Quick answer. First thing at CAI: buy the $30 visa-on-arrival in USD cash at a bank kiosk (NBE, Banque Misr, or CIB) in the arrivals hall before immigration (price rose from $25 on 1 March 2026; bring crisp, new bills). For pounds, CAI has NBE, Banque Misr, CIB, and HSBC ATMs and 24-hour exchange counters in arrivals; use a CIB or HSBC machine (the most reliable for foreign cards, highest caps). The 2024 pound float means cards and ATMs now give a fair, near-market rate, and banks cut the foreign-card commission to 3% in 2025. Egypt has no Bank of America Alliance partner. Decline DCC, choose pounds, and skip the standalone Euronet ATMs and the resort-style exchange windows. To the city: Uber or Careem (fixed fare via app, but pickup is at the departures level, not arrivals), roughly 180-300 EGP to downtown or Zamalek, 30-45 minutes in light traffic.
Where to get Egyptian Pound at CAI
CAI's arrivals money setup: the bank kiosks that sell the $30 USD visa-on-arrival before immigration, NBE/Banque Misr/CIB/HSBC ATMs and 24-hour exchange counters, and the standalone Euronet machines to avoid. Since the 2024 float, bank ATMs and counters give a fair rate (commission cut to 3% in 2025). The cost math below assumes you obtain the equivalent of $100 in pounds.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIB / HSBC ATM (CAI arrivals, highest caps, most reliable) | CAI arrivals halls | ~3% foreign-card commission + fair rate (post-2024 float) | ~$97 + home-bank fee |
| NBE / Banque Misr ATM (CAI arrivals, lower caps) | CAI arrivals halls | ~3% commission, lower caps, sometimes empty | ~$97 + home-bank fee |
| CIB / HSBC ATM in the city (Zamalek, Maadi, New Cairo) | After taxi/Uber to the city | ~3% commission + fair rate | ~$97 + home-bank fee |
| Travelex / Egyptian Forex counter (CAI arrivals) | CAI arrivals hall | 5-10% off the bank rate + fee | ~$90-95 |
| Standalone Euronet ATM (CAI arcades, NOT a bank) | Between arrivals and curbside | ~EGP 200 fee + aggressive DCC | ~$88-93 |
| Resort hotel exchange window (NOT at airport) | Red Sea resorts | 8-15% off the downtown rate | ~$85-92 |
Where to find the NBE, Banque Misr, and CIB ATMs (and the visa kiosk) at Cairo (CAI)
Cairo International Airport (CAI) is Egypt's main gateway, with three passenger terminals (TB1, the older terminal; TB2, renovated and handling many international carriers; and TB3, the main EgyptAir and Star Alliance hub), connected by a free inter-terminal shuttle. The first money task at CAI is not an ATM but the visa: most visitors buy the visa-on-arrival, now $30 (raised from $25 on 1 March 2026), in USD cash at a bank kiosk run by NBE, Banque Misr, or CIB in the arrivals hall before passport control, so arrive with crisp, new USD bills (an e-visa via the official portal is the alternative if you apply ahead). For pounds, the arrivals halls have NBE, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, CIB, and HSBC ATMs and 24-hour exchange counters. Use a CIB or HSBC machine: they are the most reliable for foreign cards and carry the highest caps, while the state banks (NBE, Banque Misr) work but cap lower and sometimes run out of cash. The good 2026 news is that since the 2024 pound float, the official rate converged with the parallel rate and is now fair, and Egyptian banks cut the foreign-card commission to 3 percent in 2025, so the airport ATM and counter are no longer the rip-off they once were, change a small amount here and do the rest in the city. Egypt has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. Decline DCC and choose pounds.
Terminal 3 (main international, EgyptAir hub)
EgyptAir and Star Alliance partners (Lufthansa, United, Turkish, Singapore), plus many international carriers. TB3 is the largest and most modern terminal and handles the bulk of long-haul international arrivals
After you land, buy the $30 visa-on-arrival in USD cash at the NBE, Banque Misr, or CIB kiosk before passport control. After immigration and baggage claim, the bank ATMs and 24-hour exchange counters are in the arrivals hall, use a CIB or HSBC machine for the best reliability and caps, decline DCC, and choose pounds. Skip the standalone Euronet ATMs in the arcades. For Uber or Careem, go up to the departures level to meet your driver.
Terminal 2 (renovated international)
Many international carriers including Gulf, European, and African airlines (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Saudia, Air France, KLM). TB2 was rebuilt and handles a large share of non-EgyptAir international flights
TB2 arrivals also has the visa kiosks (USD cash, before immigration), bank ATMs (NBE, Banque Misr, CIB, HSBC), and exchange counters. Same rules: buy the visa in USD, use a CIB or HSBC ATM for pounds, decline DCC, and take the inter-terminal shuttle if your onward connection is at TB3.
Do you actually need cash at Cairo Airport (CAI)?
Partly. You must pay the $30 visa in USD cash, and Uber and Careem take your card in-app (pickup at the departures level), so you can reach the city without pounds, but you will want a little EGP for the white taxis, the porter, and first-day baksheesh. Here is what works on a card on the way in, and where cash is needed:
Uber / Careem (app-booked) (~180-300 EGP to downtown / Zamalek): Fixed fare charged to your card in-app, the cleanest option. Pickup is at the DEPARTURES level, not arrivals, so go up one level with your luggage. 30-45 min in light traffic.
Official white airport taxi / Cairo Airport limo (~250-400+ EGP, negotiate): Agree the fare before getting in; meters are routinely 'broken.' Cash (EGP). Reliable but you must haggle.
