Is VPN Legal in Egypt? Reading the Cybercrime and Telecom Laws

No Egyptian law mentions VPNs by name. The Telecommunication Regulation Law No. 10 of 2003 requires written consent before anyone uses telecom encryption equipment, and Law No. 175 of 2018 punishes unauthorised access to off-limits systems, which some lawyers read as covering tunnels into blocked sites. Neither text sets a fine for running a VPN as such. This is a reading of the statutes, not legal advice.

Encryption consent under Article 64 of the 2003 telecom law

Article 64 requires operators, providers, their employees and users of telecom services to obtain written consent from NTRA, the Armed Forces and the National Security entities before using encryption equipment; Article 81 punishes a breach with prison and a fine of EGP 10,000 to 100,000. The 2003 text does not say whether encryption inside a phone or laptop app counts as "equipment". Article 72 separately criminalises unlicensed telecom services or by-passing international calls: six months to five years and/or EGP 50,000 to 500,000; Freedom House reads that as making international VoIP calls technically illegal.

The 2018 cybercrime articles a VPN user meets

Article 14 punishes entering, or staying without right, in an off-limits website, private account or information system: at least a year in prison and/or EGP 50,000 to 100,000. The article names neither VPNs nor blocked sites, but Andersen Egypt reads it as covering VPN tools used to reach blocked sites; that is one firm's reading, not a court ruling. Article 22 punishes software, devices, passwords or encryption keys held without authorisation, with intent to commit or facilitate an offence under the 2018 law (at least two years and/or EGP 300,000 to 500,000). Article 7 lets the investigating authority order a site blocked, with a court ruling within 72 hours; providers keep logs for 180 days (Article 2).

Penalties set by the two laws

The table lists selected articles only.

Where the "large VPN fine" claim comes from

Provider blogs warn of heavy fines without citing an article; the only article-based version is the law-firm reading of Article 14.

Blocked sites, calls and Roblox by date

What the reports say about enforcement

Freedom House rates Egypt "Not Free" at 28 of 100 and cites Article 64 as the reason encryption remains restricted. Neither its 2023 and 2024 reports nor the State Department's 2023 report describes a person charged for VPN use as such; prosecutions concern posts and content.

Tourists, remote workers and company VPNs

Provider websites are among the blocked pages, so install the app before arrival. On corporate tunnels, Andersen Egypt advises organisations to obtain the approvals for encryption use. This page lists 192 services, 2 of which name Egypt among the countries where they say they work (provider claims; the site runs no blocking or legality tests), plus 1,568 reviews from Egypt showing which apps people there use, not legality. For picking a service, see the VPN for Egypt page.

FAQ

Can tourists use a VPN in Egypt?

No law names VPN apps. The open questions are the encryption-consent clause and what you access with the tunnel.

Do WhatsApp calls work in Egypt?

The app itself is not described as blocked; voice calls are intermittently restricted on mobile networks, briefly lifted during COP27.

Is playing Roblox with a VPN illegal in Egypt?

Neither law mentions games or players. The SCMR statements concern blocking the platform, citing child safety.

Does a corporate VPN need permission?

Article 64 covers users of telecom services, which is why Andersen Egypt tells organisations to obtain the approvals.

Egypt VPN rules in short

No Egyptian statute names VPNs. Encryption equipment requires written consent under the 2003 telecom law, and some lawyers read the 2018 law's access article as covering tunnels into blocked sites. The reports describe no case over VPN use itself.