Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) confirmed that since the start of 2025, more than 650,000 mobile phones have entered the country duty-free alongside travelers under the ongoing pilot phase of the mobile device governance system.
The exemption permits one mobile device per traveler to enter without customs duties and remains active amid a broader framework aimed at regulating telecom device imports and combating smuggling.
The NTRA officially denied social media rumors suggesting retroactive taxation or disabling of previously exempted phones, calling such claims “unfounded.”
However, the regulator identified misuse of the exemption, suspending network access for approximately 60,000 devices pending investigations. A review uncovered 13,000 devices that illegally exploited the duty-free exemption and remain blocked.
Conversely, about 47,000 suspended devices were verified as legitimately exempt and have since been reactivated.
The exemption policy is part of Egypt’s national strategy to monitor device imports, enforce fair taxation, and reduce unregistered mobile devices on local networks. The NTRA reaffirmed its commitment to regular audits, enforcement actions, and the rollout of advanced technological checks as the program progresses toward full implementation.
