# Fco



## hhaddad

I was wondering whats keeping the FCO from lifting the travel restrictions to Cairo as several european countries including France have already done.


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## MaidenScotland

Maybe they fear the backlash if something erupts as they were very slow and misguided on how they approached the evacuations two -three weeks ago.
Better safe than sorry springs to mind.


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## MensEtManus

Schools are still closed, which means that at least some Egyptians are still worried about safety. Realistically speaking, I think it is premature to allow visitors/foreigners visit Egypt now. 

Only a few days ago, I had over 40 workers outside one of my factories with molotovs trying to burn one of my plants. I had to hire thugs to help me get rid of these insane folks. I just had to let go around 100 workers due to labor strikes and I have yet to send any of my trucks for distribution. For me, it is still incredibly unstable. 

So if you ask me, I do not think anyone should visit until the police are back on the streets. 

Maybe Cairo is safe, but certain areas in Alexandria are still problematic. There are absolutely no police after 4pm in any of the areas that I drive by on a daily basis.


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## MaidenScotland

MensEtManus said:


> Schools are still closed, which means that at least some Egyptians are still worried about safety. Realistically speaking, I think it is premature to allow visitors/foreigners visit Egypt now.
> 
> Only a few days ago, I had over 40 workers outside one of my factories with molotovs trying to burn one of my plants. I had to hire thugs to help me get rid of these insane folks. I just had to let go around 100 workers due to labor strikes and I have yet to send any of my trucks for distribution. For me, it is still incredibly unstable.
> 
> So if you ask me, I do not think anyone should visit until the police are back on the streets.
> 
> Maybe Cairo is safe, but certain areas in Alexandria are still problematic. There are absolutely no police after 4pm in any of the areas that I drive by on a daily basis.




Cairo is not safe there was a skirmish on the Kasr el Nile bridge this morning, don't know what it was about just that one of my staff came across it witnessed it.

My staff send money home using western union and today despite being told on Wednesday it would definitely be open it is not.


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## aykalam

MensEtManus said:


> Schools are still closed, which means that at least some Egyptians are still worried about safety.


My daughter's school MES is back on from today, as is Maadi British International School. As usual, national schools are always forced to remain closed (remember swine flu?) by the so called "authorities".


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## MaidenScotland

Maybe this hasn't helped 

Egypt approves passage of Iranian warships through Suez Canal despite Israel's objections | Mail Online


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## hhaddad

Thanks for your replies I suppose you are right ,but I note from several sources that there are three British Citizens (with dual nationality) who are going back and forth to the U.K. with out any special problems.


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## MaidenScotland

hhaddad said:


> Thanks for your replies I suppose you are right ,but I note from several sources that there are three British Citizens (with dual nationality) who are going back and forth to the U.K. with out any special problems.




Anyone can go back and forth... it is up to the individual what they do, the foreign office only gives advice . I myself have just returned from Saudi.


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> Anyone can go back and forth... it is up to the individual what they do, the foreign office only gives advice . I myself have just returned from Saudi.


That's if your flight is not cancelled. Just read Air France, Iberia and BA have cancelled their flights to Cairo due to lack of demand 

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsCon...tics-/Nine-airlines-cancel-Egypt-flights.aspx


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## hhaddad

MaidenScotland said:


> Anyone can go back and forth... it is up to the individual what they do, the foreign office only gives advice . I myself have just returned from Saudi.


Sorry should have been more explicit the citizens I was refering to were familly name Mabarak>


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## gw4khq

MaidenScotland said:


> Anyone can go back and forth... it is up to the individual what they do, the foreign office only gives advice . I myself have just returned from Saudi.


I went to UK last Sunday with my wife to attend a funeral. Back on Wednesday. No problems either way.

But, is Mogamma open to extend my visa?


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## MaidenScotland

hhaddad said:


> Sorry should have been more explicit the citizens I was refering to were familly name Mabarak>




I think you will find they are not going back and forth.. they went and didn't come back. 
I wrote to William Hague asking how Gamals wife and children got to the U.K?
Gamal has a British Passport due to his grandmother but it is my belief that it stops there...


