol even at duty-free, and that you can only buy without it when flying home. Because of this, buying on arrival is generally seen as rather expensive.

City duty-free. Participants said in summer 2026 that after arriving you can buy alcohol not only at the airport but also at the duty-free shop in town, within 48 hours of arrival. The $13 per bottle surcharge and the quantity limit apply there too.

Limit. According to participants in June–July 2026, you can buy no more than 2 bottles on arrival — or, as others put it, 2 litres per passport — at the airport and at the city duty-free. In September 2026 a participant noted that the amount of alcohol being brought in is sometimes checked at the baggage carousel. Check the current import allowances with official sources before your trip.

Is the arrivals duty-free worth it? Many participants in 2026 advised not to count on it as a bargain: with the $13 per bottle surcharge and the limit, the purchase comes out expensive. Instead, they suggested buying your preferred drink at duty-free when leaving your home airport and bringing it within the permitted allowance — in their experience, that is cheaper.