Customs duty calculator for Egypt 2026: duty and tax on what you import

Customs rules in Egypt

Valuation basis

Value of the goods + shipping + insurance (CIF).

VAT

14% on the value plus duty.

Small shipments

We found no announced exemption threshold for postal parcels or e-commerce shipments in official sources; the only confirmed official exemption is the passenger allowance of 15,000 Egyptian pounds for new items. Some commercial websites give undocumented thresholds, so do not rely on them.

Traveller allowance

New items for personal use, such as gifts, are exempt up to 15,000 Egyptian pounds, and taxes and duties are charged on anything above the exemption. Up to five phones are exempt from regulatory inspection, but duties are paid if the value exceeds the exemption. Tobacco: one carton (200 cigarettes) or 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco, and one litre of spirits for tourists. Tourists can use it up to 4 times a year and returning Egyptians twice a year; each family member has their own allowance, and allowances cannot be combined for a single item.

Cars

Under the official tariff: petrol cars up to 1,600 cc pay 40% import duty, and above 1,600 cc 135% import duty. Non-plug-in hybrids up to 1,600 cc 30%, and above that 100%. Fully electric cars have zero customs duty. VAT is 14% and table tax depends on engine size, plus the development fee. European and British origin cuts customs duty and charges with equivalent effect by 100% (Annexes R6663 and R6668), subject to a Euro-Mediterranean certificate of origin. Petrol up to 1,600 cc: customs 40%, table tax 1%, development fee 3%; petrol 1,601 to 2,000 cc: customs 135%, table tax 15%, development fee 5%; petrol above 2,000 cc: customs 135%, table tax 30%, development fee 9%; non-plug-in hybrid up to 1,600 cc: customs 30%, table tax 1%; non-plug-in hybrid 1,601 to 2,000 cc: customs 100%, table tax 15%; non-plug-in hybrid above 2,000 cc: customs 100%, table tax 30%; fully electric: customs 0%, table tax 0%; European or British origin (petrol or hybrid): customs 0%.

Phones

The total announced charges on an imported phone are 38.5%, according to a Ministry of Finance statement (December 2024): 14% VAT, 10% customs duty, 5% resource development fee, 5% for the National Telecom Regulatory Authority and 4.5% for other bodies. The exceptional exemption for a phone carried by a passenger ended at noon on 21 January 2026; Egyptians abroad and tourists remain exempt for 90 days from arrival, as do phones running on a foreign SIM in roaming mode. Payment is through a phone app, banks or e-wallets. As of September 2026 the charges are still around 38%.

Common customs duty rates for individuals

The exact rate depends on the item's Harmonized System (HS) code. The table covers the categories individuals buy most often.

• Approximate formula: customs duty = value x rate, then table tax if any, and 14% VAT on (value + customs duty), then the development fee depending on the type of goods.
• European, British, Turkish and Arab origin (Agadir and the Greater Arab Free Trade Area) reduces or removes customs duty on many industrial goods, and preferential rates appear on the tariff line page.
• The rates shown are taken directly from the tariff line page on the Customs Authority website on 4 October 2026 and may change by presidential decree.
• We could not confirm a general customs services fee at a fixed rate on imports by individuals.
• The 10% resource development fee on selected goods does not apply to goods of European, British or Turkish origin or from the Agadir and Greater Arab Free Trade Area countries: choose "European Union" as the country of origin to exclude it.

Official calculator: Official customs tariff (search by product code)

Sources

1. Egyptian Customs Authority: customs tariff
2. Egyptian Customs Authority: passenger and tourist exemptions
3. Customs Authority: annex on the 10% development fee
4. Customs Authority: annex on the development fee for mobile phones
5. Customs Authority: annex on the development fee for cars
6. Customs Authority: annex on the EU partnership agreement
7. Al Arabiya: details of the 38.5% charges on phones (secondary source)
8. Egyptian Streets: end of the passenger phone exemption (secondary source)
9. Banker: charges at 38% until September 2026 (secondary source)
10. El Watan: status of the cars for Egyptians abroad initiative (secondary source)

Amounts in Egyptian pound (EGP).

Other countries and tools

Results are estimates based on common band rates. The final rate depends on the item's HS code and the customs valuation, and the courier may add clearance fees.