Short answer: Egypt's currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP). You can bring up to EGP 5,000 in or out, and you must declare foreign currency worth more than USD 10,000. Cards work in major cities and tourist destinations, but Experience Egypt calls the country a cash-based society, so carry Egyptian pounds for taxis, small shops and tips.
Key facts
- Currency
- Egyptian pound (EGP, E£), banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 (Experience Egypt)
- Carrying pounds
- Up to EGP 5,000 in or out of Egypt (GOV.UK, Government of Canada)
- Declaring foreign currency
- Required above USD 10,000; no upper limit on how much you bring (GOV.UK)
- ATMs
- Commercial banks offer ATMs with currency exchange 24/7 (Experience Egypt); access is limited in Siwa (Government of Canada)
- Cards
- Accepted in major cities and tourist destinations, but many merchants take only cash or add a fee (Government of Canada)
- Visa on arrival
- USD 30 in cash at approved airports; digital visa USD 36 by card only, from 1 August 2026 (GOV.UK)
What is the currency in Egypt?
The currency is the Egyptian pound, written EGP or E£, and called geneh in Egyptian Arabic. Experience Egypt, the official tourism site, lists banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pounds, with the one-pound unit also circulating as a coin.
This page gives no exchange rate on purpose. Rates move, and a number written here would be wrong by the time you read it. Check the rate on your bank’s app or the Central Bank of Egypt’s website the week you travel.
Related tripsEgypt tour packages63 private trips from 2 to 15 days.How much cash can you bring into Egypt?
You can bring up to EGP 5,000 in Egyptian pounds into or out of the country. GOV.UK and the Government of Canada give the same figure. Foreign currency has no upper limit, but GOV.UK says you must declare it on arrival if it is worth more than USD 10,000.
Both rules were checked on 28 October 2026.
Where can you get cash?
Use bank ATMs in cities, and carry a backup. Commercial banks run ATMs with currency exchange 24/7, according to Experience Egypt. Hotels, tourist destinations and airports have currency exchange too.
Coverage thins out away from the main cities. The Government of Canada says ATM access is limited on the Marsa Matruh to Siwa road and in Siwa itself. If you are heading to the Western Desert, withdraw cash before you leave Cairo or Alexandria.
Do cards work in Egypt?
Cards work, with limits. Experience Egypt puts cards in major cities and tourist destinations. The Government of Canada says major cards are accepted at larger stores and for bigger purchases, but many merchants accept only cash or charge a fee for card payments.
In practice, treat your card as the tool for hotels, larger restaurants and shops, and cash as the tool for everything else. Tell your bank you are travelling, and ask what it charges for foreign card use. Neither government page lists bank fees, and we do not guess at them.
Should you bring US dollars or exchange to pounds?
Bring some of both. The Government of Canada says foreign currency and traveller’s cheques are easily exchanged at hotels and banks, and that US dollars are preferred, particularly at tourist sites. Exchange enough to cover your first days in pounds.
The visa fee is a separate case. GOV.UK says the physical visa on arrival costs USD 30, cash only, at approved airports. From 1 August 2026 it also lists a digital visa for travellers arriving at Cairo International Airport, at USD 36 including a USD 6 service fee, payable by card only. Experience Egypt’s own pages quote different visa figures, so confirm the amount before you fly. Our entry visa guide covers the rest.
What do sites charge, and in which currency?
Many Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities pages list foreigner ticket prices in the local currency, and Egyptian citizens pay a much lower rate at the same sites. We do not repeat those local-currency figures here, because they change and a converted number would be our own guess. Open the Ministry page of each site before you go and read the foreigner adult price on the day.
Check the page of each site before you go, because fees change. Some sites, such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, sell tickets in advance on their official ticketing website.
How much cash should you carry each day?
Carry small pound notes for daily costs and keep larger notes in your hotel safe. Experience Egypt describes everyday spending on taxis and small shops as cash-based and advises always carrying enough Egyptian cash.
Small notes matter for tips. Our tipping guide shows what published guides recommend for guides, drivers and hotel staff. Expect to hand over several small notes a day, and keep a separate pocket for them so you do not pull out a roll of large notes in public.
Should you let the card machine charge you in your home currency?
No. When a shop or ATM offers to bill you in your own currency instead of pounds, that is called dynamic currency conversion. Your own card issuer already adds a foreign currency conversion charge on top of the exchange rate, according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, and issuers calculate that charge differently. Paying in pounds keeps the conversion with your bank, whose terms you can read in advance.
At an ATM, the screen may ask whether to continue with or without conversion. Choose without. If you are offered the choice at a shop, ask what rate applies before you agree. Then compare it with the conversion charge in your own card terms, which you can find on your issuer’s website.
What will a sightseeing day cost in cash?
