Can your phone get blocked in Egypt for using a local SIM card?

Phones that used an Egyptian SIM before 2025 (in 2024, 2023, or earlier) are considered already registered in the system and are not blocked. Only devices that used an Egyptian SIM for the first time in 2025 are at risk of being blocked on a return visit. This explains why some travelers are unaffected — their phones were registered under the earlier system.

Egyptian law allows authorities to block phones that have been in the country for more than 90 days. In practice, many travelers are unaffected — two phones used during an April 2025 trip continued working normally afterwards.

One out of three phones in a travel group got blocked. The device had been to Egypt in 2024 and twice in 2025 — it was blocked on the second 2025 visit. After blocking, it stopped working even with a foreign SIM in roaming — completely bricked.

The risk of blocking is higher on a return visit to Egypt if a local SIM was previously used in the phone. On a second trip, the device may stop accepting any SIM or eSIM and only work via Wi-Fi.

The Orange Egypt SIM is considered unreliable by travelers — the advice is to discard it while still in Egypt and switch back to your home SIM. This suggests local carrier SIMs may be linked to blocking issues.