How to Call Egypt from the US

Key facts (as of June 2026): To call Egypt from the US, dial 011 + 20 + the area code and local number (drop the leading 0). 011 is the US international exit code and 20 is Egypt’s country code. From a US mobile, press and hold 0 to enter + and dial +20 instead of 011.

To call Egypt from the US, dial 011 + 20 + area code (drop leading 0) + local number. Cairo example: 011-20-2-XXXX-XXXX. Mobile example (Vodafone): 011-20-10-XXXXXXXX. The 011 is the US exit code; 20 is Egypt’s country code.

This guide covers every variant — Cairo and Alexandria landlines, all four mobile carriers, time-zone math, calling costs, and the mistakes that cause US-to-Egypt calls to fail.

How to dial Egypt from the US

The full formula is: 011 → 20 → area code or mobile prefix (no leading 0) → local number.

1. Dial 011 — the US international exit code, required from every US landline. From a US mobile, press and hold 0 until a + appears; + replaces 011 automatically.
2. Dial 20 — Egypt’s country code, assigned by the ITU.
3. Dial the area code or mobile prefix without its leading 0. Egyptian numbers in local format always start with a 0 (trunk prefix for domestic dialing). That 0 is dropped for international calls. Cairo’s area code is written 02 locally — you dial just 2.
4. Dial the local subscriber number as written (no spaces needed).
5. Press call.

From	What you dial
US landline	011 20 [area/mobile code] [local number]
US mobile	011 20 [area/mobile code] [local number] or +20 [area/mobile code] [local number]
VoIP softphone (DialPhone, etc.)	+20 [area/mobile code] [local number]

Save contacts in +20 format — it works on any device anywhere without modification.

Egyptian area codes by major city

Egyptian landline area codes are 1–2 digits. Always drop the leading 0 shown in the local national format.

City	Area code	Example (national)	Dial from US
Cairo	2	02-1234-5678	011-20-2-12345678
Giza	2	02-1234-5678	011-20-2-12345678
Alexandria	3	03-1234-567	011-20-3-1234567
Luxor	95	095-123-456	011-20-95-123456
Aswan	97	097-123-456	011-20-97-123456
Hurghada	65	065-123-456	011-20-65-123456
Sharm el-Sheikh	69	069-123-456	011-20-69-123456
Port Said	66	066-123-456	011-20-66-123456
Suez	62	062-123-456	011-20-62-123456
Ismailia	64	064-123-456	011-20-64-123456
Mansoura	50	050-123-456	011-20-50-123456
Tanta	40	040-123-456	011-20-40-123456

Mobile prefixes — dial these instead of an area code for Egyptian mobile numbers:

Carrier	Mobile prefix	US dial format
Vodafone Egypt	10	011-20-10-XXXXXXXX
Etisalat Egypt (e&)	11	011-20-11-XXXXXXXX
Orange Egypt	12	011-20-12-XXXXXXXX
WE (Telecom Egypt)	15	011-20-15-XXXXXXXX

A mobile number listed in Egypt as 0101 234 5678 (Vodafone) becomes 011-20-101-2345678 — or in E.164: +20101234567. The leading 01 in the Egyptian format collapses to just 10 after you drop the trunk 0.

How Egyptian numbering works

Egypt’s phone numbering plan is administered by the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA). The country moved to a unified 10-digit national numbering plan in 2011, covering both landlines and mobiles under the same length standard.

Landlines carry the area code as part of the subscriber range — Cairo and Giza share area code 2 because they form a contiguous urban zone. Mobile numbers are network-assigned rather than geographic, which is why prefixes (10, 11, 12, 15) identify the carrier, not the city.

Egypt has four licensed mobile operators: Vodafone Egypt, Etisalat Egypt (rebranded as e& Egypt), Orange Egypt, and WE (Telecom Egypt’s retail mobile arm). Number portability is available, meaning a subscriber can switch carriers while keeping their number — so the prefix is not always a reliable indicator of the current carrier.

Time zones — EET and EEST

Egypt observes Eastern European Time (EET), UTC+2 in winter. In 2023 Egypt reinstated daylight saving time after a nine-year pause, moving clocks forward one hour in spring to EEST (UTC+3) through autumn.

