Egypt Guide for Chinese Residents: Visas, Business, Safety and Community

An estimated 10,000–20,000 Chinese people live in Egypt, mostly in Cairo, Alexandria and the Suez Canal Economic Zone, working in construction contracting, manufacturing, energy, trade and investment. China is a major trading partner: China-Egypt goods trade reached US$17.38 billion in 2024, of which Chinese exports were US$16.8 billion (Chinese customs data).

Chinese ordinary passport holders can get an e-Visa online or a visa on arrival; long-term work requires a work permit, and foreign staff are generally limited to 10% of the workforce. Overall security is good, but Sinai and some other areas carry risks. This page summarises the basics, visas, business, safety, the community and living costs, with embassy and emergency contacts.

Key facts

Where Chinese people live and work

According to the MOFCOM guide, about 8,000 overseas Chinese live in Egypt, mainly in Cairo, Alexandria and the Suez Canal Economic Zone, plus 8,170 Chinese contract workers at the end of 2024. In 2024 Chinese companies signed US$3.05 billion of new contracting work in Egypt; large projects included PowerChina’s Gulf of Suez wind farm and Energy China’s Kom Ombo solar and storage project.

Manufacturing is concentrated in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) and the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone inside it. At the end of 2024 TEDA hosted nearly 100 Chinese companies, including Midea, Jushi, XD and Hisense. According to the SCZone, the zone attracted more than US$4 billion of Chinese investment over the past three years (Enterprise, July 2025); in April 2026 Egypt’s cabinet said Chinese companies planned another US$2.4 billion, mainly a logistics zone and a terminal at Ain Sokhna port (Arab News). Chinese exports to Egypt are led by electrical and electronic goods, machinery, vehicles and parts, synthetic filament yarn and organic chemicals.

China-Egypt relations and recent developments

• China and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1956. President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Egypt on 1–2 September 2026, the 70th anniversary year (Chinese embassy in Egypt).
• Egypt formally joined BRICS on 1 January 2024.
• The two central banks signed a currency swap agreement in 2016 and have renewed it several times; the June 2026 renewal enlarged it to CNY 30 billion / EGP 203 billion for three years (Chinese embassy in Egypt). In July 2025 they also signed an MoU on financial cooperation including local-currency settlement.
• The Egyptian pound was sharply devalued in a one-off move in March 2024; the rate has been broadly stable since and FX liquidity has improved markedly (MOFCOM guide).

Living tips

Egypt is a Muslim country. Eating hours and routines change during Ramadan, and religious holidays such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha move each year with the Islamic calendar. Cairo’s average summer high is about 34°C and the south can reach 42°C; the whole country is dry. Arabic is the official language, and employment contracts must be written in Arabic.

Visas and work permits

For short visits, apply for a tourist e-Visa on Egypt’s official e-Visa portal (US$30 single entry, US$65 multiple entry); since 1 August 2026 Cairo airport has been piloting a digital visa on arrival. Tourist visas do not allow work. To work, a local company first obtains a work permit; after arrival it is converted into a work visa and one-year residence, subject to security review, and renewal fees rise with years of service. See Egypt visas and work permits.

Doing business

Foreigners can own 100% of a company; most register with GAFI under the 2017 Investment Law. The security review usually takes about three months, trading and brokerage are restricted, and import companies face extra capital requirements. Corporate income tax is 22.5% and VAT 14%; free zone companies are tax-exempt but pay a fee. See registering a company in Egypt.

Safety

The MOFCOM guide says Egypt has seen no organised crime, terrorist attacks or kidnappings targeting Chinese citizens or companies, though theft has increased in some areas as prices rose. In 2026 the embassy repeatedly advised avoiding Sinai (except Sharm el-Sheikh and East Port Said) and border areas, keeping away from police and military sites, not photographing law enforcement and not bringing drones into the country. See Egypt safety guide.

Chinese community

The largest Chinese business body is the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, founded in 2004, with 165 members as of June 2023; other groups include the Egypt Chinese General Association, the Egypt Overseas Chinese Association and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association. For population data, see Chinese population in Africa; for the list of associations, see the Chinese community in Egypt.

Cost of living

Numbeo figures cited in the MOFCOM guide (Cairo, as of July 2025), for reference only; prices change quickly:

After the price rise of 25 July 2025, 92-octane petrol cost EGP 17.25 a litre and diesel EGP 15.50. The private-sector minimum wage has been EGP 7,000 a month since March 2025. UnionPay cards can withdraw Egyptian pounds at ATMs of the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr and others; Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in upscale hotels, malls and supermarkets.

Embassy and emergency contacts

For what consular protection covers, see consular protection; for other North African countries, see North Africa; for Africa-wide basics, see Africa essentials.

References

1. Guide for Outbound Investment and Cooperation: Egypt (2025 edition) (MOFCOM / Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2025)
2. Egypt e-Visa Portal: FAQ (Egyptian e-Visa portal, accessed October 2026)
3. Egypt to introduce digital visa on arrival from 1 August 2026 (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
4. Embassy reminds Chinese citizens of summer travel safety (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
5. Consular reminder: Chinese citizens in Egypt should strengthen security precautions (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
6. Embassy holds Mid-Autumn reception for the Chinese community (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
7. China and Egypt central banks renew bilateral currency swap agreement (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
8. SCZONE kicks off China roadshow to reel in USD investment inflows (Enterprise, 22 July 2025)
9. Chinese firms to inject $2.4bn investments into Egypt (Arab News, 28 April 2026)