Before you start

Residence in Egypt and registration in Alexandria Governorate
A valid foreign driving licence
A medical fitness certificate and a vision test certificate
A bilingual certificate of residence issued through your consulate

Step-by-step

1
Use your international driving permit for the first six months
An IDP is valid here for six months from arrival. That is your planning runway, and it starts when you land rather than when you decide to drive.
In personWho: You6 months
2
Get the medical and vision certificates locally
Both are required as part of the application and are obtained in Egypt rather than brought with you.
In personWho: You
3
Obtain a bilingual certificate of residence from your consulate
It must be bilingual — Arabic and your own language — and issued through your consular body rather than translated privately. Most consulates for Alexandria residents are in Cairo, so build the travel and the appointment lead time into your plan.
In personWho: You
4
Apply at the Alexandria Governorate Traffic Department
Applications go to the governorate where you are registered as resident, not to whichever office is convenient. Applying in Cairo because you happen to be there will not work.
In personWho: You
5
Sit the written and practical tests
Both are required of every foreign national. There is no exemption based on your home licence or your years of experience.
In personWho: You
6
Work out your transport plan for the reconstruction years
With the Raml tram and the Abu Qir line both out of service, the Corniche and the parallel inland roads are carrying traffic they were not built for. Replacement buses and microbuses run the main corridors, ride-hailing is cheap and ubiquitous, and the intercity trains from Sidi Gaber and Misr stations still run normally to Cairo. Choose your neighbourhood around what is actually operating, not around the tram map.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Passport and residence permit
Medical fitness certificate and vision test certificate
Bilingual certificate of residence from your consulate
Photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

There is no exchange agreement with anywhere. Everyone tests.

Unlike most countries, which recognise at least some foreign licences, Egypt requires every foreign national to pass both a written and a practical test. Thirty accident-free years in Germany or Japan count for nothing procedurally. Plan for the tests rather than hoping for a conversion, and start inside the six-month IDP window.

Source: Egyptian Traffic Department licensing requirements

You must apply in Alexandria, and your consular appointment is probably in Cairo.

The Traffic Department application goes to the governorate where you are registered as resident. But the bilingual certificate of residence has to come from your consular body, and for most nationalities that means a trip to Cairo and an appointment queue. The two ends of this process are in different cities, which is the scheduling problem nobody warns you about.

Source: Egyptian Traffic Department documentation requirements

Alexandria's rail spine is being rebuilt, and you will live through the gap.

The Raml tram stopped in early 2026 for a roughly two-year rehabilitation into a light rail, part-funded by the European Investment Bank within a project costed in the hundreds of millions of euros, and the Abu Qir line was suspended separately for metro conversion. Both were carrying real volumes. Replacement buses exist but the corridors are more congested than before. A flat chosen for its tram stop is currently a flat chosen for a building site.

Source: Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels; European Investment Bank project reporting

Seriously consider not driving here at all.

Alexandria's traffic has worsened with the rail suspensions, the city is strung out along seventy kilometres of coast, and the winter storms flood the Corniche. Ride-hailing is inexpensive and everywhere, the intercity trains to Cairo are good, and many long-term foreign residents never bother with an Egyptian licence. Getting one is worth it if you will genuinely drive; it is a lot of process if you will not.

Source: community-reported, widely corroborated

Common mistakes to avoid

Expecting to convert your licence administratively — no such route exists anywhere in Egypt.
Letting the six-month IDP window run down before starting, when the consular appointment alone can take weeks.
Getting an ordinary translation instead of a bilingual consular residence certificate.
Applying at a Traffic Department outside the governorate where you are registered.
Choosing a neighbourhood around the tram network while it is out of service for a multi-year rebuild.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.