The Best Egypt VPN Services in 2023
Looking for a VPN that works in Egypt? In this guide, we’ve put together a list of the best VPN services for Egypt, as well as tips on how to use your VPN to avoid censorship, secure your data, and boost your digital privacy.
[[post-object type=”divider” /]]
What is the best VPN to use for Egypt?
You’ll find our top VPN picks for Egypt in the table below. Each of these providers can be used to stay secure online (or when traveling), and some can even help you acquire an Egyptian IP address. For all the details, keep reading!
[[post-object type=”steroid-list”/]]
[[post-object type=”loophole” id=”19″ /]]
Egypt is a country suffering from harsh censorship. You can mitigate these oppressive measures by using online privacy tools like Virtual Private Networks, however. Using a VPN in Egypt encrypts your data and allows you to access websites that might’ve previously been blocked by the Egyptian government.
VPNs also come in handy for expats, travelers, and anyone leaving the country on vacation, seeing as they can be used to gain an Egyptian IP address and subsequently regain access to content only available in Egypt.
But a VPN can do much more than this! The services mentioned in this article all pack the following features to ensure your security and privacy in Egypt:
- Strong encryption
- Egyptian IP addresses
- Fast servers
- A no-logs policy
[[post-object type=”versus-table” group-properties=”235,59,60,233,61,62,46,47,45,44,7,8,32″ single-properties=”452,453,434,13″ website=”true” ranking=”Egypt” /]]
The best Egypt VPNs to use in 2023
Let’s take a closer look at our recommended VPNs for Egypt. Each of the following services is secure, easy to use, and comes with generous money-back guarantees that’ll allow you to try them in your own time. If you’d like a more in-depth insight into these providers, or fancy comparing a broader range of services, be sure to visit our dedicated review pages.
[[post-object type=”summary-section” pros-cons=”true” /]]
How to get an Egypt IP address
It’s vitally important you have a VPN server located in Egypt. Due to the invasive nature of el-Sisi’s government, some people may want to protect their privacy even when using local websites and services. To have absolute control of your digital privacy, it is essential to use a VPN at all times. Our recommended VPNs let you browse with an Egyptian IP.
In order to use a VPN and local Egyptian geo-restricted website services, a VPN server in Egypt will be necessary. By using a VPN server in Egypt – users profit from the VPN’s encryption (and other security features) while still retaining an Egyptian IP address.
To get an Egypt IP, all you need to do is follow these steps:
- Choose a VPN service. We’ve listed the best of the best above, and all of them have Egyptian IP addresses.
- Navigate to their website and download the VPN app from there. All the services have apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.
- Launch the VPN software and check your settings– make sure you’re using OpenVPN encryption or IKEv2, as they are the most secure protocols and will improve your online privacy.
- Next, you’ll need to connect to a server in Egypt.
- You’ll now have an Egypt IP address and can access Egyptian services!
What can I unblock with an Egypt IP?
Using a VPN to get an IP address in Egypt will allow you to access online services that are only available in Egypt due to geo-restrictions.
It will also permit you to keep using local Egyptian services such as online banking without your ISP tracking what you are doing. This ensures that you can still appear to be in Egypt, and use the internet as a local resident – while also gaining online privacy.
With an Egyptian IP address, you will be able to access online streams from Egyptian TV channels such as ON E – even when you are outside of the country for work or on vacation. A VPN will also provide access to ELGTV (formerly El Gomhoreya TV).
Why it’s important to use a VPN in Egypt
Following the Arab Spring, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned in Egypt. Since then, the government has been imposing stronger and stronger restrictions on freedom of speech. Last year, 24 news websites including Al Jazeera were banned in the nation for inciting “terrorism.”
The local media is also under strict control, and any news outlet that speaks against the government is prosecuted, silenced, or shut down using force. In 2015, dozens of journalists were assaulted by security forces in Egypt. And, in 2017, a human rights lawyer called Mohamed Ramadan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for expressing dissenting political opinions online.
Things are going from bad to worse with a steady decline of internet freedom since 2011.
Under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s rule, the economy is in dire straights, unemployment is high (and rising), and ISIS-like insurgent groups are springing up at an alarming rate. In a nation of nearly 90 million, only 35% have access to the internet, and those that do have severely restricted access.
Furthermore, in 2014, el-Sisi established the High Council for Cybersecurity (HCC). This body is meant to protect Egypt against cybercrime. However, in reality, the HCC performs widespread surveillance on citizens, monitoring all internet activity for dissenters. The problem is voracious, and in the last few years, many journalists have been imprisoned for trying to report on institutionalized injustice.
