Before you start

Residence in Egypt and registration in your governorate
A valid foreign driving licence
A medical fitness certificate and a vision test certificate
A bilingual certificate of residence issued through your consulate

Step-by-step

1
Use your international driving permit for the first six months
An IDP is valid here for six months from arrival, which gives you time to arrange the Egyptian licence without pressure.
In personWho: You6 months
2
Get the medical and vision certificates
Both are required as part of the application and are obtained locally.
In personWho: You
3
Obtain a bilingual certificate of residence
Issued through your consulate or the relevant consular body. It must be bilingual — Arabic and your own language — which means an appointment at your embassy.
In personWho: You
4
Apply at the Traffic Department of your governorate
Applications go to the governorate where you are registered as resident, not to any office you choose.
In personWho: You
5
Sit the written and practical tests
Both are required of all foreign nationals. There is no exemption based on your home licence or years of experience.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Passport and residence permit
Medical fitness certificate and vision test certificate
Bilingual certificate of residence from your consulate
Photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

There is no exchange agreement with anywhere. Everyone tests.

Unlike most countries, which recognise at least some foreign licences, Egypt requires every foreign national to pass both a written and a practical test. Thirty years of accident-free driving in Germany or Japan counts for nothing procedurally. Plan for the tests rather than hoping for a conversion.

Source: Egyptian Traffic Department licensing requirements

The six-month IDP window is your planning runway, and it starts on arrival.

An international driving permit covers you for six months. That is generous compared with the paperwork timeline, but it starts when you land, not when you decide to drive — so if you spend four months settling in, you have two left.

Source: Egyptian driving regulations for foreign nationals

The residence certificate must be bilingual and consular.

Not a translation you arrange, but a bilingual certificate issued through your consular body. That means an embassy appointment with its own lead time, and it is the document people discover late.

Source: Egyptian Traffic Department documentation requirements

Seriously consider not driving in Cairo.

Traffic in Greater Cairo is among the most demanding anywhere — lane markings are advisory, and the informal rules take a long time to read. The Metro is cheap and effective on its lines, and ride-hailing is inexpensive and ubiquitous. Many long-term foreign residents never get a licence at all.

Source: community-reported, widely corroborated

Common mistakes to avoid

Expecting to convert your licence administratively — no such route exists.
Letting the six-month IDP window run down before starting the process.
Getting an ordinary translation instead of a bilingual consular residence certificate.
Applying outside the governorate where you are registered as resident.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.