Plan on paying site tickets in local currency, or ask whether your tour already includes them. We checked the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities pages on 29 October 2026 and found that each lists its own foreigner adult price, student price and sometimes a separate ticket for one tomb or monument. We give no pound totals, since only the local figure is published and a conversion would not be sourced. Prices change, so open the Ministry page before you go.
| Site | What the Ministry page shows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Karnak Temple | Inclusive ticket for the temple and the Open Museum | The Mut Temple is a separate ticket |
| Luxor Temple | Foreigner adult ticket in local currency | Opening hours on the day |
| Valley of the Kings | Foreigner adult ticket in local currency | Whether single tombs carry extra tickets |
| Giza Plateau area | Area entry ticket | Does not cover the Great Pyramid, Khafre or Menkaure |
| Abu Simbel | Standard ticket and a different one on 22 February and 22 October | Which date your visit falls on |
A day that combines two or three of these adds up to a real sum per person before food and transport, so ask your operator which tickets are inside the price. The Ministry also lists vehicle fees at Giza and Abu Simbel, which depend on whether you arrive by car, taxi or bus.
How do taxis fit into a cash plan?
Taxis are the place where cash and small notes matter most. Experience Egypt says taxis must have a working meter and that it should be switched on at the start of the ride. The Government of Canada says many taxis have non-working meters and advises hiring vehicles and drivers through reputable travel agencies.
If the meter is off, you have no reference price, so ask your hotel desk what the ride should cost before you get in. Carry notes small enough to pay the exact fare. Handing over a large note and waiting for change is where most disputes start, and neither source gives a fixed fare to quote.
What should you carry when police check your ID?
Carry your passport or a copy. GOV.UK says police check ID regularly and that you may be detained if you cannot show your passport and visa, or a digital or paper copy. That matters for money because it decides what stays in your pocket and what stays in the safe: a copy and a day’s cash go out, the original passport and spare cards stay behind.
If something is stolen, GOV.UK says to contact the tourist police on 126 and to get a police report, which you need to transfer your visa stamp to a replacement passport. It also warns that prosecuting later is difficult if you leave Egypt without reporting.
Which money plan fits which trip?
| Trip type | Cash need | Card use | Do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo and Giza city break | Taxis, snacks, small shops, tips | Hotels and larger restaurants | Withdraw pounds at an airport or bank ATM on day one |
| Luxor and Aswan | Site tickets if not pre-paid, felucca and market spending | Larger shops, per Canada | Keep a stock of 5, 10 and 20 pound notes |
| Siwa and the Western Desert | Everything, because ATM access is limited | Unreliable | Withdraw before you leave Cairo or Alexandria |
| Taba crossing | Visa and border fees, generally in cash, per GOV.UK | Not for border fees | Carry the full amount, typically in US dollars |
Why do the official pages disagree on visa money?
Because they describe different dates, airports or payment routes. Experience Egypt gives USD 30 in one section and USD 25 in its FAQ. The Government of Canada says visas on arrival must be paid in cash, in US dollars only. GOV.UK lists a physical visa at USD 30 in cash and, from 1 August 2026, a digital visa at USD 36 by card at Cairo International Airport.
The safe reading is to bring USD 30 in small notes and a working card, then confirm the fee on the official visa page the week you fly. We cannot resolve the difference from here, and we would rather say so than pick one number.
What could we not confirm?
Three things. First, exchange rates: they move daily, so none is quoted. Second, per-withdrawal limits and fees for foreign cards at Egyptian ATMs: we found only third-party guides and reports about Egyptian-issued cards used abroad, which do not answer the question. Third, whether a given shop takes cards: the Government of Canada says many merchants accept only cash or add a fee, and no list exists.
For the first two, your home bank is the best source. Ask it about foreign ATM fees and daily limits before you leave, and keep a second card from a different bank as a fallback.
What are the common money mistakes?
- Arriving with only large notes. Large notes are awkward to change for small purchases.
- Accepting conversion into your home currency at the terminal.
- Leaving the pound cap out of your planning. Carrying more than EGP 5,000 in or out is above the limit.
- Counting on an ATM in Siwa or on the road to it.
- Assuming the visa fee from last year’s blog. Confirm it on the official page.
How do you keep your money safe?
Use the same habits as at home. GOV.UK’s safety page says pickpocketing is rare but advises the same precautions you would take elsewhere, and it recommends keeping photocopies of your passport, visa and flight ticket separate from the originals.
Split your cash between two places, for example a wallet and a zipped bag in the hotel safe. If an ATM swallows your card or a card stops working, a second card from a different bank is the simplest backup. Keep that card away from the first one.
A short plan before you fly
- Tell your bank your travel dates and ask about foreign ATM and card fees.
- Pack USD 30 in cash if you plan to buy the physical visa on arrival, or a card for the digital visa at Cairo International Airport.
- Keep pounds under EGP 5,000 if you carry them across the border.
- Withdraw pounds from a bank ATM on day one and exchange only what you need.
- Keep a stock of small notes in pounds for tips, taxis and small shops.
When is cash essential?
Cash is essential at the border crossings and in remote areas. GOV.UK says visa and border fees at Taba are generally required in cash, typically in US dollars, and that ATMs at the crossing are unreliable. If your trip includes the Marsa Matruh to Siwa road or Taba, carry enough cash for the whole stretch.
For help planning a trip around these details, use our trip planning page.
