Several websites and newspapers have reported changes in the procedures for bringing phones from abroad with travelers.

Reports indicated that the Egyptian Customs decided to exempt holders of Egyptian passports from fees on imported phones.

According to sources from Egypt’s telecommunications sector speaking to “Al Arabiya Business,” the decision is not new. With the activation of the digital system for importing phones brought by travelers, holders of Egyptian passports are exempted from fees on the first imported phone, while fees must be paid for any additional phones up to four, including the exempted phone.

The digital system grants a three-month grace period for foreign passport holders before they must pay phone fees, travel abroad again with the phone, or have the phone service suspended.

At the end of last year, the Egyptian government imposed customs fees on imported phones at a rate of 38.5% of their value, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Finance, aiming to combat smuggling and support local industry.

Egyptian Customs set a single condition for exempting the first phone for Egyptian passport holders from fees: declaring the phone at customs or registering its data through the “Telefoni” app.

The Egyptian government launched the “Telefoni” app to register data of imported mobile devices for personal use. Under this system, travelers are allowed to bring in only one personal phone, while any additional phones are subject to customs fees.

If an imported phone enters without paying the required fees, a message is sent to the user demanding payment within 90 days; failure to pay results in suspension of phone service, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Tamer Mohamed, Secretary of the Communications Division at the Egyptian General Federation of Chambers of Commerce, said the Customs Authority’s decision is a financial and tax measure that does not aim to cancel tax and customs exemptions on phone imports by foreign passport holders. He noted that the decision regulates the procedures for importing devices between Egyptians and foreigners.

The Customs Authority’s decision does not change the procedures applied since the beginning of the year regarding imposing fees on phones imported by Egyptians. Mohamed told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper that government regulations announced at the start of the year allow Egyptians returning from abroad to import one personal phone once every three years, with no absolute exemption from fees.

Egypt consumes about 20 million mobile phones annually, including imported phones and those produced locally, according to statistics from the Egyptian Ministry of Communications.