Egypt on a Chinese Licence — IDP Required and Traffic That Runs on the Horn

For a Chinese driver, the orientation in Egypt is reassuringly familiar — both countries drive on the right, so there is no reflex to relearn at junctions. The friction is the paperwork and the traffic.

You must carry an International Driving Permit. A Chinese national licence is not accepted on its own in Egypt; you need the IDP alongside it, and it has to be arranged before you leave home because it cannot be issued locally. Carry the IDP, your Chinese licence and your passport together — rental desks and police checkpoints will want all three. The combination covers stays of up to 3 months.

The traffic is rated Very Challenging, and the description is literal. Cairo and Alexandria move by negotiation rather than by lane: markings are advisory, gaps are claimed the moment they open, and the horn is used to announce presence, not to scold. Even drivers used to busy mainland-city conditions find Egyptian junctions less predictable, because right of way is settled by nerve and eye contact. Keep your line steady, signal your intentions early and clearly, and avoid sudden braking that the car behind will not expect. If you can, take the car somewhere calmer — a Red Sea resort — for the first day.

Alcohol is an absolute zero. Egypt enforces 0.0 BAC, tighter even than China’s already-strict 0.02. There is no margin, and penalties are heavy, so keep it dry whenever you are driving.

The posted limits are low — 60 km/h in towns, 90 on rural roads, 100 on the highways — but the genuine dangers are pedestrians, animals and unlit vehicles after dark rather than the number on the sign. Minor speeding costs around EGP 300-500. Fuel is one of the cheapest anywhere at roughly $0.35/litre. Emergency services answer on 122. Read the full rules on our Egypt driving guide, confirm your documents with the Driving Permit Checker, and budget any fine with the Speeding Fine Calculator.