Countries
Egypt Postal Codes and Addresses: A Complete Guide
How Egypt's five-digit postal codes and governorate-based addresses work, the role of Egypt Post, and where a UPCS location code fits in.
Updated 14 October 2026 · 3 min read
Egypt has a national postal code system built on five-digit codes, operated by the national postal operator, Egypt Post. As in several other countries, the code is part of the official system but is not always used in everyday life. Most addresses are written with a building number, a street, a district, a city and a governorate, and they are often accompanied by a landmark and a mobile number.
How the system works
Egyptian postal codes are numeric and five digits long. They are organised by governorate and by postal area within it, so the leading digits point to the governorate and the following ones to the local area. For example, codes starting with 11 are generally associated with Cairo and those starting with 12 with Giza. The postal code format page goes into this in more detail.
Egypt is divided into governorates, such as Cairo, Giza and Alexandria, and each includes cities, districts and neighbourhoods. The name of the governorate is a normal part of the address.
How addresses are typically written
An Egyptian address generally lists the building number and street name, the district or neighbourhood, the city and the governorate. Floor and apartment numbers are often included, because many people live in apartment buildings. Addresses are written in Arabic for domestic use, while a Latin-letter transliteration is used for international shipments and online forms. Because there is no single official transliteration, the same street name can appear in several spellings. See how to write an Egyptian address.
How UPCS codes work in Egypt
UPCS generates a short code for an exact location chosen on a map. For Egypt the prefix is EG, followed by two blocks of letters and digits, for example EG-XXXX-XXXX. Each code corresponds to a 3 m by 3 m grid cell, and the same coordinates always give the same code.
A UPCS code is not an official postal code. It is not issued by Egypt Post or any government body, and it does not replace the five-digit postal code or the written address. It is a complement: the address and postal code route the parcel to the right area, and the code marks the exact entrance, which is particularly useful in dense districts and in newly built communities.
In this guide
- Egypt postal code format: the five-digit structure and common mistakes.
- How to write an Egyptian address: order, Arabic and Latin spellings, floors and landmarks.
- How to find an Egypt postal code: lookup and verification.
- Delivery and addressing challenges: informal areas, new cities and how shops can improve delivery.
Open the map on the UPCS home page to see how a code is generated.
In this guide
Frequently asked questions
Does Egypt use postal codes?
Yes. Egypt has a five-digit postal code system run by Egypt Post, but many addresses are written without a code and rely on district names and landmarks.
Is a UPCS code an Egyptian postal code?
No. A UPCS code such as EG-XXXX-XXXX is not issued by Egypt Post or any government. It marks an exact location on a map and complements the written address.