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## MaidenScotland

gw4khq said:


> I went to UK last Sunday with my wife to attend a funeral. Back on Wednesday. No problems either way.
> 
> But, is Mogamma open to extend my visa?




There is no reason to worry about your visa... you must have gotten a visa when you arrived on Wednesday and that is good for a month plus they never really bother. I do not officially work in Egypt although my work is here so I never get a visa I just pay a fine when I leave


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> There is no reason to worry about your visa... you must have gotten a visa when you arrived on Wednesday and that is good for a month plus they never really bother. I do not officially work in Egypt although my work is here so I never get a visa I just pay a fine when I leave


is paying this fine cheaper than getting a work permit?


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## MaidenScotland

aykalam said:


> is paying this fine cheaper than getting a work permit?




Ahhh you asked about a visa not a work permit... I have no idea about work permits as I do not need one. Does you employer not sort out your work permit? 
S


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> Ahhh you asked about a visa not a work permit... I have no idea about work permits as I do not need one. Does you employer not sort out your work permit?
> S


no, I didn't ask about visa, I was asking about the fine when you leave. Yes, employers sort out work permits (or they should ), friend of mine's job offer was retracted when company realised she needed one


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## bat

aykalam said:


> no, I didn't ask about visa, I was asking about the fine when you leave. Yes, employers sort out work permits (or they should ), friend of mine's job offer was retracted when company realised she needed one


work permits very difficult to get evan when married to egyptian and they dont fine you for not having one when you leave.so it will be interesting to see wether they clamp down on the people who have to renew work permits.
one to watch


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## gw4khq

MaidenScotland said:


> There is no reason to worry about your visa... you must have gotten a visa when you arrived on Wednesday and that is good for a month plus they never really bother. I do not officially work in Egypt although my work is here so I never get a visa I just pay a fine when I leave


Maiden, just wondering what period of grace they give you for only paying a fine as I'm due to go back to UK in May for 186+ days so that my pension can catch up with those UK citizens who live in the EEC. 

Until now as a retired non worker I've gone to Mogamma to extend my touristic visa.


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## MaidenScotland

gw4khq said:


> Maiden, just wondering what period of grace they give you for only paying a fine as I'm due to go back to UK in May for 186+ days so that my pension can catch up with those UK citizens who live in the EEC.
> 
> Until now as a retired non worker I've gone to Mogamma to extend my touristic visa.




You are fined for the days that you stayed in Egypt without a visa.. going back for all those many days has no affect on your status here.. I usually pay about 120 le when I leave but strangely enough they didn't charge me when I went out in December although my visa had run out in October.

Maiden


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## SHendra

MaidenScotland said:


> You are fined for the days that you stayed in Egypt without a visa.. going back for all those many days has no affect on your status here.. I usually pay about 120 le when I leave but strangely enough they didn't charge me when I went out in December although my visa had run out in October.
> 
> Maiden


Just had to go renew mine today since I noticed my residency has expired .. 5months ago! 

I paid the fine and so on but they will not let me have a new residency visa at all. There going to issue me a tourist one. Even though I stressed my son is Egyptian. In order for me to get a residence due to my son I have to open a Egyptian bank account and prove I am able to support myself here.. (that's laughable considering there isn't quite the dole system here!)

However it's left me in a pickle reason I actually found mine was expired was due to me trying to open a bank account to move my funds to the uk.. they told me 'I can only open a bank account if I have a residence visa which is when I found mine expired.

So catch 22, I am not allowed a residence visa due to not owning a bank account here and I am not allowed a bank account due to no longer having residence.

Still least I some sort of visa to get out stress free when I leave. My only problem is how do I move the money from my appartment sale to my uk bank!!


