On this page 14 sections
Egypt at a glance
Checked 4 November 2026- Cheapest plan listed
- $3.481 GB / 30 days, Yesim
- 7 days unlimited
- $19.99Maya’s global plan; Nomad and Ubigi are $27
- 10 GB for 30 days
- $18.00Yesim (Ubigi: $19)
- Phone rules
- A foreign SIM or eSIM works with no fees
These Egypt plans are data-only, with no local phone number. Keep your home SIM on for bank and app SMS codes.
Why Egypt is different
Airalo isn’t the cheap option here. 10 GB for 30 days costs $33.00 at Airalo, against $18.00 at Yesim and $19 at Ubigi. Check prices for Egypt itself rather than assuming.
Three networks appear. Airalo lists Vodafone, Nomad lists Orange and Vodafone, and Ubigi lists Orange Egypt and e& (Etisalat).
Your phone is allowed. Egypt now charges fees on many imported phones, but its official phone-registration site says a tourist’s phone works normally with a foreign SIM, with no fees (see phones in Egypt).
Quick picks
A week or two, normal use
A 10 GB / 30-day plan: $18.00 at Yesim or $19 at Ubigi (Orange and e&). Yesim also sells 20 GB for $27.00.
Heavy use or tethering
Maya’s global plan: $19.99 a week, $49.99 for 30 days. Among Egypt plans, Nomad and Ubigi ($27 a week) and Ubigi ($69 for 30 days) are lowest.
Lots of photos and video
Yesim’s 50 GB for 30 days is $46.80, less than any 30-day unlimited plan except Maya’s.
Jordan, the UAE or Turkey too
Compare a multi-country plan, or see our UAE and Turkey guides.
Step 1: Size your plan for Egypt
Maps, ride-hailing, transit apps and messaging use little data. Uploading photos and videos and making video calls use much more. As a rough guide, maps and messaging use hundreds of megabytes a day, while video and video calls can use several gigabytes. These are general estimates, not measurements.
Under a week, maps, messages and transport apps
3–5 GB fixed plan
1–2 weeks, photos, social apps and video
10–20 GB fixed, or unlimited
Remote work, video calls, tethering a laptop
Unlimited, after checking its fair-use and hotspot rules
Step 2: Compare published prices
Unlimited plans by trip length
| Days | Airalo | Nomad | Holafly | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $19.50 | $14 | $19.90 | — | $12.60 (lowest listed) |
| 5 days | $28.50 | $21 (lowest listed) | $28.90 | — | $21.00 (lowest listed) |
| 7 days | $32.00 | $27 (lowest listed) | $36.50 | $27 (lowest listed) | $29.40 |
| 10 days | $35.00 (lowest listed) | $35 (lowest listed) | $39.50 | — | $35.93 |
| 15 days | $49.00 | — | $50.50 | $44 (lowest listed) | $46.80 |
| 30 days | $90.00 | — | $95.90 | $69 (lowest listed) | $82.80 |
Lowest listed price in the row — means no plan of that length was listed. Holafly ($6.90) and Yesim ($4.20) also sell a single day. Holafly allows 1 GB a day of hotspot sharing. Maya sells one global unlimited plan at the same price for every country: $9.99 for 3 days, $19.99 for 7, $27.99 for 14 and $49.99 for 30 (see Maya). Official pages, checked 4 November 2026.
Fixed-data plans
| Data | Airalo | Nomad | Saily | Ubigi | Yesim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $5.503 days | $67 days | $8.997 days | $530 days | $3.4830 days (lowest listed) |
| 3 GB | $14.507 days | $1230 days | $11.9930 days | $930 days | $8.4030 days (lowest listed) |
| 5 GB | $20.0030 days | $1830 days | $15.9930 days | — | $13.2030 days (lowest listed) |
| 10 GB | $33.0030 days | $2830 days | $27.1930 days | $1930 days | $18.0030 days (lowest listed) |
| 20 GB | $42.0030 days | $3730 days | $34.3930 days | — | $27.0030 days (lowest listed) |
| 50 GB | — | — | — | — | $46.8030 days |
Lowest listed price in the row Validity differs, so compare the small print as well as the price. Where a provider sells the same data amount for several lengths, we show the longest. Airalo also lists shorter versions (for example 10 GB for 7 days at $31.00). Ubigi also lists 10 GB for 7 days ($17) and 25 GB for 30 days ($39). Saily prices were sale prices on 4 November. Official pages, checked 4 November 2026.
