Currency of Egypt
Currency and customs information for Egypt Travel
The currency of Egypt
The currency used in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), represented with the symbol E£. It’s divided into 100 piastres.
There are banknotes of the following denominations: 5, 10, 25 and 50 piastres and 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 EGP. Coins have denominations of 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 piastres and E£ 1.
Egyptian pounds are used exclusively amongst citizens, but US Dollars, Euros and Pounds sterling are also accepted throughout the country.
Credit cards
Credit card use is very common in the bigger Egyptian cities and tourist attractions. In smaller cities, small shops and restaurants and bazaars it’s necessary to pay in cash using Egyptian pounds.
ATM
ATMs are widely available in the big cities. You will need to withdraw money from an ATM in advance if you plan on staying in rural areas or go camping in the desert: there aren’t any machines available in those locations.
If you can, prioritize the ATMs of the National Bank of Egypt, HSBC, CIB and Egyptian American Bank (EAB). Some may charge extra fees for currency exchanges.
Banks
Working hours for Egyptian banks go from Sunday to Thursday, from 8:30 to 14:00. They close on Fridays and Saturdays.
Currency restrictions
Travelers can bring in and out of the country up to E£ 5000. They can bring as much foreign currency as they desire, but sums higher than US$ 10,000 have to be declared when crossing the border. Foreign currency exports are subject to the same limits than imports: US$10,000.
Exchange rates
You can check the current exchange rate for each currency here.
Currency details
Official currency: Egyptian pounds (EGP)
Division: 100 piastres Banknotes: 5, 10, 25 and 50 piastres - 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 EGP Egyptian pound (EGP), or USD, GBP or EUR cash for exchange Coins: 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 piastres, 1 EGP.
Egypt Visa Application
Customs and duty free
- Regulated imports and exports: Foreign travelers can carry these objects without incurring any customs fees: 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco; 1 liter of alcoholic drinks, 1 liter of perfume or cologne and other goods of a total value not surpassing US$200.
- Banned imports: Foreign travelers cannot enter Egypt with seeds, agricultural seedlings, drugs, firearms , cotton, bird-derived products and drones.
- Banned export: Foreign travelers cannot exit Egypt having drugs, food and gold and silver purchased in Egypt (unless it’s in very small amounts and exclusively for personal use).