US time zone	Egypt offset (winter / EST)	Egypt offset (summer / EDT)
Eastern (ET)	+7 hours	+6 hours
Central (CT)	+8 hours	+7 hours
Mountain (MT)	+9 hours	+8 hours
Pacific (PT)	+10 hours	+9 hours

Egypt’s and the US’s DST transitions do not fall on the same dates, creating a brief window each spring and autumn when the offset shifts by one hour. If your team calls Egypt regularly, set a world clock widget rather than relying on a fixed offset.

Standard Egyptian business hours are roughly 9 AM–5 PM Sunday–Thursday (Friday and Saturday are the weekend). A call placed at 9 AM Eastern lands at 4 PM Cairo in winter — acceptable. A 4 PM Eastern call lands at 11 PM Cairo — avoid it.

US to Egypt calling costs

Calling costs break into three tiers:

Traditional carrier per-minute (no add-on plan): Published rates range from roughly $0.20 to $4.00 per minute to Egyptian numbers, with mobile destinations typically priced higher than landlines. Rates vary by carrier and change without notice — check your carrier’s international rate tool before a long call.

Carrier international add-on packages: Most US carriers offer monthly add-ons ($5–$25/month) that reduce per-minute rates to Egypt significantly. Useful for occasional but predictable call volumes.

VoIP calling: Services like DialPhone route calls over the internet and apply a flat per-minute rate to Egypt — consistently lower than major US carrier add-on pricing and requiring no separate monthly international package. For a team calling Egypt weekly (sales outreach, supplier calls, diaspora support lines), VoIP eliminates the variable-cost exposure entirely.

Free-app calling: WhatsApp calling is extremely prevalent in Egypt — WhatsApp penetration in Egypt is among the highest in the MENA region. If your contact is on WhatsApp, a data call is free for both parties. This is reliable for personal and informal B2B contact but not suitable for outbound business campaigns or call recording for compliance.

See DialPhone pricing for current per-minute rates to Egypt on each plan.

Calling Egyptian mobile vs landline — and WhatsApp

From a US perspective, the dialing format for Egyptian mobile and landline numbers is identical in structure: exit code + country code + subscriber digits (no leading 0). The practical difference is that mobile prefixes (10, 11, 12, 15) replace the geographic area code for mobile numbers.

Call quality to Egyptian mobiles is generally solid from VoIP — Egypt’s 4G and 5G coverage in Cairo, Alexandria, and tourist corridors is extensive. Rural Upper Egypt can have weaker signal, in which case voice quality depends on the recipient’s end.

WhatsApp is the default communication layer for a large share of Egyptian businesses, particularly SMEs. If you are making first-contact outreach to an Egyptian supplier or partner, WhatsApp messaging before a voice call increases answer rates significantly. Note that WhatsApp calls do not provide STIR/SHAKEN attestation — for regulated industries (financial services, healthcare) where call authentication matters, route through a STIR/SHAKEN-compliant VoIP carrier like DialPhone to ensure your calls present with an A-attestation rather than being flagged as unverified.

SMS to Egypt and business use cases

SMS format: Send to +20 + 10-digit mobile number (prefix + 8 digits, no leading 0). Standard GSMA routing applies. Delivery rates to Egyptian mobiles are high from major US SMS aggregators.

Business use cases where US-Egypt calling volume is significant:

• Suez Canal logistics: US freight forwarders, shipping companies, and cargo brokers routinely call Egyptian port authorities in Port Said (066), Suez (062), and Ismailia (064). DialPhone’s business phone plans cover these destinations at flat rates.
• Tourism and hospitality: US travel agencies arranging Egyptian tours (Luxor 095, Aswan 097, Hurghada 065, Sharm el-Sheikh 069) need reliable outbound calling to local hotels and guides.
• US-Egypt B2B trade: Egypt is a top US export market in MENA; import/export businesses regularly contact suppliers in Cairo (02) and Alexandria (03).
• Egyptian diaspora services: An estimated 500,000+ Egyptians live in the US. Healthcare practices, legal firms, and financial advisors serving this community need dependable Egypt calling.