Cairo Airport shuttle bus (Cheaper, cash): Public/shuttle buses serve the airport but are slow and not luggage-friendly for arriving tourists. Use Uber or Careem instead.
Hotel transfer (pre-booked) ($20-40 equivalent): Many hotels arrange an airport pickup, prepaid or card. The easy, no-haggle option with heavy luggage or for a Nile-cruise package.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Cairo Airport (CAI) to Cairo?
No. Uber / Careem (app-booked) accepts contactless. Most taxis accept cards. Uber and other apps are card-only.
Can I order Egyptian Pound before flying?
Yes. CEI Currency Exchange ships physical Egyptian Pound to your US address in 2-5 days at rates well below airport counters. Order 50-100 Egyptian Pound for taxis and tips on day one.
How do I pay for the Egypt visa-on-arrival at Cairo airport?
In USD cash, at a bank kiosk before passport control. Most tourists buy the visa-on-arrival, which is now $30 (raised from $25 on 1 March 2026), at a kiosk run by NBE, Banque Misr, or CIB in the CAI arrivals hall, before you reach immigration. It is a physical sticker. Bring crisp, new US dollar bills, the kiosks reject torn, marked, or old-series notes, and ideally bring close to exact change (EUR and GBP are sometimes accepted but change comes back in pounds at a poor rate). The alternative is the official e-visa (apply about a week ahead via the government portal) to skip the kiosk queue. A new QR-code digital visa-on-arrival is reportedly rolling out at CAI around mid-2026, but until it is confirmed, plan to pay $30 in USD cash.
Which ATM at Cairo airport is best for foreign cards?
CIB or HSBC. Of the banks in CAI arrivals (NBE, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, CIB, HSBC), CIB and HSBC are the most reliable for foreign Visa and Mastercard and carry the highest withdrawal caps (often EGP 5,000-10,000), while the state banks NBE and Banque Misr work but cap lower (EGP 4,000-6,000) and occasionally run out of cash. Since the 2024 pound float the rate is fair, and Egyptian banks cut the foreign-card commission to 3 percent in 2025, so bank-owned ATMs are a reasonable way to get pounds, change a small amount at the airport and do larger withdrawals in the city. Decline DCC and choose pounds. Avoid the standalone Euronet machines in the arcades, which charge up to EGP 200 and push DCC.
Is there a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner at CAI or in Egypt?
No. Egypt has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card at any Egyptian ATM pays BoA's 3 percent non-network surcharge plus the bank's ~3 percent foreign-card commission. The cleanest setup for Egypt is a Charles Schwab Investor Checking card (zero FX fee, refunds operator fees) or a Wise card (zero FX markup), used at a CIB or HSBC ATM. And because the 2024 float made the official rate fair, paying by card at hotels, restaurants, and malls now gets a near-market rate too, so you do not need to carry as much cash as old guides suggested, beyond the crisp USD for the visa and the small EGP notes for baksheesh.
Should I exchange money at Cairo airport?
Change only a small amount. The Travelex and Egyptian Forex counters in CAI arrivals run roughly 5-10 percent off the bank rate plus fees, so use them only for enough pounds to reach your hotel if you do not want to use an ATM. A CIB or HSBC bank ATM in arrivals gives a better rate (the float made the official rate fair, and the commission dropped to 3 percent in 2025). The bigger point: keep your crisp USD for the $30 visa and for tour and Nile-cruise tip pools, get a modest amount of pounds at the airport for the taxi and first-day baksheesh, and do larger pound withdrawals at a CIB or HSBC ATM in Zamalek, Maadi, or the New Cairo malls.
How do I get from Cairo airport to downtown or Zamalek?
Uber or Careem is the cleanest option: fixed, transparent fares charged to your card in-app, roughly 180-300 EGP to downtown or Zamalek, about 30-45 minutes in light traffic (Cairo traffic can push that past an hour at peak). The catch at CAI is that the app pickup point is on the departures level, not arrivals, so you take the elevator or walk up one level with your luggage to meet the driver. The official white airport taxis and the Cairo Airport limo also exist, but agree the fare before getting in (meters are routinely 'broken'); expect to negotiate 250-400+ EGP. For the visa, taxi, and first day, a small amount of pounds plus your crisp USD covers you.
Do I need cash to leave Cairo airport?
You need USD cash for the visa, and a little EGP for the ride and tips. The $30 visa-on-arrival must be paid in USD cash at the kiosk before immigration, so that is non-negotiable, bring crisp bills. After that, Uber and Careem take your card in-app (pickup at departures level), so you can reach the city without pounds, but the white taxis want cash and you will want small EGP notes for the porter and first-day baksheesh. Pull a modest amount of pounds at a CIB or HSBC ATM in arrivals (decline DCC, choose pounds), and keep a stack of small USD bills separately for the visa and tour tips.
Can I order Egyptian pounds before flying to Cairo?
Pounds are hard to source abroad and you do not really need them in advance, but crisp USD is essential. CEI Currency Exchange can supply clean USD or EUR for delivery to a US address, which is what you actually need: the $30 visa is paid in USD cash, and USD is useful for tour deposits and Nile-cruise tip pools. Bring new, unmarked $50s and $100s (plus some smaller bills for the visa and tips), since Egyptian kiosks and banks reject worn or old-series notes. For pounds, simply withdraw from a CIB or HSBC ATM on arrival, now that the 2024 float made the rate fair. Pack a thick stack of small EGP notes' worth of withdrawals once you land for the constant baksheesh.