Living
Moving to Egypt: a practical checklist
The order to do things in, from before you fly to your first month on the ground.
Before you travel
- Confirm your visa or entry requirements with an official source, close to your travel date
- Decide which area you are targeting, and why
- Arrange somewhere to stay for the first few weeks — do not sign a year's lease from abroad
- Bring documents you may need certified, and bring more copies than you think
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and check what card payments will cost you
The first two weeks
- Get a local SIM and a working phone number
- Travel the commute you would actually make, at the time you would make it
- Visit at least three areas before deciding on one
- Ask people already living there what they wish they had known
Before you sign anything
- See the exact unit, not a similar one
- Get the inventory and condition documented in writing and photographs
- Have the contract translated if you cannot read it
- Confirm what is included: utilities, internet, service fees, parking
- Know your notice period and your deposit conditions
The first month
- Set up utilities and internet properly, in the right name
- Register with a doctor or clinic before you need one
- Work out your transport routine
- Keep a folder — physical or digital — of every document and receipt
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and costs in Egypt change. Before you commit to anything, confirm the current position with a qualified professional acting for you.
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