Health and healthcare tips

Most visitors to Egypt stay healthy with a few simple habits: drink bottled water, respect the sun, and travel with insurance. Pharmacies are everywhere, and private hospitals in the main cities and resorts treat visitors every day.

01

Before you travel

Travel insurance

Buy insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation. Private hospitals often ask for payment or an insurer’s guarantee before treatment.

Vaccinations

Make sure routine vaccinations are up to date. Hepatitis A and typhoid are often recommended for travellers. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you arrive from a country with yellow fever. Ask a travel clinic 4 to 6 weeks before you go.

Medicines

Bring enough of your regular medicines in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. Some medicines, such as strong painkillers, sleeping pills and ADHD drugs, are controlled in Egypt: carry a doctor’s letter for them.

02

Water and food

  • Drink bottled or filtered water, and use it to brush your teeth if your stomach is sensitive.
  • Choose busy restaurants with freshly cooked food; peel fruit, and be careful with salads and ice from street stalls.
  • Carry hand sanitiser and oral rehydration salts. Most stomach upsets pass in a day or two; see a doctor if you have a high fever or symptoms last more than two days.

03

Heat and sun

Summer temperatures in Luxor and Aswan often pass 40 °C, and the sun is strong all year.

  • Drink water regularly, even before you feel thirsty, and carry it at the sites.
  • Visit open-air sites early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and rest in the shade at midday.
  • Wear a hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen, and reapply after swimming.
  • Headache, dizziness, nausea or confusion can be signs of heat exhaustion: move to shade, cool down, drink, and get help if you don’t improve.

04

Pharmacies and hospitals

Pharmacies

Found in every neighbourhood, with many open 24 hours. Pharmacists give advice for minor problems, and many pharmacies deliver to your hotel.

Doctors

Most hotels can call a doctor to your room. Many doctors in tourist areas speak English.

Hospitals

Private hospitals with emergency departments operate in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor and Aswan. Keep your passport and insurance details with you.

05

Diving and swimming

  • Dive with licensed centres and follow your instructor’s depth and time limits. Hyperbaric (decompression) chambers operate in the main Red Sea and Sinai diving areas.
  • Don’t fly within 24 hours of diving.
  • Avoid swimming in the Nile, canals and freshwater lakes, which can carry parasites. Swimming pools and the sea are fine.
  • Use insect repellent near the Nile and in the Delta in the evening. The World Health Organization certified Egypt malaria-free in October 2024.

06

In an emergency

Ambulance: 123 · Tourist Police: 126 · Police: 122 · Ministry of Tourism hotline: 19654

Tell the operator where you are (hotel name or landmark) and your phone number. All emergency numbers.

Last checked in October 2026. This page is general advice, not medical advice. Check your own government’s travel health advice and see a doctor or travel clinic before you travel.