Egypt Postal Code Format Explained

An Egyptian postal code is a five-digit number managed by Egypt Post, the national postal operator. It is placed after the city or governorate in a full postal address, and it fills the postal code field in international forms and online shops.

What the five digits represent

The code is numeric and has no separators. The structure follows the administrative and postal hierarchy of the country: the first digits generally point to the governorate, and the later digits to a more local postal area, such as a district or a post office zone. Codes from the same governorate typically share the same starting digits. For example, Cairo codes are generally in the 11 range and Giza codes in the 12 range, while Alexandria codes begin with 21.

These are general patterns that help with sanity checks. They are not a method to build a code yourself, and the assignment of the last digits is decided by Egypt Post. To get the correct value, follow the steps in how to find an Egypt postal code.

Examples of valid format

The following generic values show only the shape of the code:

• 11511
• 12511
• 21500

Any five digits satisfy the format. A value that fits the format is not necessarily assigned to a place that you want.

How much the code is used

In Egypt, the written address with the district, the city and landmarks, together with a mobile number, is still the usual way of describing a location. The postal code is more regularly requested by international shipping forms, global online shops and customs paperwork. A shop that serves customers in Egypt should therefore accept the code but not make a delivery depend on the customer knowing it.

Common mistakes

• Entering a six-digit or four-digit value, which does not match the five-digit format.
• Typing Arabic-Indic digits into a system that accepts only Western digits, or the reverse. Where possible, use the digits the form expects.
• Mixing up the governorate: using a Cairo code for an address in Giza, which is easy to do in the Greater Cairo area where the cities are adjacent.
• Treating the code as a precise location. It covers a postal area and not a building.

Beyond the postal code

Because a five-digit code covers a whole area, it cannot tell a courier which building or entrance to use. A UPCS code (prefix EG, as in EG-XXXX-XXXX) can accompany the address to give the exact point. It is not a postal code and is not issued by Egypt Post. See how to write an Egyptian address for the layout, or the Egypt overview.