In such a politically strained environment, it is important to take extreme care when selecting a VPN. Many VPNs claim to be secure but actually provide deficient services that put their users at risk. With the risk of prosecution (or worse) a very serious possibility, it is essential to ensure you get a reliable and trusted VPN for Egypt.
Internet censorship in Egypt
According to Freedom House, internet freedom in Egypt went severely downhill in 2017 with the government imposing hundreds of new website blocks. In 2018, el-Sisi’s government was re-elected, meaning that Egypt can expect a continuation of these disturbing policies. This includes unrelenting violations of user rights due to extreme surveillance.
By using a VPN, Egyptian citizens can communicate securely and access blocked news, blogs, and social media sites. A reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) for Egypt also provides privacy with military-grade encryption. We have reviewed over 150 VPNs in the last 6 years to find the best VPN for your needs.
How to access blocked VPN websites in Egypt
Just like certain workplaces and schools, governments can prevent internet users from accessing VPN websites themselves. This makes purchasing and downloading a VPN much more difficult – but it’s not impossible!
- If you’re in Egypt and you’re looking to download a VPN, but can’t because the VPN homepage is blocked, you might want to try changing your DNS, or Domain Name System. ISPs can assign users a DNS that ends up being slow or restrictive, which could be causing your issues with blocked sites. The good news is that you can change your DNS by using a free service. By using an alternative DNS (like Google’s, which is: 8.8.8.8), you might see an improvement in your overall connection speed and be able to access previously blocked sites – like the VPN website you were interested in!
- Alternatively, you could use Tor to bypass website restrictions – though you’ll need to download Tor itself, first. You can use Tor on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android devices, and defeat ISP restrictions by using its network. Some providers, like ExpressVPN, even have onion websites accessible to Tor users!
- There are also VPN mirror websites that may be accessible to users who can’t access the main VPN site. A quick Google search should bring up a list, and typically, you’ll be able to purchase and install your VPN directly from these sites.
Are VPNs illegal in Egypt?
No, having a VPN is not illegal in Egypt. Plenty of businesses use VPNs every day to protect their data. However, bear in mind that some of the things you can do with a VPN are very much illegal. Accessing censored content that’s been specifically restricted by the government, for example, could land you in trouble with the law. Communicating dissenting political views could also land you in hot water.
This is exactly why it’s so important to get your hands on a reliable and trustworthy VPN for Egypt. Too many VPNs have outdated encryption, DNS leaks, or weak privacy policies, and could ultimately fail to protect your privacy. There are more than 800 VPNs on the market – and the vast majority are riddled with these kinds of issues.
So, we urge you to stick with the VPNs on this list. These services are packed with the security features you’ll need to safeguard your digital privacy and unblock all sorts of online content.
How does a VPN keep you secure in Egypt?
A VPN is a versatile online service that permits people to unblock website content in privacy. A VPN works by concealing the user’s IP address (location) and allowing them to pretend to be in a different country. By doing this, a VPN permits internet users within Egypt to access censored or geo-restricted websites and online services.
In addition, a reliable VPN provides digital privacy thanks to military-grade encryption. This gives Egyptian VPN users the opportunity to access restricted websites and services without fear of being snooped on by the country’s overreaching government.
Protecting yourself online with an Egypt VPN
In March, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was re-elected for another four years. This means that Egyptians can expect the political situation to remain bad. This means a complete lack of internet freedom and a state-controlled press.
Due to that invasive government, citizens in Egypt are in danger of being severely propagandized. Dissenting religious and political opinions are strongly prohibited, meaning that people exist in a bubble of disinformation. According to Freedom House, Egypt lacks both internet freedom and freedom of the press.
The Egyptian government also severely violates user rights by imposing high levels of surveillance. For anybody who wants to protect their privacy, a VPN for Egypt is absolutely necessary. With a VPN, citizens can access news websites and blogs that would otherwise be unavailable. Blocked messaging services and social media sites can also be used. Users may also interact with blogs and express opinions without fear of retribution.
With a VPN service, citizens do not have to fall victim to sudden blackouts. A VPN for Egypt means that no matter what happens, you can rest assured that you will still be able to use the internet freely if blackouts are enforced.
How can a VPN keep your data secure in Egypt?
When you use a reliable VPN for Egypt, all your web browsing traffic is encrypted. This stops Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the government from being able to track what you do online. That digital privacy also extends to local network administrators.
Thanks to VPN encryption, workplaces, schools, landlords, coffee shops – and other public Wi-Fi hotspots – are unable to tell which websites you are visiting. This digital privacy works in perfect combination with the ability to unblock restricted or censored content.
