# Driving to Egypt from Uk



## AdamEn

Hello,

I would really appreciate help with this issue. Its been difficult to find anything on this. 

I am planning on driving from the Uk to Egypt through europe, syria and Jordan this summer, and then flying back from Egypt. I will be doing this in a car bought for less than £400 in the Uk. I am a british citizen but also have a paper document saying I am an egyptian citizen (not passport).

Once I arrive in Egypt, I hope to either sell the car, or scrap it, or do anything else possible to avoid getting charged. This trip is not an attempt to make money by importing. So....

-Does anyone know if i will be charged for bringing the car into the country?
-If so, HOW? and WHEN? e.g. at the border? when leaving from the airport?
-How will anyone know i am not just driving through egypt?
-Does it make any differance that I have citizenship?

Thankyou all in advance for any help you may be able to offer. I really appreciate it.

Adam


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## MaidenScotland

Hi and Welcome to the forum

My what an adventurer you are.
I am sorry I cannot answer your question I can only guess, but I still think you are brave as I wouldn't go to the store in a car that cost so little for fear of it breaking down. 

Yes you will be charged for bringing the car into Egypt.. regardless of it's value and I would imagine it would be at the border. Who would buy your car?

If you are an Egyptian citizen have you served your time in the army? 
Remember if you come into this country as an Egyptian citizen you cannot call upon the British Embassy if you have a problem.

Maiden


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## hhaddad

AdamEn said:


> Hello,
> 
> I would really appreciate help with this issue. Its been difficult to find anything on this.
> 
> I am planning on driving from the Uk to Egypt through europe, syria and Jordan this summer, and then flying back from Egypt. I will be doing this in a car bought for less than £400 in the Uk. I am a british citizen but also have a paper document saying I am an egyptian citizen (not passport).
> 
> Once I arrive in Egypt, I hope to either sell the car, or scrap it, or do anything else possible to avoid getting charged. This trip is not an attempt to make money by importing. So....
> 
> -Does anyone know if i will be charged for bringing the car into the country?
> -If so, HOW? and WHEN? e.g. at the border? when leaving from the airport?
> -How will anyone know i am not just driving through egypt?
> -Does it make any differance that I have citizenship?
> 
> Thankyou all in advance for any help you may be able to offer. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Adam


If you bring the car in on a British passport you will need to obtain a Trip Ticket from the Egyptian embassy and also on entry you will have to leave a heafty deposit with the customs office at the border which will be returned on leaving (so they say).You have to take the car back with you(if you don't you will lose the deposit and probably have other problems).Otherwise its not possible to import a car other than one that is less than four years old or an antique i.e. more than 30 or 40 years old.In both cases the import duty for a private import is very expensive.Best bet dump the car before you get to Egypt but or better still leave it at home.


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## AdamEn

Thankyou for your responses. 

I am aware that its quite possible the car would break down, but if the happends and its not easily repairable, we'll opt for trains/busses to continue the trip.

Hmm, sounds like it may be very difficult but i would still appreciate any further opinions. I'm really not bothered about selling the car onwards, I would happily scrap it on arrival if that would help???

The plan was to enter egypt by ferry from Jordan. So do you think it would be on arrival they would charge? 

Hope to hear some more,

Thanks,

Adam


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## hhaddad

Look mate when you get off the ferry your on Egyptian soil and its too late to dump it (anyway dumping a car anywhere in the world is criminal ) you will have to pay and the car will be registered in your passport.Egyptian or British passport as far as I am aware the law is the same for both. If you arrive to enter the car in Egypt they will take off the Bitish plates and put on Egyptian customs plates which meens the car has to go out of Egypt by the same border post that it came in by.This is Egypt and the laws on this sort of thing are strict.Even by passing by Jordan your car will be registered on entry and exit .


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## AdamEn

hhaddad said:


> Look mate when you get off the ferry your on Egyptian soil and its too late to dump it (anyway dumping a car anywhere in the world is criminal ) you will have to pay and the car will be registered in your passport.Egyptian or British passport as far as I am aware the law is the same for both. If you arrive to enter the car in Egypt they will take off the Bitish plates and put on Egyptian customs plates which meens the car has to go out of Egypt by the same border post that it came in by.This is Egypt and the laws on this sort of thing are strict.Even by passing by Jordan your car will be registered on entry and exit .


Thankyou for your advice on criminality however I never said I was planning on dumping the car!! Scrapping a car is legal!


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## DeadGuy

Hi there,

I’d like to emphasis what MaidenScotland said about your military services, you said that you got a document saying that you are an Egyptian citizen, so that probably means that you are listed in the military lists if you’re +16 years old, so most probably once you’re in Egypt your car will be the last thing you worry about, cause you will be arrested for not turning yourself in for the MANDATORY military services! (There's something complicated about the laws in here, but if your Egyptian side is coming from both your father's and mother's side or only the father's then you're definitely gonna be in a trouble, if it was your mother's side then there's a chance to be in a trouble, not sure what are the chances in this case to be honest. but can't see a reason to risk without checking first!)

There was a thread discussing this topic, here’s the link: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/egypt-expat-forum-expats-living-egypt/44881-childbirth-egypte.html

I wouldn’t know if “scrapping” cars in here is legal or not, Egyptians never get rid of anything, no matter how old something is, there’s always someone who’s ready to use it............The only thing scrapped in here is trash (Not all of it though!)

Another thing…….might sound stupid, but in UK, drivers’ seat is on vehicles’ right side, I can imagine that you will be able to drive such cars in European countries –well, at least some of them!- in your way here, but have you thought about what you’d do in here???? (I’m not talking about if it was legal to drive such cars or not, but I’m talking about the fact that driving in here isn’t such an easy thing even when the driver is sitting in the right -correct- side of the vehicle!)

