What's Illegal inEgypt?

The single thing worth knowing first: Death penalty for drug trafficking. Tramadol = 4 years prison. Very strict Islamic law. It is the kind of rule that looks minor at home and becomes a serious problem at the border or in public, which is exactly why it tops this page.

Within everyday items and devices, Egypt treats Pepper spray, Drone, and Satellite phone as off-limits. Carrying or doing any of these can mean confiscation, fines, or detention depending on the case — and a foreign prescription, habit, or "I didn't know" rarely helps once you are stopped. Each entry below links to the official source it is checked against, with the verified ones marked.

Two things travelers regularly get wrong about Egypt: Tramadol is widely sold but unauthorised import — even with a foreign prescription — has resulted in tourist arrests; and Hashish is culturally familiar but legally a controlled substance, with sentences starting at three years. Assumptions like these are how otherwise careful visitors end up in trouble, so it is worth checking the specifics rather than guessing.

One important caveat: Public displays of affection and revealing clothing are restricted outside Red Sea resort zones like Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. Laws and their enforcement can shift between regions and over time, so treat this page as a sourced starting point and confirm anything borderline against the official links before you rely on it.