Reader Mohammed shared a frustrating story with me about a situation that his cousin faced at Cairo International Airport (CAI), suggesting she was extorted by customs officials.
I’ll share the story, but I simply struggle to believe that anyone working at Cairo Airport would provide anything other than the most exceptional, five star service, not at all motivated by making an extra buck. So everyone can draw their own conclusions… 😉
Egypt customs demands payment for second tablet
An OMAAT reader’s (young, female) cousin was traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Egypt on June 17, 2025, arriving at Cairo Airport. She was carrying her personal smartphone, her personal tablet, and a second Wi-Fi only tablet. All were clearly not for resale, and had already been used.
Mohammed tells me that at customs, she was stopped and intimidated by officials, who claimed that having an extra tablet violated import rules, and demanded that she pay 3,500 EGP (~70 USD) in cash. She felt threatened into compliance, and no receipt or documentation was issued about the payment.
Mohammed concludes with the following:
This appears to be blatant extortion, and it’s sadly not an isolated case. There are growing reports of similar abuse, especially targeting vulnerable travelers who are unfamiliar with their rights. I wanted to raise awareness about this behavior, which is damaging both to Egypt’s image and to the trust that travelers place in international airport operations.
Was this import duty legitimate, or corruption?
One certainly wonders whether an actual duty free limit was exceeded, or if the officers made up the rule on the spot, viewing this as an easy victim they could prey on to make some quick cash.
Some countries do indeed have bizarrely low limits on the number of electronics that travelers can bring into the country. For example, in 2024, Mexico made headlines, when there were increasingly issues with travelers being charged import duties for bringing more than one laptop-style device into the country. So if someone had a laptop and a tablet, they were technically exceeding the import limit, even if for personal use.
As it turned out, Mexico had that policy in place for a long time, but it seemingly just wasn’t enforced often, until last year. The country ended up reversing this policy, given the extent to which it relies on tourism, and this policy definitely wasn’t good publicity.
In the case of Egypt, I’m trying to find if there’s a similar policy, but I can’t find anything suggesting that a second tablet that’s not for resale is subject to duties. That being said, if I’m missing something, please let me know.
Of course my take on the Cairo Airport is no secret, and the Egyptian government isn’t a fan of people having opinions. I’d reach out to authorities for a statement on this, but I think they’d either tell me to pound sand, or could claim that no employee at the airport has ever accepted a bribe for anything, so…
Bottom line
Egyptian immigration officials demanded payment when a young woman arriving at Cairo Airport had two tablets on her, neither of which were for resale. They demanded a cash payment of roughly $75, and no receipt was provided.
Sometimes countries have weird limits on the items that can be imported without paying duties. In this case, I can’t find any reference to such a low limit on the number of electronics that can be brought into Egypt. So that leaves me to believe that officials saw an opportunity to make a quick buck, though if I’m missing something, please let me know.
What do you make of this Egypt immigration situation?
