Egypt is a very popular travel destination for tourists from many countries, it is very important to understand what currency is used in the country before flying. Knowing the national currency of the country, you can decide which currency to take to Egypt in order to exchange it more profitably. The local currency in this country is the Egyptian pound. One pound is divided into one hundred piastres. Products on the shelves may be labeled as EGP (Egyptian Pound), L. E. (Egyptian lyre) or pt (piastres).
Complexity of banknotes
In the form of banknotes, money in Egypt comes in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pounds. There are 25 and 50 piaster notes, coins of the same denomination plus 1 pound coins. In addition, in Egypt there are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 millioms - these are very small money, today these coins are practically not used. Therefore, if change was given in such coins, then it is better to keep them as a souvenir.
The difficulty of currency banknotes in Egypt is that their denomination is difficult to distinguish, especially 50 piastres and 50 pounds are difficult to distinguish. Often times, sellers can deceive the buyer in this way, citing their difficult distinction. Therefore, when receiving change, you need to be extremely careful.
What currency to take to Egypt
In Egypt, you can take the dollar or the euro - the two most common currencies, the preference should be given to the dollar, because the exchange rate for it is often more profitable.
The import of currencies into Egypt is unlimited, but you can freely export only up to $ 5,000. It is prohibited to export Egyptian pounds from the country.
Currency exchange in Egypt
Difficulties with currency exchange should not arise, there are many options - up to exchange on the street with passers-by. It is not difficult to guess that the most profitable exchange can be made at a specialized exchange office. It is better to exchange imported currency for local currency as soon as possible, because when buying goods, say in dollars, the seller is more likely to give back change in local currency at a very disadvantageous rate.
City banks, as a rule, work from morning until 14:00, sometimes they work in the evening, after 18:00. At airports, banks are often open around the clock.
Again, it is worth recalling the care, even in the bank there is a high probability of fraud due to the similarity of the Egyptian currency bills.
Credit cards
In Egypt, credit cards from major payment systems such as VISA or MasterCard can be used, but this must be done with caution. Cases of fraud with credit cards are very common. In addition, when paying for goods from the card, a commission will be taken in the amount of 3 to 10% of the value of the goods, which is also not very pleasant.