Step 3: Check the fine print
- Networks. Airalo: Vodafone. Nomad: Orange and Vodafone. Ubigi: Orange Egypt and e& (Etisalat). Holafly, Saily, Yesim and Maya didn’t name one.
- Unlimited isn’t always unlimited. Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply. Holafly’s Egypt page limits hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day (a 7-day plan includes 7 GB to share).
- Activation windows. Nomad starts a plan automatically 60 days after purchase if you haven’t used it. Saily says all plans have a 180-day activation period; after that the plan starts automatically. Ubigi’s plan starts when you arrive.
- Hotspot. Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator, and gives 180 days from purchase to activate.
- Saily sale prices. On 4 November 2026 Saily showed reduced prices on this page (for example 10 GB for 30 days at $27.19, normally $33.99). Offers end, so check the price at checkout.
- No local number. These plans are data-only. Saily sells an optional US phone number, and Yesim offers a 20-minute calling add-on.
The seven providers
Airalo
- Egypt from
- $5.501 GB / 3 days
- Unlimited
- $32.007 days; $90.00 for 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $33.00
What stands out
Lists Vodafone, with unlimited from 3 to 30 days and the most short-trip options (for example 5 GB for 7 days at $19.00).
What to watch
Expensive here: 10 GB for 30 days is $33.00 and 30 days of unlimited $90.00.
Nomad
- Egypt from
- $61 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $28
- Unlimited
- $143 days; $35 for 10
What stands out
Lists Orange and Vodafone, and a week of unlimited costs $27.
What to watch
Fixed data costs more than Yesim or Ubigi (10 GB: $28), unlimited stops at 10 days, and plans start automatically 60 days after purchase.
Holafly
- Egypt from
- $6.901 day unlimited
- Unlimited
- $36.507 days; $95.90 for 30 days
- Fixed data
- Not sold
What stands out
Unlimited by the day from $6.90, with hotspot sharing up to 1 GB a day.
What to watch
The highest unlimited prices here ($95.90 for 30 days), and no network named.
Saily
- Egypt from
- $8.991 GB / 7 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $27.19
- Unlimited
- Sold; check current price
What stands out
On sale when we checked: 10 GB for $27.19 (normally $33.99), with 180 days to activate.
What to watch
Even on sale it costs more than Yesim or Ubigi, and 1 GB for 7 days is $8.99. We couldn’t read its unlimited price for each length.
Ubigi
- Egypt from
- $51 GB / 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $19
- Unlimited
- $277 days; $44 for 15; $69 for 30
What stands out
Lists Orange Egypt and e& (Etisalat). 10 GB for 30 days is $19, and its 30-day unlimited ($69) is the lowest Egypt-only plan for a month.
What to watch
Ubigi says a fair-use policy may apply to unlimited plans.
Yesim
- Egypt from
- $3.481 GB / 30 days
- 10 GB / 30 days
- $18.00
- Unlimited
- $29.407 days; $82.80 for 30
What stands out
The lowest fixed-data prices here: 1 GB for $3.48, 10 GB for $18.00, 20 GB for $27.00 and 50 GB for $46.80, all for 30 days.
What to watch
No network named, and Yesim says hotspot depends on the operator.
Maya
- 3 days
- $9.99unlimited data
- 7 days
- $19.99unlimited data
- 30 days
- $49.99unlimited data
What stands out
The lowest price we found for 3, 7 or 30 days of unlimited data. It’s one global plan, so the same eSIM keeps working if Egypt is one stop of several. Maya’s page says "No caps, no throttling."
What to watch
It renews automatically while Travel Mode is on, so turn it off when you get home. The page we read doesn’t name the local networks or spell out a fair-use policy, and we haven’t tested the no-throttling claim.
Will your phone work?
- eSIM-capable and unlocked. Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later. Settings → General → About should say "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (full checklist).
- Bought in mainland China? Apple says that in China mainland only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM. Many older mainland models use two physical SIM cards instead, so check for Add eSIM in your settings before you buy a plan.