For businesses regularly receiving calls from Egyptian clients, DialPhone’s AI receptionist can handle Arabic-language inbound calls — routing, transcription, and after-hours handling — without a dedicated Arabic-speaking operator on staff.

Consider pairing an Egypt-reachable outbound line with a number porting setup if you are migrating from a legacy PBX that currently handles your Egypt traffic.

FAQ

Calling Egypt FAQ

What is the country code for Egypt? +

Egypt's country code is +20. From a US landline or mobile dial 011 first (the US exit code), then 20, then the Egyptian area code or mobile prefix, then the local number. From any US mobile you can substitute + for 011, dialing +20 directly.

How do I call a mobile number in Egypt from the US? +

Dial 011 + 20 + the two-digit mobile prefix + the 8-digit subscriber number. Egyptian mobile prefixes are: 10 (Vodafone), 11 (Etisalat/e&), 12 (Orange Egypt), 15 (WE/Telecom Egypt).

Example: to reach a Vodafone number listed as 010 1234 5678, dial 011-20-10-12345678. Drop the leading 0 from the number as listed — it is an Egyptian trunk prefix not used on international calls.

How do I call Cairo from the US? +

Cairo uses area code 2. Dial 011 + 20 + 2 + the 8-digit local number. A Cairo number written as 02 1234 5678 becomes 011-20-2-12345678 from the US. Giza shares area code 2 with Cairo.

Does Egypt observe daylight saving time? +

Yes — Egypt reinstated DST in 2023 after a long absence. Egypt moves to EEST (UTC+3) in summer and back to EET (UTC+2) in winter.

In practice this means Egypt is 7 hours ahead of US Eastern Time (ET) in winter, and 6 hours ahead during US DST (roughly March–November). Always check the current local time before calling.

How much does it cost to call Egypt from the US? +

Traditional US carrier rates to Egypt run roughly $0.20–$4.00 per minute depending on plan and destination (landline vs mobile). Most major carriers offer international add-on packages that reduce per-minute costs significantly.

VoIP services like DialPhone route calls over the internet and typically charge a flat per-minute rate well below carrier add-on pricing, with no separate monthly international plan required.

Can I send an SMS to Egypt from the US? +

Yes. Standard SMS works to Egyptian mobile numbers. Format the number in E.164 international format: +20 followed by the 10-digit mobile number (two-digit prefix + eight-digit subscriber number). Most US mobile apps and SMS platforms accept this format directly.

For business SMS campaigns, Egypt mobile numbers must be provisioned through a carrier that has an agreement with Egyptian operators — confirm with your VoIP provider before launching bulk outbound SMS.

How many digits are in an Egyptian phone number? +

Egyptian landlines are typically 8 digits locally (after the area code), and Egyptian mobile numbers are 10 digits in national format including the leading 0 trunk prefix. When dialing from the US, you remove the trunk 0, leaving a 9-digit string after the country code +20 for mobiles, or the area code plus 7–8 digits for landlines.

What is the cheapest way to call Egypt from the US? +

VoIP calling (DialPhone, Skype, Google Voice) consistently offers the lowest per-minute rates to Egypt. WhatsApp and Viber calls are free when both parties have the app and an internet connection — widely used within the Egyptian diaspora.

For regular business calls, a VoIP plan with an Egyptian virtual number allows Egyptian recipients to see a local number, which significantly improves answer rates compared to an unfamiliar US number.

Start calling Egypt with DialPhone

DialPhone routes US-to-Egypt calls at flat per-minute VoIP rates with STIR/SHAKEN A-attestation on every outbound call — no international add-on packages, no bill shock.

• Start a free trial — active in minutes, includes outbound calling to Egypt
• DialPhone business phone — full plan details and Egypt per-minute rates
• How to call the UK from the US — same dialing pattern, different country
• Number porting guide — bring your existing number to DialPhone

Call other countries from the US

Part of the How to Call Internationally from the US hub — exit code 011, country codes, and the per-country mobile rules.

• How to call South Africa from the US
• How to call Nigeria from the US
• How to call Kenya from the US
• How to call Israel from the US
• How to call Canada from the US