Egypt is a renowned tourist destination, mainly because of Pyramids and ancient history. The Nile River, the Suez Canal, the Sahar desert, the fantastic beaches, and many such places make Egypt one of the most preferred tourist spots in the world. Egypt is not known for being an expensive country. However, the high international roaming rates can break havoc on your budget. Consequently, as an international tourist, buying a local SIM card at your destination is the recommended method. A local SIM card is always a budget-friendly option while visiting this country whether for a short duration or long. Fortunately, top SIM cards are not that costly in Egypt.
You can buy an Egyptian SIM card for 25 EGP (Egyptian Pound) to 84 EGP. Tourist SIM cards are also available priced from 150 EGP to 780 EGP. Although tourist SIM cards are pricey, they include generous allowances which could be helpful for the tourists. Anybody can buy a SIM card in Egypt if they are 18 years or older. However, remember to comply with the country’s rules and regulations related to SIM card registration. In this article, you will learn about the best SIM card providers in Egypt one by one. There are four telecom operators in the country – Vodafone, Etisalat, Orange, and WE.
1. Vodafone Egypt
Vodafone Egypt is also known as Vodafone Misr, but it is commonly referred to as only Vodafone. It is the largest and the fastest mobile operator in the country making it the top choice for consumers. In Egypt, Vodafone operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies. Although it has the best coverage in the country, its 4G/LTE reception is good only in populated areas. Vodafone SIM card is known as Kart El-Korout, and it is sold for a mere 25 EGP in all the official stores across Egypt.
Vodafone recharge vouchers are also available easily such as in official stores, electronic shops, corner shops, grocery stores, and so on. You can top up your Vodafone SIM using the POS (point of sale) system where you visit a retailer and ask them to reload your SIM card. There are a plethora of websites available where you can recharge using your international debit/credit card, too. Moreover, you can use the Ana Vodafone app—the official mobile application by Vodafone Egypt. The app is available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
2. Orange Egypt
Orange Egypt or Orange Misr is the second-largest telecom company that offers SIM cards in Egypt. It was known as Mobinil until 2016. The carrier is considered the fastest mobile network in the country by many. Orange also operates in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean Islands. In Egypt, it operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies. It has extensive coverage throughout the country, especially in populated areas. But don’t expect any coverage in the desert areas. Orange SIM cards are conveniently available in all the Orange stores for 84 EGP. Its tourist SIM cards are also available in Orange stores and several airports for 150 EGP and more.
You can easily reload your Orange SIM via top-up vouchers, POS system, international debit/credit card, and My Orange Egypt app. The My Orange Egypt app is available on Google Play Store, AppGallery, and Apple App Store for all Android, Huawei, and Apple users respectively. Orange provides nine types of data-featured plans which includes combo plans, data-only plans, and add-ons. Out of all those, one plan named Go Extra Plans provides data to users strictly for playing games and using video streaming apps or services.
3. Etisalat Egypt
Etisalat Egypt is known as Etisalat Misr but is mainly recognized as only Etisalat among its users. It is the third-largest wireless carrier and provider of SIM cards in Egypt. The carrier entered the Egyptian telecom market in 2007. It was the first operator to launch 3G services in the country. It is a telecom giant from the United Arab Emirates that has operations in other countries of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Like its other competitors in Egypt, it operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies. It offers great coverage throughout the country except in the desert areas. Among all the mobile operators in the country, Etisalat has the weakest signal reception.
Etisalat SIM cards are cheap, luckily. You can buy them in any official store for as low as 30 EGP. It also has tourist SIM cards for short-term visitors and tourists. Both regular and tourist SIM cards are also available at airports in Egypt. Although the Etisalat tourist SIM cards are expensive, they provide a range of high-volume data bundles and calling minutes. All the tourist SIM cards contain the validity of 30 days only. You can recharge using the top-up vouchers, POS system, international debit and credit cards, and My Etisalat app. The app is the official mobile application of the company available to Android and Apple users. Its regular SIM cards feature various plans: combos, data-only, and music, streaming, or gaming data.
4. WE
WE is the smallest mobile telecom service provider in Egypt. It is a brand by Telecom Egypt. Telecom Egypt is the oldest telecom company in Egypt founded way back in 1854. It launched its mobile network division WE in 2017 after it managed to get a license for 4G/LTE in 2016. Later on, Telecom Egypt signed a national roaming deal with Etisalat Egypt and Orange Egypt and also an infrastructure deal with Vodafone Egypt as well. As WE has deals with all the mobile operators in the country, it is often considered the best carrier in terms of mobile network coverage. WE operates on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE frequencies.
WE SIM cards are expensive. You will need to shell out almost 77 EGPs to buy one. It is available in all the WE/Telecom Egypt stores across the country. The SIM card gets deactivated automatically after 120 days of inactivity in active mode. To recharge your WE SIM, top-up vouchers are easily available in all the WE/Telecom Egypt stores, corner shops, electronic shops, and so forth. POS system and international debit/credit cards are also used to reload the WE SIM. Moreover, the My WE app is also available on both Play Store and App Store and lets users reload their WE prepaid SIM.