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Law and etiquette

Egypt Laws and Etiquette

This page separates legal warnings from etiquette. It uses Egyptian tourism guidance and traveler-government advice with audience labels, and keeps uncertain or individual cases visible.

Last checked: 2026-08-11. This is not legal, immigration, medical, or consular advice.

Legal checks

Treat law, custom, and individual discretion separately

  • UK FCDO says police check ID regularly and may ask to see your passport and visa or a digital or paper copy.
  • UK FCDO says some medicines may be controlled in Egypt and may need Ministry of Health permission; medicine legality is not resolved by this page.
  • UK FCDO warns that illegal-drug offences can carry very severe penalties and specifically says khat is illegal in Egypt.
  • UK FCDO says drinking alcohol outside licensed restaurants, bars, private homes, or certain tourist resorts is illegal and can lead to arrest.

Public conduct

Public behavior, religion, dress, and Ramadan

UK FCDO describes Egypt as predominantly Islamic and advises respect for local traditions, customs, laws, and religions, especially during Ramadan and around religious areas. That is etiquette and risk context unless a source states a legal rule.

  • UK FCDO says it is illegal to encourage people to convert to Christianity or any other religion.
  • For dress, UK FCDO advises modest dress especially in rural areas, mosques, and souqs; Experience Egypt says visitors will be expected to cover arms and legs at certain landmarks such as mosques, churches, and synagogues.
  • For Ramadan, UK FCDO says dates vary and should be checked before travel, and says eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight is culturally insensitive.
  • Public affection norms vary by place. UK FCDO says couples showing physical affection in public is frowned upon and resort behavior may not be accepted elsewhere.

Consent and sensitive places

Experience Egypt says personal, non-commercial photography is allowed without a permit and free of charge in public places, archaeological sites, and museums, but without flash indoors. The same official tourism page says photographing children is forbidden, Egyptian citizens may be photographed only after written permission, and photography without a permit is prohibited at ministries, legislative councils, government facilities, police stations, Armed Forces buildings and sites, and other sovereign or security authorities.

  • Ask before photographing people. For children, do not photograph.
  • Do not photograph officials, checkpoints, security, military, police, sovereign, government, or infrastructure sites when in doubt.
  • At museums and archaeological sites, check site-specific rules for flash, tripods, lighting, bags, professional gear, and paid permits.
  • Professional camera gear, outdoor lighting, equipment blocking roads, and drones sit in a higher-risk permit and customs category; use the dedicated photography and drone rules guide.

Sensitive legal context

LGBTQ+ risk needs a dedicated traveler guide

This page does not try to summarize personal LGBTQ+ safety decisions. For context only, UK FCDO says same-sex sexual activity is not explicitly criminalised but Egyptian authorities have prosecuted LGBTQ+ people under debauchery laws, and U.S. State Department guidance also discusses local treatment of LGBTQI+ persons for its audience. Travelers should avoid sharing sensitive personal data or relying on stale venue information.

Sources

Official sources checked for this page