Quick answer: +20 is Egypt. Mobiles have 10 digits after +20 and start with 10, 11, 12 or 15. Landlines have 8 or 9. Egyptian numbers are written with a leading 0: drop it when you call from abroad. Example:
+20 10 1234 5678.
How to dial Egypt
| Calling from | Dial |
|---|---|
| Any mobile phone | +20 + 8 to 10 digits |
| US or Canada landline | 011 20 + 8 to 10 digits |
| UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE or Kuwait landline | 00 20 + 8 to 10 digits |
Egyptians write numbers with a leading 0, like 010 1234 5678 or 02 2345 6789. That 0 is only for calls within Egypt. From abroad, leave it out: 02 2345 6789 becomes +20 2 2345 6789.
Mobile and landline numbers
Mobiles are 11 digits in Egyptian format, starting 010, 011, 012 or 015, and 10 digits after +20: 012 3456 7890 becomes +20 12 3456 7890. They have no area code.
Landlines are an area code plus a local number. Cairo and Giza share 02 with 8-digit local numbers, Alexandria (03) has 7-digit numbers, and most other cities have codes like 050 with 7-digit numbers.
| City | Area code in Egypt | From abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo and Giza | 02 | +20 2 xxxx xxxx |
| Alexandria | 03 | +20 3 xxx xxxx |
| Mansoura | 050 | +20 50 xxx xxxx |
| Tanta | 040 | +20 40 xxx xxxx |
| Port Said | 066 | +20 66 xxx xxxx |
| Hurghada | 065 | +20 65 xxx xxxx |
| Sharm El Sheikh | 069 | +20 69 xxx xxxx |
| Luxor | 095 | +20 95 xxx xxxx |
| Aswan | 097 | +20 97 xxx xxxx |
Codes that get mixed up with +20
+212 is Morocco and +218 is Libya. Cairo numbers written as +202 can be mistaken for Washington, D.C.'s area code (+1 202).
Time difference
Egypt is on UTC+2 in winter. It brought back daylight saving time in 2023: clocks go forward to UTC+3 on the last Friday in April and back on the last Thursday in October.
| Where you are | Late April to late October | Late October to late April |
|---|---|---|
| US East Coast | Egypt is 7h ahead | Egypt is 7h ahead |
| UK | Egypt is 2h ahead | Egypt is 2h ahead |
| Germany, France or Italy | Egypt is 1h ahead | Egypt is 1h ahead |
| Saudi Arabia | Same time | Egypt is 1h behind |
| UAE | Egypt is 1h behind | Egypt is 2h behind |
Europe and the US put their clocks forward in March, four to seven weeks before Egypt. Until Egypt catches up in late April, the gap is one hour smaller, so a 9 AM call from London reaches Cairo at 10 AM instead of 11 AM. The autumn changes are a few days apart.
Prefer calling over WiFi? See our guide to the best apps for WiFi calling.
FAQ
Can I call a 5-digit Egyptian hotline like 19xxx from abroad?
Usually not. Hotlines such as 16xxx and 19xxx are short codes with no international version, so they only work from phones inside Egypt. Look for the company's full landline number, which from abroad starts +20 2 for Cairo.
I have an old 10-digit Egyptian mobile number. How do I dial it?
Egypt added a digit to every mobile number in 2011, so old 10-digit numbers no longer connect. Most gained a digit after 01: 012 345 6789 became 0122 345 6789, 010 became 0100 and 011 became 0111. Other old prefixes changed differently, so if in doubt ask for the current number.