Egyptian customs regulations

Importing or exporting prohibited goods in Egypt can lead not only to their confiscation and wasted time, but also to a fine of up to $ 1,000 or even criminal liability. Be especially careful with medicines.

The list of drugs prohibited for import and export is large, and it is constantly changing, an attempt to violate the ban is equated with drug trafficking and threatens with imprisonment and even capital punishment (in Egypt, for information, the death penalty is still applied). Prohibited drugs prescribed by a doctor must have accompanying documentation from the doctor and must not exceed 20 tablets. Methadone, Buprenorphine, Morphine are strictly prohibited!

In 2017, a British citizen was arrested at the Hurghada airport for trying to import Tramadol into the country, as a result, she was sentenced on 3 years in prison instead of 7 years, thanks to the British authorities.

It is forbidden to import pornographic materials into Egypt. Even the image of a topless girl can be easily attributed to those.

It is also not allowed to carry metal detectors (even to search for coins on the beach), as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, which are regarded as an item that can be used for espionage or sabotage activities.

For attempting to export corals, shells, shark teeth, a stuffed crocodile or other animals from Egypt, you can get a fine of up to $ 1,000. But for the export of a stone from the pyramid as a souvenir, for example, you can get not a fine only, but also get up to 2 years in prison.

Never do this in Egypt

In Egypt, it is forbidden to take photos of the military, police, military equipment, strategic and government facilities, the Suez Canal and the Aswan Dam. At a minimum, the photos will be asked to be deleted. In serious situations, a fine or arrest of up to 6 months can be threatened.

For criticism of Islam, negative statements about the political system and the country as a whole, for insulting the current government or the president, supporting the Muslim Brotherhood organization, calling for Egyptians to revolt and spreading false information about the police and the army, at best, you can get deported from Egypt without the possibility of re-entry within 5-10 years. In difficult cases, you can be arrested. For example, a Lebanese tourist was fined $500 and sentenced to 8 years in prison for obscene criticism of Egypt on social networks, spreading false information and obscene behavior in society. The woman was arrested at the Cairo airport almost immediately after publication.

Drinking alcohol and being in a state of alcoholic intoxication in public places threatens with a large fine and public censure, and sometimes imprisonment. In fact, in tourist cities this rule does not really work. But it exists, and therefore it is better to drink alcohol in cafes or hotels.

Smoking in public places is formally banned. In fact, people smoked everywhere. But it’s better not to take risks and not smoke in places where special signs are installed, so as not to get a fine of about $ 7.

Not only drug trafficking, but also drug use is punished in Egypt very hard. In the case of tourists, this will result in deportation from a country with a lifetime ban on entry. However, in case of red-handed arrest, imprisonment from 3 to 15 years, a fine and a course of medical treatment can also be applied.

For misbehavior in a museum or near cultural objects (illegal entry into the object, shocking behavior and appearance) is subject to a fine of about $ 500 and imprisonment for a month, followed by deportation and a ban on entering the country for several years. For attempted theft of cultural property, the fine exceeds $550,000 and imprisonment.

Egypt has a law on cybercrime, under which you can be prosecuted for crimes on the Internet. For example, incitement to violate the law, insulting government officials, spreading false information is punishable by imprisonment. Even if you “like” such a publication in social networks can turn into a serious conversation with the police.

Sexual crimes

Recently, Egypt tightened up the law on sexual harassment. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, imprisonment for a term of 2 to 15 years and a fine of up to approximately $20,000 are provided. Sexual harassment includes, among other things, obscene gestures of a sexual nature, words and hints.

The reason for the tightening was that society began to speak openly about itю Such crimes were extremely difficult to solve before. Earlier this year, prosecutors suspended gang rape case at a luxury Cairo hotel due to insufficient evidence. Egypt now has a hotline for women who have been sexually assaulted, and there are entire social media campaigns, one of which helped arrest a suspected sex offender.

Same-sex relationships are not officially banned in Egypt, but homosexuals are accused of obscene behavior, contempt for religion, and spreading vicious ideas. Tourists can also be held accountable. The most serious punishment, 17 years in prison with hard labor, was received by a 17-year-old Egyptian for posting a profile on a gay dating site.

In Egypt, cases of prosecution of well-known bloggers for promoting promiscuity and immorality, as well as involvement in prostitution, have recently become more frequent, Tik-Tok attracts special attention from the authorities. For example, the famous dancer Sama el-Masri was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined about $20,000 for posting her own videos and photos.

Love is forbidden

Cohabitation of a man and a woman without marriage registration, at least under an orfi contract, is illegal. In the situation with foreigners in tourist areas, the matter, as a rule, manages only with unpleasant conversation with the police. However, even there is a possibility of accusations of prostitution, especially if a foreign woman lives in an apartment, and men come to her from time to time, and the neighbors do not like it very much. At best, the case will end in deportation, at worst, in prison.

Landlords necessarily require documentary evidence that the tenants are married, even if under an orfi contract, otherwise if the police found men and women without clothes in the apartment, then the owner of the apartment may be accused of maintaining a brothel. By the way, those who were found naked together, without documents confirming that they are married, are escorted to the police station without clothes, only wrapped in sheets.

And this is in case that the woman is not married to another man. A woman who is married according to documents faces a prison term of up to 2 years. But for a man it will be six months.

A husband who finds his wife with her lover and kills them faces imprisonment from 24 hours to 3 years in prison. But a woman who killed her husband in the same piquant situation faces a term of 3 to 15 years or life imprisonment.

If a woman is married and at the same time married another man, even under an orfi contract, then she faces a prison term of six months. This is often used by Egyptian swindlers, fraudulently forcing married foreign women to sign an Orfi contract, and then blackmailing them and extorting a lot of money.