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Regulations pertaining to the travel of media delegations to Egypt

1. General Regulations:

   
   

   1. The Government Press Office in Cairo, which is a part of Egypt's State Information Service, is the office responsible for all procedures related to the travel of media delegations to Egypt. The Press Office in Washington, DC acts as a liaison between the Press Office in Cairo and visiting journalists.

   2. We request that media delegations and journalists who wish to visit Egypt and whose work requires filming in certain locations and/or interviews with government officials contact the Press Office in Washington, DC in order to process the appropriate permits and secure the requisite approvals.

   3. In order to process the permits required to film and meet with government officials, we request that you submit the following information to the Egyptian Press Office in Washington DC:

      • A letter of introduction that explains who you are, the news organization you are working for, the purpose of your trip to Egypt, and specific details about the nature of your assignment there.

      • Any journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and all other members of a media delegation must provide the following information: name, passport number, a copy of the passport, date of travel to Egypt, as well as contact information while in Egypt.

      • The Washington,DC Press Office highly encourages you to submit digital copies of passports, because faxed copies are often fuzzy and unusable.

      • A list of official meetings and/or interviews that the delegation or the journalists seek to conduct while in Egypt as well as the general topics that shall be discussed.

      • A list of all locations where you wish to film as well as the purpose of the filming.

      • A specific list of all film equipment the delegation or the journalist will be taking with him/her to Egypt.

      • For underwater, aerial and safari filming, we request that you submit a detailed map outlining the specific locations you wish to film.

      • A copy of a letter of credit issued for the valued amount of all photography and film equipment being brought into the country (see below for more information). The original letter of credit should be taken with you and presented at customs in the Cairo airport.

   4. All information and documentation should be submitted to the Washington,DC Press Office via the following email address: egyprsinfo@gmail.com, or fax number: (202) 234-6827.

   5. We also request that the information be submitted to the Press Office in Washington, DC with enough time to allow for the processing of permits. Please note that:

      • Processing permits for filming specific locations in Egypt takes 10 to 14 days.

      • Getting approval for interviews with government officials requires 10 to 14 days.

      • Getting approval for underwater, safari or aerial filming takes three weeks.

   
    

2. Rules of entry and exit of equipment to Egypt

   
   

   1. It is expected that all photography or film equipment a delegation or a journalist takes to Egypt be solely used for work related purposed and that all such equipment be taken out of the country once the delegation or journalist leaves; this stipulation allows for the exemption of any taxes that would have otherwise been levied for entering such equipment to Egypt.

   2. In the event of taking more than one camera to Egypt, we request that you submit to the airport authorities a standby letter of credit whose value should match that of the equipment. This letter exempts you from having to pay any custom dues, under the agreement that the equipment will be taken out of the country again when you leave. A standby letter of credit (as opposed to a commercial or documentary letter of credit) is drawn up with the understanding that it will not be drawn upon unless the bearer of the letter fails to fulfill his or her side of the agreement (the subsequent removal of all equipment that was initially brought into the country).

   3. The letter of credit should state that the newspaper or the TV network or the news agency that is sponsoring the traveling delegation or journalist guarantees that it holds an amount of money equal to that of the value of the specific equipment that will be entering Egypt. This letter MUST be issued by the National Bank of Egypt or from another bank that has a branch in Egypt.

      • The National Bank of Egypt only issues letters of credit to organizations, not private individuals. If your sponsoring news organization will agree to post the amount of money needed to issue the letter of credit, please contact Khaled Gohrab in the New York branch of the National Bank of Egypt at (212) 326-8116, who can facilitate the issuing process.

      • If you or your sponsoring news organization already has a relationship with an American bank that has a branch in Egypt, this bank may also issue the letter of credit. Two banks that have branches in both the US and Egypt are Citibank and HSBC.

      • Media delegations that need help acquiring a letter of credit, or with organizing other aspects of their trip, can contact Romany Helmy or Ramy Romany of EgyptFixer.com. Previous media delegations the Egyptian Press Office has worked with have had success when working with this organization. Visit their website to get their contact information.

   4. When only taking one camera to Egypt, the delegation or journalist can simply state the information on his passport and therefore there is no need to submit a letter of credit.

   
    

3. General Guidelines

   
   

   1. We request that the visiting delegation or journalist contact the Press Office in Cairo upon arrival in Egypt.

   2. In case of the occurrence of an emergency, contact the Press Office so that it can assist you in any way possible.

   3. We expect visiting delegations and journalists to follow all rules and regulations during their stay including the prohibition of filming in areas without a permit. A permit will be required in case you wish to film additional places or areas your permit does not cover; note that this might result in your having to prolong your stay in Egypt.

   4. We also ask that you be careful with all your equipment and that you make sure not to lose anything during your trip; however in the event of loss please contact the Government Press Office in Cairo and register your claim at the nearest police station. As such, you will be able to get your letter of credit when you depart based on the report of the police station.

Contact Information