A VPNs encryption also protects your data from hackers. When you use a public Wi-Fi hotspot, it is possible to fall victim to hackers who steal valuable data, login credentials, and even credit card details from their victims. With a VPN, cybercriminals are unable to steal anything from you, even if you accidentally connect to a “fake Wi-Fi hotspot” set up by a hacker.
VPN features you need to stay secure online in Egypt
Your Egypt VPN should prioritize your privacy – if it doesn’t, it’s not worth using. There are tons of VPNs available to consumers these days, however, and sifting through pages of search results and VPN websites crammed with marketing lingo is a time-consuming process. Fortunately, the ProPrivacy team has done the legwork to determine which VPNs are best for Egypt. Our picks all come with watertight privacy policies and OpenVPN encryption, and we’re constantly testing and reviewing these services to ensure they provide robust, reliable protection.
But what else does your Egypt VPN need? Here are the features I’d recommend looking for:
Kill-switch
This is a vital feature that stops your VPN from accidentally leaking data to your ISP and the government should the VPN connection accidentally drop out. In Egypt, where you could get in trouble for accessing blocked websites, this feature is vital.
DNS leak protection
A DNS leak would also reveal the websites you visit to your ISP. This is a huge problem, which is why all the VPNs in this guide have working DNS leak protection.
No-logs policy
This ensures that the VPN never stores any records of what you do online. This is important because the VPN could be served a warrant asking for those records if it stores them. This could result in the government finding out what you did online.
Servers located in Egypt
This allows you to use local Egyptian services while still gaining privacy from your ISP and local network administrators.
OpenVPN encryption
This is a VPN protocol that has been thoroughly audited and is known to provide data security levels for your data that you can trust both now and in the future.
VPN cloaking/obfuscation
One final thing to consider when choosing a VPN for Egypt is the cloaking technology used. In Egypt, OpenVPN encryption is being blocked by ISPs using Deep Packet Inspection. This means it is likely you will need a VPN that has obfuscation (also known as stealth mode or cloaking).
Obfuscated (stealth) servers will let you evade ISP bandwidth throttling and OpenVPN blocks. VPN cloaking disguises VPN encrypted traffic as regular HTTPS: stopping ISPs from detecting VPN use.
Warning:
Sadly, DPI in Egypt can detect OpenVPN traffic over Port 443 – so this kind of cloaking will not suffice. Many VPNs offer this kind of rudimentary obfuscation, but only market-leading VPNs provide dedicated obfuscation such as Stunnel, obfsproxy, or XOR.
The good news is that you can use a VPN’s free trial period/money-back guarantee to ensure the VPN works for you.
This allows you to conceal VPN traffic as regular HTTPS, preventing your ISP from knowing that you are concealing your online visits from them. This is useful for flying under the radar and ensuring that your ISP and the government don’t suspect you’re accessing restricted VoIP apps, for example.
Connection speeds and server locations
Although many people in Egypt want a VPN to evade surveillance and censorship, a VPN is also superb for entertainment purposes. By letting users pretend to be in a different country, VPN users are able to access geo-restricted services from overseas.
This lets VPN users watch BBC iPlayer in USA or elsewhere, along with other British TV services such as ITV Hub, and All 4. It’s important to know that not all VPNs will work, check out our best VPN for iPlayer page for a list of services that will allow you to access the British streaming service.
All the VPNs in our list will also unblock Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime TV, and other streaming American-based streaming services. Many people also use a VPN to watch foreign sports competitions that would otherwise be blocked.
In order to enjoy this side of a VPN, it is important for it to have a wide selection of servers. VPN speed is also vital for streaming, especially if you want to stream content in HD. We have specially chosen all the VPNs in this guide for use in Egypt because they offer the connection speeds and server locations needed to gain complete internet freedom.
Free VPNs for Egypt
If you’re based in Egypt and are wondering whether to use a free VPN, we would advise against it. There are some good free services available online, check out our best free VPNs page for a list of secure free services. But there are also many free VPN services that are downright dangerous.
We have tested hundreds of these free services and, in many cases, found that they either leaked user data, meaning they aren’t providing protection, or collecting data on you and selling it to third parties (the exact opposite of what a VPN should do).
Privacy concerns aside, free VPNs are also often severely limited in terms of server choice or the speeds they can offer. This means, apart from day-to-day browsing, free services cannot accommodate much else – such as streaming, gaming or torrenting.
Alternatives to free VPNs
If you want to try a premium VPN without spending any cash, it’s possible to do so with a free trial. Many of the top VPN services offer free trials that let users sample their full service, with no limitations over a short period. This is by no means a permanent solution, but there is nothing stopping you from signing up for multiple free trials. To find out more, check out our best VPN free trial list.
