# Driving licence



## marenostrum (Feb 19, 2011)

Hi,

This has probably been asked before.

Can anyone provide me with a link to the local regulations regarding foreign driving licences.

I am in the process of buying a car so i want to make sure i am compliant with driving laws here, i don't want to rely on the customary 10LE should i be stopped by a policeman :eyebrows:

I have a shiny UK DVLA driving licence. The original licence was an italian one converted to uk 10 years ago.

Do i need an international driving permit on top of my licence?

Thanks.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I believe you have to take a driving test here


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## Horus (Sep 17, 2010)

As far as I know (no concrete proof) it requires an international license but I might be wrong.

I have been told it requires an eye test and blood test as well but is quite forward if you take a local to "smooth things over" esp if you are purchasing a vehicle and some extra LE

I don't know the locals laws, however I have found they can be worked around with some spare LE or USD placed inside a piece of paper, I can't go into the specifics here with my experience to get what I wanted...but I did get something stamped quite quick.

Works here as well when I want to snorkle off a hotel pier that is guest exclusive, they guy now simply says "walk around..come back" and a crumpled note is placed in his hand


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## marenostrum (Feb 19, 2011)

Horus said:


> As far as I know (no concrete proof) it requires an international license but I might be wrong.
> 
> I have been told it requires an eye test and blood test as well but is quite forward if you take a local to "smooth things over" esp if you are purchasing a vehicle and some extra LE
> 
> ...


Well Horus you are correct. After a half our conversation with my other half it transpires that her driving licence appeared one evening with no driving test or theory test taken......:eyebrows: the brother went down to a police station and came back with said document.....

So it seems the customary 10LE will do the job, probably multiplied by a factor of 100.......

I have also been told i could drive here on an international permit for up to one year but this is dependant on the visa one holds.


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## Hassli (Feb 7, 2011)

Hi MaidenScotland,

We are planning to visit egypt via car by sept 2011 onwards... 
Will they let me enter via car and drive inside Egypt? And will they require any custom tax for the 1.6engine car?
But then, I need to go via saudi and i am a lady driver..would it cause me any problem?

I have tourist visa and have UAE driving license...

Thanks a lot,


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hassli said:


> Hi MaidenScotland,
> 
> We are planning to visit egypt via car by sept 2011 onwards...
> Will they let me enter via car and drive inside Egypt?
> ...




Women can drive in Egypt they cannot drive in Saudi.
Have a look at other threads bringing a car into Egypt is just not worth the hassle.

Maiden


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## Hassli (Feb 7, 2011)

MaidenScotland said:


> Women can drive in Egypt they cannot drive in Saudi.
> Have a look at other threads bringing a car into Egypt is just not worth the hassle.
> 
> Maiden


I am into it now... reading the whole thread of car importation...  
nice info...

So that means, i have no chance to travel to egypt via car because I need to pass saudi.. wish there are other way...  

Thanks maiden..


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## Hassli (Feb 7, 2011)

Hassli said:


> I am into it now... reading the whole thread of car importation...
> nice info...
> 
> So that means, i have no chance to travel to egypt via car because I need to pass saudi.. wish there are other way...
> ...


I finished the whole thread of car importation and concluded that it does not worth the hassle for just a visit.. 

But it is, if we finally decided to settle back to egypt..

thanks


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## Horus (Sep 17, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> Women can drive in Egypt they cannot drive in Saudi.
> 
> 
> Maiden


Shocking and backward

They could do with women taxi drivers in Egypt so women can feel safer and have special pink taxis that are designed only for female use with fixed fares - bet it would be a good little money spinner business as well

I was nearly tricked today - its NO MORE than 50 LE each way for a taxi from Nabq to Naama then the guy said 60 LE then half way down the road he said 60 LE taxi 20 LE me (80 LE)

My exact words were look Ali Baba 50 LE NOT 80 LE don't scam me and he laughed I got the 50 LE out and placed it by his gear stick compartment and said NO more than 50 LE

He took no offence even though I said ONE WAY then he was waiting for me outside Western Union and wanted to take me to Carrefour only 5 minute walk and told me nobody walks in Egypt I just imitated his car horn noise and said BEEP BEEP Ali Baba and waved and kept walking


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## marenostrum (Feb 19, 2011)

Horus said:


> Shocking and backward
> 
> They could do with women taxi drivers in Egypt so women can feel safer and have special pink taxis that are designed only for female use with fixed fares - bet it would be a good little money spinner business as well
> 
> ...


