VPN for Egypt
Egypt blocks many foreign and domestic news sites, particularly those critical of the government. Adult content is blocked. Some VoIP services experience occasional disruptions.
What's blocked in Egypt
Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch, many news sites, adult content
VPN use is legal for personal use in Egypt. There are no known cases of foreign travellers being penalised for using a VPN here.
Egypt has specific content restrictions but does not actively block VPN connections. Any reputable premium VPN works well here.
Using your eSIM and VPN together in Egypt
Your uPhone eSIM provides fast local mobile data in Egypt. Running a VPN over your eSIM connection encrypts your traffic and lets you access geo-blocked content from home. It also protects you when switching to local hotel or café Wi-Fi.
Use WireGuard for speed, or IKEv2 for mobile network switching. This gives you the best balance of speed and reliability on mobile data in Egypt.
Best VPN providers for Egypt
Any of these providers work well in Egypt. Ranked for travellers prioritising mobile performance:
Internet in Egypt — what travellers need to know
Egypt has significantly tightened internet controls since 2017, when the government ordered ISPs to block more than 400 websites including news outlets (Al Jazeera, Mada Masr), VPN providers, and communication tools. The Anti-Cybercrime Law and Anti-Terrorism Law give authorities broad powers to block content and monitor communications. VPN provider websites are commonly blocked, though VPNs themselves continue to work. Signal is blocked but functions with obfuscated VPN. For travellers, the Nile Delta and Red Sea resort areas have reasonable connectivity, but a VPN is recommended for privacy and accessing international content.
Local streaming services in Egypt
These services are popular in Egypt but geo-locked — a local server unlocks them when you're at home, while a home-country server unlocks your own library when you're in Egypt:
Not Five Eyes. Anti-Cybercrime Law 2018 enables mass surveillance. 400+ news and VPN sites blocked. Signal partially blocked. Journalists and activists arrested for online activity.
Download and configure your VPN before arriving. Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh resort Wi-Fi works well, but is unencrypted. Use obfuscated protocols. Avoid accessing politically sensitive content on Egyptian networks.
Pre-trip checklist for Egypt
Everything to do at home, on your normal internet, before you board.
