Moving to Egypt
Are you considering moving to Egypt? If you are looking for information on the country, and help with your move, then allow us to guide you. We will provide you with up to 10 free and personalised quotes from top experienced moving companies who will safely transport your possessions from door to door, internationally.
Located in the North Eastern-most corner of the African continent, Egypt lies in a strategic inter-continental position between Africa and Asia, bordering Libya to the West, Sudan to the South and Israel and the Gaza Strip to the East. It also has significant water borders, with Mediterranean sea to its North and the Red Sea to the East, in addition to controlling the Suez canal which links the two seas.
Its climate is well known as being mostly desert, with many dry years, having the lowest rainfall of any country in the world. Only the Nile Valley and Nile Delta are densely populated.
Basic Visa Requirements
Non-Egyptian nationals will need a valid entry Visa in order to obtain residency.
Residency is normally for 3 or 5 years. You will need your current, valid passport, and depending on the date of issue, you may require your old passport. Unless you are an Egyptian citizen you will need an Egyptian work permit or prove you are able to support yourself for the length of your stay in order to be granted a visa. You will also require a bank release and an insurance certificate.
Infrastructure / Job Prospects
If you are thinking of moving to Egypt for work. The Egyptian economy has relatively low unemployment for the region, the economy is more diverse than many and is growing by 5% a year. The Agriculture, Tourism and Energy production sectors are among the largest.
The Energy industry is made up of Coal, Oil, Gas, and more recently Hydro-Electric production.
Coal, mainly from the North Eastern area near the Nile Delta produces over 600,000 tons a year, and the Oil and Gas industries, relying on the large deposits in the Nile Delta and Western Sahara Desert areas of the country. The Gas industry produces over 40,000,000 cubic feet per year and the export industry for Gas, and other natural resources will grow in the future.
Egypt’s infrastructure has historically been poor, resulting in a restriction of economic growth and freedom of movement within and past the immediate area of the Nile Delta.
The government has recently pledged to provide a large investment in the country’s infrastructure, particularly the rail road system.
The government has succeeded in encouraging major foreign investments. This is partially due to its recent economic and taxation reforms, which have encouraged countries interested in moving to Egypt that the time is right to do so.
The tax reform, which resulted in a halving of the corporation tax rate from 40% to 20% has also had the side effect of drastically increasing the tax revenue of the country, by something in the order of 100%
Although around a third of the workforce is employed by the agricultural industry at present, both the media and the IT industries play growing roles in the economy as the government attempts to improve Egypt’s position for long-term economic growth. Cairo is the centre of media production in the middle east, including satellite TV and film production.
The Foreign Investment received by the country, of over $6 billion, makes the country the second highest in the African continent and Egypt is likely to overtake South Africa as the country with the highest investment from foreign companies and governments.
There are several niches for those looking for work in Egypt. Most native English speakers will be ideally placed for the teaching of English as a second language, Westerners are often required for TV and film work, or for advertising, and finally, journalism opportunities may be available, particularly to those with good qualifications. You may find these are some of the easiest ways to gain work after moving to Egypt.
The tourist industry has grown exponentially. Sharm el-Sheikh has become one of the largest destinations in Egypt for both foreign and local tourists due to many factors. The city is home to some of the worlds best beaches, an excellent environment for water sports, including Scuba Diving in the coral reefs, and has many high class hotels, including 5 star hotel chains like the Hyatt and Hilton.
Important cities and Population Density
The country has a population of over 8 million people, the largest in the middle east, mostly concentrated in and around the Nile Delta area, which forms only around 35,000 sq km of a country with a total size of over 900,000 sq km. The country is heavily dependent on the Nile Delta area not just for food, as the provider of its only arable farming land, but also in terms of industry, particularly tourism to the cities and nearby ancient sites.
Egypt’s largest cities are located in the Nile Delta. The largest, and the capital, Cairo, is home to nearly 8 million people, with over 35,000 people per square km. The second largest city, Alexandria was extremely important historically, and is also located in the Nile Delta. Sharm el-Sheikh has become one of the more important cities due to the tourism industry
Egypt’s strategic position has made it hugely important in the region, with the capability to control both the important land link between the continents of Africa and Asia, and additionally the Suez canal, a hugely important feature in world shipping, which enables travel between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and generates over $3 billion for the country each year. The canal has been the cause of many disputes since its opening, mainly due to its strategic importance. Nowadays, with over 7% of the worlds sea trade passing through the canal each year, it is unlikely to be closed to traffic.
The wider area around the canal has been the focus of several development initiatives, and the canal can be driven under and over using the Ahmed Hamdi road tunnel and the Suez Canal Bridge. These form an important part of the development of the surrounding area.
Egyptian Facts
Egypt’s ancient civilization is well known throughout the world, having been amongst the earliest and most complex civilizations, and one which exerted great influence on culture throughout Europe.
Egypt is home to The Great Pyramid, one of the worlds largest structures, and one of the original Seven wonders of the World
The overwhelming majority of the country’s inhabitants (nearly 95%) are native Egyptians and the most common religion is Islamic, with most of the population being Sunni Muslims.
The country is also home to a large and growing immigrant population, of which many are refugees or asylum seekers moving to Egypt from the nearby regions of Iraq, Palestine and Sudan.
If you are looking to move to Egypt, we recommend you fill out the free estimate form which will allow you to specify details of the possessions you would like to take with you when you move. We will provide you with up to ten free, personalized quotes from pre-screened international movers
Useful Links
Government – www.egypt.gov.eg/english/default.asp
Government facts and figures -www.idsc.gov.eg/index.asp
Tourism: www.egypt.travel
Local Newspapers: www.egypttoday.com
CIA World Factbook – www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html
Airports: www.cairo-airport.com