Take the military thing seriously man, you could get in deep sh!t if you didn’t, trust me!

Good luck!


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## AdamEn

Thanks for your info especially on the military side of things. I'm not sure why but i've never been questioned on it before on any of my visits to egypt, maybe as I hold a british passport.

Thanks again


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## hhaddad

As far as I know if you want to scrap a car in Egypt or even Jordan yhe car must be registered in that country with the correct paperwork.Also if you are the only boy in tyour family then you are exempt from military service but you have to have the correct paperwork with you when you arrive in Egypt or otherwise you will be arrested.


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## josmiler05

AdamEn said:


> Hello,
> 
> I would really appreciate help with this issue. Its been difficult to find anything on this.
> 
> I am planning on driving from the Uk to Egypt through europe, syria and Jordan this summer, and then flying back from Egypt. I will be doing this in a car bought for less than £400 in the Uk. I am a british citizen but also have a paper document saying I am an egyptian citizen (not passport).
> 
> Once I arrive in Egypt, I hope to either sell the car, or scrap it, or do anything else possible to avoid getting charged. This trip is not an attempt to make money by importing. So....
> 
> -Does anyone know if i will be charged for bringing the car into the country?
> -If so, HOW? and WHEN? e.g. at the border? when leaving from the airport?
> -How will anyone know i am not just driving through egypt?
> -Does it make any differance that I have citizenship?
> 
> Thankyou all in advance for any help you may be able to offer. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Adam


Hi Adam,
Good on you...sounds like a serious road trip!! I don't know any details but just wanted to wish you good luck. Wish I was brave enough to undertake a trip like that.
Cheers


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## hassansh

*Planning to drive from Egypt to Europe*



AdamEn said:


> Hello,
> 
> I would really appreciate help with this issue. Its been difficult to find anything on this.
> 
> I am planning on driving from the Uk to Egypt through europe, syria and Jordan this summer, and then flying back from Egypt. I will be doing this in a car bought for less than £400 in the Uk. I am a british citizen but also have a paper document saying I am an egyptian citizen (not passport).
> 
> Once I arrive in Egypt, I hope to either sell the car, or scrap it, or do anything else possible to avoid getting charged. This trip is not an attempt to make money by importing. So....
> 
> -Does anyone know if i will be charged for bringing the car into the country?
> -If so, HOW? and WHEN? e.g. at the border? when leaving from the airport?
> -How will anyone know i am not just driving through egypt?
> -Does it make any differance that I have citizenship?
> 
> Thankyou all in advance for any help you may be able to offer. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Adam


Hello there,

I am planning the opposite of your trip; from Egypt to Europe then back. I have been gathering information mainly regarding the countries & maps that I'd need. For the paperwork for your car, I advise you to contact Egypt embassy in England. It would be the best reference. For anything else, you may contact me via email or phone. I have previously done a Qatar to Egypt trip & back via Saudi Arabia & Jordan & have used the ****ty ferries of the red sea. By the way, it would be shorter for you if you go through North Africa. But, I guess you are doing it for the fun of it along the EU countries. I'm planning my trip by July 2010. What about you?

Good luck,
H


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## moe6780

Hello or salamualikum as you will get used to. on bringing the car to the border of egypt you will have to get egypt temporary plates (yellow in colour) and you have to get the car out of egypt within 6 months. it will not cost very much. 
good luck


AdamEn said:


> Hello,
> 
> I would really appreciate help with this issue. Its been difficult to find anything on this.
> 
> I am planning on driving from the Uk to Egypt through europe, syria and Jordan this summer, and then flying back from Egypt. I will be doing this in a car bought for less than £400 in the Uk. I am a british citizen but also have a paper document saying I am an egyptian citizen (not passport).
> 
> Once I arrive in Egypt, I hope to either sell the car, or scrap it, or do anything else possible to avoid getting charged. This trip is not an attempt to make money by importing. So....
> 
> -Does anyone know if i will be charged for bringing the car into the country?
> -If so, HOW? and WHEN? e.g. at the border? when leaving from the airport?
> -How will anyone know i am not just driving through egypt?
> -Does it make any differance that I have citizenship?
> 
> Thankyou all in advance for any help you may be able to offer. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Adam


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## Whiskey96

Adam...... Listen to hhaddad...!!!

Otherwise you are going to find yourself in very deep cacka....!!!!


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## Helen Ellis

I was told that driving a right hand drive car here is illegal.


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## kevinthegulf

*think carefully*

One of my collegues, who is of arabic descent, arrived via ferry from Italy (Venice-Tartous-Alex), (very good vessel new etc & we are Mariners by profession) bringing his European car for 6 months stay- to see how thing pan out here, the car is still in Alex-(ok only some 10 days so far) but paperwork & burocracy etc is a hassle & he speaks the language.

Be aware it will not be simple
Also be aware- if the car is stolen- you will have to pay 200% duty, if you cannot export it- nothing straightforward here
regards
kev


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## Whiskey96

kevinthegulf said:


> One of my collegues, who is of arabic descent, arrived via ferry from Italy (Venice-Tartous-Alex), (very good vessel new etc & we are Mariners by profession) bringing his European car for 6 months stay- to see how thing pan out here, the car is still in Alex-(ok only some 10 days so far) but paperwork & burocracy etc is a hassle & he speaks the language.
> 
> Be aware it will not be simple
> Also be aware- if the car is stolen- you will have to pay 200% duty, if you cannot export it- nothing straightforward here
> regards
> kev


And the duty you pay is on the NEW price - not on what you say you paid for it....
Otherwise there would be a roaring trade here in cars over 3 years old from Europe....


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