# Paying to receive packages in Egypt



## rustydegras (Feb 6, 2012)

Whenever I am sent a package from over seas it is brought to my door by my bawab and there is a receipt from the post office with some large fee on it. Today I got a pair of shoes and two pairs of pants and it cost 440 LE. My parents already paid the shipping when they sent it. That seems like an outrageous amount to pay on this end. What is going on?


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Import tax/duty


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## rustydegras (Feb 6, 2012)

jeeze those are some stiff duties


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Can you not read arabic numbers?
I don't think it can be duty as I imagine they would not let the parcel go until it is paid.


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## rustydegras (Feb 6, 2012)

no, I can read arabic numbers. Whats written on the receipt is what my Bawab asks for. They first apparently pay it to the mailman and then come and collect from me.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Lol there is no way the bowab hands that amount of money over.. someone is scamming you.


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## rustydegras (Feb 6, 2012)

yeah, hilarious.


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## marimar (Feb 9, 2011)

I know when i had a small parcel delivered to me in Sharm it was a lot of money to pay for import taxes even thought the goods inside where not expensive. You should be able to get a receipt from the post office when the duty is paid as proof. Sadly sometimes it's just not worth getting things sent into this country


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## hurghadapat (Mar 26, 2010)

rustydegras said:


> Whenever I am sent a package from over seas it is brought to my door by my bawab and there is a receipt from the post office with some large fee on it. Today I got a pair of shoes and two pairs of pants and it cost 440 LE. My parents already paid the shipping when they sent it. That seems like an outrageous amount to pay on this end. What is going on?


I always had to pay for any parcels that i received and i had a PO BOX so paid it directly to them....can't remember exactly what i paid but do remember thinking that sometimes large parcels would be quite cheap but a large envelope with re-directed mail (most of it junk mail) was quite expensive....in the end told family if you can't bring it with you don't send it.It is the same if you ship your goods out it all depends who looks at it and what mood he is in as to what import duty you pay....remember you live in Egypt where nothing is the same two days running.


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## expatagogo (May 31, 2010)

There are no import fees on "household goods" coming into Egypt. If possible, have your "household goods" removed from packaging and forwarded to you as ... "household goods." This way, you'll avoid the price gouging by the government.


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## egyptianstudent (May 16, 2012)

*i will*



expatagogo said:


> There are no import fees on "household goods" coming into Egypt. If possible, have your "household goods" removed from packaging and forwarded to you as ... "household goods." This way, you'll avoid the price gouging by the government.



how about shipping some shoes using aramex?
do you mean anythin come to egypt will have to pay the tax?
lets say my friend want to send about 5 pairs of shoes using aramax.is it possible i need to pay anything??or u all have the others way to avoid it?tq so much!!


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## canuck2010 (Jan 13, 2010)

Even couriers are opened.


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## CEgypt04 (May 30, 2010)

The 440 LE is not a scam. The customs duties are 50% of what the total value of the package is, and if there is no receipt or stated value on the customs forms (filled out by the sender) then the post office is left to estimate the value and they can estimate it however they like. 

Packages sent by private courrier are also opened.

If you want to be sure that you're not being scammed, then sign up for one of those programs, such as Shop & Ship by Aramex, that funnels your packages from a US or UK address and pays the customs tax up front for you and gives you itemized receipts of how much you owe them. 

This is the price you pay for living in a country that isn't part of a free trade agreement; and it's quite ignorant to simply assume that it must be the bowwab ripping you off. If you worry that the bowwab is telling you more than the actual fee, request the receipt from the postal carrier, or tell your bowwab to have them deliver the package only to you so that he doesn't have to pay the fees up front in the future.


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