Well my first encounter with an egyptian taxi driver was in December 1994. I was leaving the museum to head back into zamalek. The first thing he asked me wasn't if i had liked the museum, what did i think of egypt or did i like the sunshine, it was "do you want american woman for 100 dollars"  No thanks mate i don't want to catch hiv on my second trip to egypt.....what a loser....customary koran on the dashboard too....

With these guys sometimes you have to be hard, or they'll take advantage. many a time i've just walked off giving the fee i thought was right (or paraphrasing the fee we had agreed at the start). As far as i am concerned they can p...s right off if they change their mind. You have to become the bully not to be bullied.


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## steveolena (Dec 18, 2010)

marenostrum said:


> Hi,
> 
> This has probably been asked before.
> 
> ...


My mate has been here in Hurghada for 5 years, never took a driving licence out here, has been stopped twice only and paid 10le both times to the police!!!!


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

and if something happens, he is in big problems!


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## RPC (Mar 17, 2011)

marenostrum said:


> Hi,
> 
> This has probably been asked before.
> 
> ...


I have been stopped 3 times while driving with a EU (old type paper driving license). I never had problems with that! The policeman took the license and showed it to a high ranking level officer for approval. Because is an old paper type it might look like an international ....however, it did work fine!


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## PoleDancer (Apr 14, 2010)

GM1 said:


> and if something happens, he is in big problems!


Yep. What's accepted by a bored cop at a checkpoint is not the big issue to me. What really will matter is what proves lawful in the event of me being involved in a crash, or (God forbid) a pedestrian running out under my car on the ring road. I really don't fancy arguing that one from the inside of a cell. I'm therefore applying for an Egyptian licence so I'm lawful when my UK licence / International Driving Permit combination expires.

Besides, Egyptians are currently reminding us that the law is there to be obeyed by all. I don't consider myself exempt from that.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

PoleDancer said:


> Yep. What's accepted by a bored cop at a checkpoint is not the big issue to me. What really will matter is what proves lawful in the event of me being involved in a crash, or (God forbid) a pedestrian running out under my car on the ring road. I really don't fancy arguing that one from the inside of a cell. I'm therefore applying for an Egyptian licence so I'm lawful when my UK licence / International Driving Permit combination expires.
> 
> Besides, Egyptians are currently reminding us that the law is there to be obeyed by all. I don't consider myself exempt from that.


:clap2::clap2::clap2: Well said.


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

If you have already a driver's licence from another country, it is easy to get one in Egypt. (I did get mine 11 years ago, I only had to do the driving part (just forward and back/parking).

Better safe than sorry!


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## bat (Dec 1, 2010)

GM1 said:


> If you have already a driver's licence from another country, it is easy to get one in Egypt. (I did get mine 11 years ago, I only had to do the driving part (just forward and back/parking).
> 
> Better safe than sorry!


To be honest driving licence from abroad makes no difference and are you saying you got your 11 years ago and it's still valid up till now!!


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## GM1 (Sep 30, 2008)

bat said:


> To be honest driving licence from abroad makes no difference and are you saying you got your 11 years ago and it's still valid up till now!!


Of course I have it renewed! Now it is valid till 2019 and has to be renewed before 2012. (something to do with my residence permit validity).
And maybe 11 years ago it was different, I don't know, I know that I only had to do the "driving" part, because of my foreign driver's licence.


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