Before you start

International or local private health insurance
Passport and residence permit
A means of guaranteeing payment for private admissions
A named hospital and a route to it, worked out before you need either

Step-by-step

1
Arrange private health insurance
This is the practical route for a foreign resident. Some employers provide local cover; international policies are common for people who move frequently and want continuity.
OnlineWho: You
2
Identify your hospital before you need it
Alexandria's private hospitals cluster in Smouha, Roushdy and along the eastern corridor. Knowing which one your insurance actually works with — and how long it takes to reach from your flat on a bad traffic day — saves a very bad hour later.
In personWho: You
3
Check whether you fall inside the universal scheme
Officially declared employees, spouses of Egyptians and people covered by bilateral agreements may be eligible. Most other foreigners are not, and being in an earlier-phase governorate does not change that.
OnlineWho: You
4
Expect to guarantee payment
Private hospitals commonly require proof of insurance or a payment guarantee before admission or an expensive procedure, rather than billing your insurer afterwards. Know your policy's direct-billing arrangements in advance.
In personWho: You
5
Know the emergency numbers and the local reality
Ambulance is 123, police 122, fire 180. Response times vary considerably by district and a private hospital's own ambulance is often the faster call. In a heavy winter storm, when parts of the Corniche flood, plan on longer than usual.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and residence permit
Insurance policy documents
Payment guarantee or card for private admission

Things most newcomers don’t know

Alexandria is earlier in the rollout than Cairo — and it probably still will not cover you.

The universal scheme is being introduced governorate by governorate; Alexandria has been slated for the third phase against Cairo's final one. That sounds like good news and mostly is not, because eligibility runs to officially declared employees, spouses of Egyptians and people covered by bilateral agreements. The majority of foreign residents fall outside the scheme wherever they live. Plan around private cover regardless of the headlines.

Source: Egyptian Universal Health Insurance Authority rollout phases

The teaching hospitals are a real asset, and they are not where you will be treated.

Alexandria University's medical faculty is one of the oldest and strongest in Egypt, and its teaching hospitals carry serious clinical depth. But as a foreign resident with private insurance you will be routed to the private sector. It is worth knowing the distinction, because the quality gap in Egypt is between public and private capacity rather than between Egypt and elsewhere.

Source: Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine; Egyptian healthcare sector composition

Bring the payment guarantee, not just the insurance card.

Private hospitals here frequently want a guarantee of payment or a card on file before admitting you or starting an expensive procedure, rather than billing your insurer directly. Knowing which Alexandria hospitals your insurer direct-bills is worth considerably more than knowing your policy limit.

Source: community-reported, corroborated across Egyptian private hospitals

Distance and weather are part of your medical planning here in a way they are not in Cairo.

The city runs along roughly seventy kilometres of coast on a small number of parallel roads, and with the tram and Abu Qir line both suspended those roads are busier. Add a winter nawwa flooding the Corniche and an ambulance journey from Montaza to a Smouha hospital is a genuinely different proposition from the same distance in a gridded city. Pick a hospital on your side of town.

Source: community-reported; Alexandria urban geography

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Egypt's universal health insurance will cover you because Alexandria is earlier in the rollout than Cairo.
Arriving without private cover and relying on the public system.
Not checking whether your insurer direct-bills your chosen Alexandria hospital.
Choosing a hospital on reputation without checking how far it is from your flat in traffic.
Not knowing which private hospital to go to before an emergency happens.

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