Egypt travel insurance

Why do I need travel insurance in Egypt?

• It can cover you for emergency medical treatment.
• It can cover medical expenses caused by injuries and accidents, unless it's from an excluded activity.
• It can pay for transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance, as well as medical evacuations back to Australia.
• If you're renting a car in Egypt, make sure you have car rental excess cover.
• Travelling in a foreign country may put your valuables at risk and travel insurance can cover you for lost or stolen items.
• Terrorism is a risk in Egypt. A few insurers provide cover for medical and hospital expenses caused by an act of terrorism, including the cost of bringing you back home.

Looking for the best travel insurance for Egypt? Check out our award winners in 2024

Most Loved

RAC Travel Insurance came out on top among 20 brands with a score of 4.48/5. Out of all brands, RAC was one of the most trusted, with 97% of people surveyed considering the insurer trustworthy and reliable.

Top Value

Tick Travel Insurance came in first place for value for money this year. It topped the list with score of 4.49/5.

Most Trusted

RAC Travel Insurance topped the list as the most trusted brand in 2024. It gained a score of 4.76/5, with 97% of customers we surveyed found the insurer to reliable.

Legendary Service

RAC Travel Insurance is this year's winner for customer service, scoring 4.49/5 to lead all brands.

Best Travel Insurance - Domestic

Tick Travel insurance won the 2024 award for best domestic travel insurance because it scored highly for rearrangement and cancellation costs, lost and delayed luggage features and rental car excess, while remaining comparatively affordable.

Best Travel Insurance - Value

Wise and Silent Travel insurance won the 2024 value award because it's cheaper on average than the other international policies we analysed, yet it covers you for more.

Best Travel Insurance - Comprehensive

Tick Travel insurance won the 2024 comprehensive award because it goes further than the majority of insurers. It scored highly for cancellation costs and rental car excess. It's also competitive on price compared to the other 30 international policies we analysed.

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Egypt travel insurance: Common exclusions

Every travel insurance policy has things you won't be covered for. Common exclusions include:

• If you purchase cover after the incident has occurred. For example, if you take cover out after you've been injured and need medical attention.
• Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have any major medical conditions, make sure you let your insurer know before taking out a policy. Otherwise you won't be covered for claims related to that condition.
• You travel despite government travel advice. For example, if you travel to areas that have a warning from Smartraveller, such as North of the St Catherine-Nuweiba Road in South Sinai, the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, West of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions except for the areas listed under ‘Exercise a high degree of caution and the Haila’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil Trapezoid and within 20km of the border with Sudan, travel insurance may not cover you.
• Incidents that occur while you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For example, if you go out drinking in Cairo, get injured and need medical attention, travel insurance won't cover you.
• Driving vehicles without a licence. Like Australia, you won't be covered for medical costs or personal liability expenses if you drive without a licence in Egypt.

Will I be covered for COVID-19?

Travel insurance can cover you for COVID-19 in Egypt. A policy can cover you for the following:

• Rearrangement costs if you catch the virus and need to change your plans. Lots of comprehensive travel insurance policies let you claim up to $5,000 towards these expenses.
• Medical costs due to COVID-19. This can include hospital expenses and RATs if you catch COVID-19 while overseas (but you won't be covered for mandatory PCRs).
• Expenses if you need to isolate. For example, if you catch COVID while you're overseas and need to push back your flight and stay in your accommodation longer.

How do I get cheap travel insurance for Egypt?

• Medical only or basic policies will generally be the cheaper policies on the market.
• Use exclusive deals or promo codes to get a discount.
• Opt for a higher excess. This will make your policy cheaper but more expensive if you have to claim.
• Compare across a handful of travel insurers – they're not all the same.
• Get the most value by buying your policy early. It means you're covered for longer while paying the same price.

Our expert says

"When I travel, I don't want to fork out a lot for travel insurance. I always get something above the bare minimum though which usually only covers medical-only expenses. Flight disruptions and delayed luggage are really common, so look for a cheap policy that covers me for these things."

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

What do I do in emergencies?

For emergencies: call 112 or 122 (police), 123 (ambulance) or 180 (fire).

In a medical emergency, call for help and then contact your insurer on their emergency assistance line.

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FAQs about Egypt

• Is visiting the Pyramids of Giza safe?

  The country's key tourist sights (including the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor and the Red Sea) are still considered safe but be aware when visiting holy sites and stay away from protests and political demonstrations.

  Take particular precautions when travelling during holiday festivals and significant religious periods.

• Is it safe to travel to Egypt alone?

  Egypt is a fairly conservative country and you can avoid unwanted attention by dressing modestly. For women, cover shoulders, cleavage and knees while out and use a scarf to cover your head inside mosques.

  Bikinis and swimsuits are fine at private hotel beaches and pools but consider wearing a T-shirt and shorts over your swimmers at public beaches and hot springs.

  Some other tips to follow are:

  • Ignore verbal harassment as much as possible but don't be afraid to make a scene if things get out of hand.
  • For women, use the women-only buses and carriages on the Cairo metro.
  • Don't sit in the front passenger seat of taxis or microbuses. If possible try to sit next to another woman.
  • Avoid crowds, especially after events such as football matches when testosterone is likely to be high.

• Do you need a vaccination before going to Egypt?

  Before travelling to Egypt, you should make sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date and speak to a doctor about other travel vaccinations that might be important.

  Smartraveller.gov.au and a doctor can advise the risks of any other diseases/viruses, which can include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies
  • Typhoid

  Remember, your travel insurance may not cover you if you don't get the recommended vaccines and fall ill while abroad as a result.

• Which travel insurance is good for Egypt?

  The cheapest policy will usually only cover you for medical expenses. However, flight disruptions and petty crime are fairly common in Egypt so it may be worth getting comprehensive travel insurance. This can cover you for medical expenses, trip rearrangement costs, theft, luggage delay and more.

• Do you need travel insurance to go to Egypt?

  The Australian government's smartraveller site recommends that you take out cover when travelling to Egypt. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.

• Which travel insurance company has COVID cover for Egypt?

  Lots of travel insurers cover COVID-related expenses now. You can find a full table of the policies that cover COVID expenses on our homepage.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Journalist

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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards. See full bio

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Gary Ross has written 555 Finder guides across topics including:

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