- Bought in Hong Kong or Macau? Apple notes that certain iPhone models sold there have two nano-SIM slots. Check for Add eSIM in your settings first.
- Install before you fly. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and leave the line switched off until you land (install guide).
Phones in Egypt: the registration rules
Egypt runs a mobile-phone governance system that charges fees on many imported phones. Its official FAQ says a foreign tourist can use their own phone with a foreign SIM normally, without paying any fees. A travel eSIM counts as a foreign SIM. If you buy an Egyptian tourist SIM, the phone gets a 90-day exemption with no fees, on every visit.
Customs
GOV.UK says to declare high-value electronics on arrival, and that officials are likely to confiscate satellite phones or radio equipment without prior clearance.
Entry: visas and passports
- Passport. GOV.UK says it must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive, with one blank page.
- E-visa. Apply only on the official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg ($30 single entry, $65 multiple entry when we checked). GOV.UK says getting one in advance can help avoid delays.
- Visa on arrival. For eligible nationalities, kiosks before immigration at approved airports sell a visa for $30 in cash, valid for up to 30 days. From 1 August 2026, Cairo airport also sells digital visas on arrival by card for $36.
- Sharm el-Sheikh only. GOV.UK says British visitors flying into Sharm el-Sheikh and staying under 15 days in Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba get a free entry stamp instead of a visa.
- Overstays. Leaving on a visa expired by more than 14 days can mean a fine.
Our take
For most trips, Yesim’s fixed plans (10 GB for $18.00) or Ubigi on Orange and e& ($19) are the best value. For unlimited, Maya’s global plan beats every Egypt plan we checked. Bring your own phone: a travel eSIM works with no fees.
Affiliate links. Prices are set by the provider and confirmed at checkout.
Before you fly
Buy and install at home
Check your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable (how to check), then install on Wi-Fi before departure. With Nomad, don’t buy more than 60 days ahead.
Switch on when you land
Turn on the travel line, enable data roaming for that line, and set it as your mobile-data line.
Get your visa on the official site
Use visa2egypt.gov.eg, not a lookalike agency site, or bring cash for a visa on arrival.
Declare valuable electronics
Declare high-value devices and recording equipment on arrival, and leave satellite phones at home.
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Open the checklistFrequently asked questions
What’s the cheapest Egypt eSIM?
On the official pages we checked (4 November 2026), Yesim’s 1 GB for 30 days was $3.48, and its 10 GB for 30 days $18.00. Ubigi listed 10 GB for $19.
Can I use my own phone in Egypt without paying a fee?
Yes. Egypt’s official phone-governance FAQ says tourists can use their phone with a foreign SIM normally, with no fees. With an Egyptian tourist SIM there’s a 90-day exemption on each visit.
Which network do Egypt travel eSIMs use?
Airalo lists Vodafone, Nomad lists Orange and Vodafone, and Ubigi lists Orange Egypt and e& (Etisalat).
What’s the cheapest unlimited eSIM for Egypt?
Maya’s global plan: $19.99 for 7 days and $49.99 for 30. Among Egypt plans, Nomad and Ubigi were lowest for a week ($27) and Ubigi for 30 days ($69).
Can I get an Egypt visa on arrival?
Many nationalities can. GOV.UK says airport kiosks sell visas for $30 in cash, valid for up to 30 days, and Cairo airport sells digital visas by card for $36 from 1 August 2026. An e-visa from visa2egypt.gov.eg can avoid queues.
Sources and method
Last checked 4 November 2026
All prices and plan facts on this page were read from these official pages on 4 November 2026. We have not purchased or tested these plans ourselves; we summarize what the providers publish, in our own words. Read our method.
- Airalo — Egypt eSIMsChecked 4 November 2026
- Nomad — Egypt eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Holafly — Egypt eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Saily — Egypt eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Yesim — Egypt eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Maya — Egypt eSIMChecked 4 November 2026
- Ubigi — Egypt data plansChecked 4 November 2026
- Egypt mobile phone governance system — FAQ (Arabic)Checked 4 November 2026
- Egypt e-Visa portal (official)Checked 4 November 2026
- GOV.UK — Egypt entry requirementsChecked 4 November 2026
- Apple Support — Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhoneChecked 4 November 2026
- SafetyWing: Nomad InsuranceChecked 4 November 2026