Alternatively, if you don’t mind spending a small amount on a VPN, there are plenty of cheap VPNs that offer a premium service. Check these out on our best cheap VPNs list.
Can I access Egyptian streaming services with a VPN?
When you connect to a VPN server in Egypt you get a valid IP address in the country. As a result, you can watch any streaming services and TV platforms that are region locked to Egypt.
Unfortunately, very few VPNs actually have servers in Egypt. This means that you must pic your provider carefully if you want to watch Egyptian TV services abroad.
Below, we have included a list of services that you can watch with a VPN:
- Shahid
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- OSN Streaming
- STARZPLAY
- Watch iT!
- beIN Connect
- WAVO
- Disney+ Hotstar
The important thing to remember is that not all VPNs have servers in Egypt. For this reason, you should check each summary and pick a VPN that will let you get an IP address in Egypt.
This will ensure that you can watch Egyptian TV from abroad or on any restricted network.
Can I watch Egyptian TV platforms at work?
In addition to watch Egyptian streaming services from abroad, you can also use a VPN to bypass blocks at work, in school, or on public wifi.
The encryption provided by a VPN means that you can access any restricted services at work without your employer finding out.
As a result you can easily use a VPN to regain access to streams, games, torrent sites, or any other website that has been blocked at work.
How we pick the best VPNs for betting – VPN testing methodology
Finding a secure VPN that will protect your online privacy in Egypt can be confusing. There are hundreds of consumer-facing VPNs on the market and they are not all reliable. Many VPNs use false advertising to claim to be the most secure or “fastest VPN in the world”. This can make it hard to know which provider to trust.
At ProPrivacy, we have created a detailed VPN testing methodology. We test using specific criteria, to ensure we have precise metrics for rating VPNs. We check the encryption implementation to ensure your data is safe in transit. We also check for DNS leaks, as well as the composition of the privacy policy to ensure the VPN is providing the online security it claims.
Below, we have listed the things we looked for when recommending VPNs for Egypt:
- Apps for all devices that are secure and offer a varied feature set.
- Strong AES 256 encryption to protect your data inside the VPN tunnel.
- A large global server network with servers near Egypt.
- DNS leak protection to prevent you from leaking browsing information to your ISP.
- Plenty of advanced privacy protection features, including a kill-switch, obfuscation, split tunneling, port forwarding, and malware filtering.
- The ability to access popular services like Netflix US and BBC iPlayer.
- A zero logs policy that complements the security and privacy features provided by the apps. This lets you bypass censorship in Egypt without fear that your browsing habits are being recorded.
Conclusion
With another four years of el-Sisi’s government now guaranteed, Egypt remains a place where a VPN is a vital service. Internet freedom and freedom of the press are both highly restricted. This means people exist within a bubble of censorship. Surveillance is also extreme, and it is possible to get into trouble for accessing restricted content.
The VPNs recommended in this guide have all the features you’ll need to protect your digital privacy in Egypt – it’s why we included them in our shortlist! All of the services mentioned here also pack expansive server networks and sleek apps for all of your devices, so you can enjoy unrivaled internet freedom from within Egypt.
Once again, these are our top VPN picks for Egypt:
[[post-object type=”best-buy-table” /]]
The best Egypt VPN services – FAQs
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Is it safe to use a VPN in Egypt?” answer=”Yes. Although internet freedom in Egypt is in decline, VPNs are still legal and safe to use in the country. In fact, it’s in countries like Egypt, where online censorship is strong and <a href=’https://www.zawya.com/en/legal/crime-and-security/egypt-among-20-most-vulnerable-countries-to-cyber-attacks-ntra-yz5yk7ox’>cybercrime rates are on the rise</a>, that you need VPNs the most. By encrypting your online traffic and changing/hiding your actual IP address, VPNs make your online activities more private and protect you from the prying eyes of criminals, your ISP, and even the government.” /]]
[[post-object type=”accordion” question=”Can I use a VPN to unblock WhatsApp calls in Egypt?” answer=”Yes. Any VPN from this article will enable you to safely bypass your ISP restrictions and make WhatsApp calls in Egypt. Unblocking WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, and other <a href=’/vpn/comparison/voip-vpn’>VoIP calls</a> in Egypt is easy too. All you need to do is subscribe to a reliable VPN service, download the app, and connect to a server in a country that doesn’t restrict VoIP calls. This will automatically change your IP address and encrypt your traffic, so your ISP in Egypt will no longer be able to see what you do online (nor prevent you from doing it).” /]]