Russian Tourists in Egypt Face Surprise Phone Blackouts

Russian vacationers in Egyptian resorts are reporting their mobile phones being unexpectedly disabled, according to a report by TourDom. The issue appears linked to a recent Egyptian law, creating an unforeseen headache for tourists.

One traveler reported his smartphone stopped working on his fourth day in Sharm el-Sheikh, despite never using a local Egyptian SIM card. Industry experts clarified the problem: a phone can be blocked if it has ever contained an Egyptian SIM, even briefly, and the owner did not complete a formal device registration process with local authorities.

The root cause is a law enacted in April 2025. It mandates that any phone using an Egyptian SIM card must be officially registered within 90 days. Unregistered devices are disconnected from local cellular networks and even barred from connecting to Wi-Fi. For tourists, the only way to reverse a block is to pay a tax equivalent to 38% of the phone's declared value.

To avoid this, specialists advise visitors to rely on international roaming from their home provider or to purchase a tourist eSIM, which bypasses the physical SIM registration requirement. The situation serves as a critical reminder for travelers to research local telecom regulations before departure.