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## MaidenScotland

SHendra said:


> Just had to go renew mine today since I noticed my residency has expired .. 5months ago!
> 
> I paid the fine and so on but they will not let me have a new residency visa at all. There going to issue me a tourist one. Even though I stressed my son is Egyptian. In order for me to get a residence due to my son I have to open a Egyptian bank account and prove I am able to support myself here.. (that's laughable considering there isn't quite the dole system here!)
> 
> However it's left me in a pickle reason I actually found mine was expired was due to me trying to open a bank account to move my funds to the uk.. they told me 'I can only open a bank account if I have a residence visa which is when I found mine expired.
> 
> So catch 22, I am not allowed a residence visa due to not owning a bank account here and I am not allowed a bank account due to no longer having residence.
> 
> Still least I some sort of visa to get out stress free when I leave. My only problem is how do I move the money from my appartment sale to my uk bank!!





Can you not ask for it to be paid direct into your UK account or get a bankers draft?


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## txlstewart

aykalam said:


> is paying this fine cheaper than getting a work permit?


The first "school" I worked for took forever to get work permits sorted out. A Canadian teacher (worked for the British school associated with mine) was just getting tourist visas as the school dragged out the process. She went to renew her tourist visa and was given a letter--someone had reported her for working on a tourist visa, and she had two weeks to leave the country! The government official said he had never seen this happen before! This was in early November.


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## MaidenScotland

If you are working you should get a work visa...
If you are here just on a tourist visa and not working then it is not too much of a problem, you pay the fine for having an out of date tourist visa when you leave the country.

I officially don't work in Egypt so I don't need a work visa, I only need a tourist visa and I never bother to update it just pay the fine when I leave.


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## MaidenScotland

I have just returned from Dokki and there was a small protest outside the courthouse and NO RIOT POLICE , they are usually stationed there in the van load on any court day.


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## aykalam

MaidenScotland said:


> Can you not ask for it to be paid direct into your UK account or get a bankers draft?


I would advice against getting a banker's draft drawn on any Egyptian bank right now. Once you pay this into a UK bank account in theory funds are guaranteed, this would be under normal circumstances. However, as the situation is far from normal in the local financial sector your UK bank may refuse to release funds to your account until the money is actually collected (ie transferred from Egypt to UK), the average timescale for a cross border cheque collection is 6 weeks, yes, 6 WEEKS. 

Ideally, get buyer to transfer funds directly to your UK account. If this is not possible, maybe you have a friend/family who can help you put money into their bank account here and then order electronic ransfer to your UK account? 

Good luck!


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## SHendra

Buyer was unable to do a transfer he was refused. So since then he been taking out the daily max amount as and when the banks been open. He has about 2 days worth to go then hands me the cash etc. 

When I found this problem I originarly went to our embassy and they spoke to a contact of theirs in the Barclays Bank here in Alexs who promised to help me! However it failed on the visa side. This was after I spent nearly a 1000LE in getting paper work proving my Egypt address etc from our embassy! The bank refused based on lack of residency visa after I was promised help and they knew the purpose of the account was just to do a transfer.

So I will go back up to our Embassy tomorrow morning and ask them once again if they can help me out! I do have friends here but I don't feel 'safe' asking them to do a transfer for me.


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## hhaddad

gw4khq said:


> Maiden, just wondering what period of grace they give you for only paying a fine as I'm due to go back to UK in May for 186+ days so that my pension can catch up with those UK citizens who live in the EEC.
> 
> Until now as a retired non worker I've gone to Mogamma to extend my touristic visa.


If you are over 60 there's no fine to pay thats what they told me when I renewed my tourist visa 2 months late I just paid 11.75 L.E. for a six month extension.


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## Lanason

Our kids school NCBIS has been back a week, my family came in from the UK tonight after an "early" Easter holiday.
Back to normal . . .


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## txlstewart

Lanason said:


> Our kids school NCBIS has been back a week, my family came in from the UK tonight after an "early" Easter holiday.
> Back to normal . . .


Good to hear!


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## MaidenScotland

his advice has been updated with new amendments to the Travel Summary and the Safety and Security - Political Situation section. We no longer advise against all but essential travel to Cairo (all four governorates, including Giza), Alexandria, and Suez. There are no restrictions in this travel advice on travel to Egypt.


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## hhaddad

That's good news for once


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## MaidenScotland

hhaddad said:


> That's good news for once




Yes it is... lets hope people will come back to help get the country back on it's feet.


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