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Know where and how to buy a SIM card at Hurghada International airport (HRG) for travelers upon arrival to stay connected in Egypt.
Getting a SIM card at Cairo Airports / Border Gates by Province 2024
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How to get SIM card at Cairo Airport conveniently and quickly? This is something that many tourists are interested in. First, you need to be familiar with some information about this airport as well as some necessary SIM card replacement solutions in case of inconvenient purchases. In this article, we will guide you!
In this article
I. Cairo Airport Map
Cairo is the capital of Egypt. This is quite a crowded city with a lot of traffic and transportation. Cairo has the largest airport in Egypt là Cairo International Airport (CAI). This is the main gateway where most tourists depart when traveling to Cairo or Egypt.
In addition, Cairo city also has another airport, Cairo West Airport (or Sphinx International Airport). However, this airport’s crowd is not as crowded as Cairo International Airport (CAI).
The IATA (abbreviation for International Air Transport Association) and ICAO (abbreviation for International Civil Aviation Organization) codes of these two airports are as follows:
| Airport | IATA | ICAO |
| Cairo International Airport (CAI) | CAI | HECA |
| Sphinx International Airport | SPX | HECA |
II. List of Cairo Border Gates
Cairo is inherently an inland city, not a port city or a border city, so it will not have “traditional border gates” like cities on the international border. However, Cairo also has many entry points for people to enter and exit through land border gates.
Below are the borders gates of Cairo:
- Cairo International Airport (CAI) – Cairo and Egypt’s main international airport.
- Sphinx International Airport (SPX) – Also known as Cairo West Airport, operates as a secondary airport to Cairo
- Port Said Port – is a major seaport at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal.
- Port of Alexandria – Another important seaport located on the Mediterranean Sea.
- Rafah Border Gate – is the place that connects Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula with the Gaza Strip.
- Salloum Border Crossing – Connects Egypt to Libya, mainly used for road transport
Conclusion: In particular, mainly tourists will travel and enter via air under two airports: Cairo International Airport and Sphinx International Airport. Furthermore, the city has many seaports and land border crossings for maritime and road transport.
III. How to Get a SIM Card at Cairo Airports
Kiosk of Vodafone at Cairo airport
- Landing the plane: Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, go through immigration and baggage claim if you have checked baggage after landing.
- Telecommunications service providers: You can find kiosks or small stores that provide telecommunications services at airport entrances and exits. Usually they are in the main lobby or entrance for the convenience of tourists.
- Prepare documents: Normally, you will need to present your passport to buy a SIM card or some other related documents.
- Buy and activate SIM card: Please choose the package and type of SIM card you need, then the staff will assist in activating and recharging the card with data packages before completing.
- Insert and configure: Once you have activated your SIM card, insert it into your phone in the preset SIM slot and configure it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Top-up: If you need to top up your SIM card to use, you can do it at suppliers, online websites, convenience stores or supermarkets.
- Recommendation:
- Remember to keep your passport and SIM card throughout the trip. You will need to present them if there is a problem with the SIM and the provider will ask for it.
- If you have questions or problems during use, please contact the supplier directly and ask for support from staff.
- Each airport will have similar process steps, however there may be some differences.
IV. Should I Buy a SIM Card at Cairo Airports?
Buying a SIM card at the airport is a traditional method chosen by many tourists every time they come to Egypt. However, this method also has a number of different advantages and disadvantages. You can refer to the comparison table below.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cairo Airport SIM cards
| Pros | Cons |
| – Convenient, easy to find at Kiosks right at the airport entrance – There are many kiosks of large and small networks for you to choose from – Supported quick activation procedures | – Costs are often higher than outside suppliers because they are also subject to airport taxes – Need to present many personal documents and some quite complicated procedures |
► Conclusion:
You should buy SIM cards from outside carriers for cheaper costs and less luggage. However, if you urgently need a means of communication and have financial resources, then confidently buy directly at the airport.
Alternative Options to Cairo Airport SIM cards
In addition to buying a SIM card at Cairo airport, you can choose another alternative method, eSIM. In terms of features, these two options are equivalent. However, there are some unique advantages and disadvantages of these two options that we will leave below for your convenience to compare.
| Buy SIM card at Cairo airport | Buy eSIM at Cairo airport | |
| Pros | – Convenient, easy to find at airport kiosks – Easy to activate, dedicated service | – Convenient, easy to find at airport kiosks – Activation is simple, just scan the QR – You can order online in advance and just check in and get the code at the kiosk |
| Cons | – Easy to lose when replacing physical SIM cards – There may be some recognition errors due to problems with the sim slot – Activation takes longer than eSIM | – The phone needs to be eSIM compatible to use |
► Our recommendation:
If your phone is eSIM compatible, you should choose this method instead of SIM card because it is convenient, neat, and quick to activate and use. In addition, eSIM also has some data packages with better internet access than SIM cards.
V. Gigago Cairo eSIM – Alternative To Getting SIM card at Airports
GIGAGO is known as a reputable, quality, and affordable travel eSIM supplier. In particular, it only takes about 10 minutes to activate after paying and scanning the QR code. In addition, GIGAGO staff also supports payment and online activation when you order before your trip.
eSIM GIGAGO has a number of benefits that you definitely should not ignore:
- Large package, good cost, flexible according to length of stay
- Some packages include local voice calling and texting packages
- Quick activation after only 10 minutes
Gigago eSIM plans for Egypt: For Egypt, Gigago offers multiple data plan options, starting from 3GB GB for 5-14 days with $7.00 . What is great about Gigago’s Egypt eSIM is that its plans’ costs are diversifying, varying between $7.00 – $278.50 . Thus, it does not matter how Internet users you are and how long your trip is in Egypt, there is always an option for you with Gigago.
Can I buy a SIM card at Cairo International Airport?
Yes, Cairo International Airport has kiosks offering SIM cards from many major Egyptian carriers. You can find out in advance through online channels about some of these suppliers.
Do I need to show identification to buy a SIM card?
Yes, this is a prerequisite when you want to buy a SIM card here. Please keep your passport and identification documents carefully to complete the SIM card registration process.
Can I use my Cairo SIM card outside Cairo?
Yes, you can usually use the whole of Egypt because the coverage of these providers is relatively good. However, it is also necessary to check again to be more certain from the suppliers.
What are the popular telecommunications service providers in Cairo?
What are the popular telecommunications service providers in Cairo?
VII. Conclusion
In general, buying a SIM card at Cairo airport is quite simple and convenient. However, you should only choose to buy it at the airport in case you need to use the SIM or internet urgently. Because the cost at the airport is quite high compared to buying from an outside supplier and it is quite complicated to present documents for registration. So we recommend that you can choose eSIM as an alternative method with better convenience, cost and data package.
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