Will an eSIM work in Sharm El Sheikh if an iPhone’s IMEI has been blocked in Egypt?

From messages by 4 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 9 days ago

TL;DR

If an iPhone’s IMEI is blocked in Egypt, travelers report that it can use Wi‑Fi only: neither a physical SIM nor an eSIM will connect to the mobile network. Phones and eSIM slots not previously used in Egypt were generally reported to work without this issue.

What the community said

With an IMEI block in Egypt, the phone can reportedly use Wi‑Fi only. It will not connect with a physical SIM, and an eSIM will not work either while the block remains active.

9 days ago IMEI block

Travelers note that a regular temporary block may sometimes be cleared within minutes by contacting the operator or completing a CAPTCHA. This is described as different from an IMEI block triggered after using an Egyptian SIM.

9 days ago CAPTCHA / mobile operator

For an iPhone and eSIM slot that have not previously been used in Egypt, contributors did not expect connection problems. This applies to first-time use of local mobile service on that device.

32 days ago eSIM slot