Which US dollar bill years are accepted in Sharm El Sheikh, and what's the cash exchange rate at ATMs?

In early October 2026 a traveler wrote that she had paid in pounds a week earlier and in dollars a couple of days earlier with no problems; her impression was that dollars have been in use for several months.

A recent report says an older $100 bill dated 2008 was successfully exchanged for Egyptian pounds at an ATM and was also accepted for payment at Mango Market.

In early September 2026 travelers exchanged dollars at the ATM at their hotel reception at a rate just above 50 pounds: for 100 dollars the machine gave 5,090 Egyptian pounds, about 50.9 pounds per dollar. Rates change, so treat this as a reference point for that date.

In August 2026 a tourist at a Fix Price store found the cashier unwilling to accept a 50-dollar bill from 2009; after a five-minute argument it was accepted and change was given. According to them, this is a common problem: when tourists pay with a new-design 100-dollar bill, they are often given change in old notes, and several other people in the queue had the same issue. It makes sense to check any dollar change right away.

In August 2026 a participant explained that the series year matters and that requirements differ from place to place. Citing the organizations' own websites, they said one pharmacy chain in Egypt accepts dollars no older than 2006, and some local travel agencies accept bills no older than 2000. At ATMs and bank branches it depends on the currency policy of the particular bank, and in shops and stalls it depends on the seller.

In August 2026 a traveler passed on what a guide told them on arrival in Hurghada: problems may arise with dollar bills issued before 2003. This is a guide's comment about Hurghada, not a rule for Sharm El Sheikh.

In July 2026 one participant said that, as far as they knew, the year-of-issue restriction applies only to 100-dollar bills, not to all denominations. The Fix Price case with a 50-dollar bill in August shows that in practice questions can come up with other denominations too.