Do you need travel insurance for Hurghada and Egypt?
For Hurghada and Egypt, travel insurance is strongly advised, especially if you dive. The UK Foreign Office health pages read on 24 October 2026 advise appropriate insurance for local treatment and medical evacuation; none of the sources we read lists insurance as a condition of entry for a tourist stay. For a long-stay or non-tourist visa, check with the embassy or consulate.
What do care and an evacuation cost?
The UK Foreign Office reports that some hotel doctors have overcharged for treatment and medicines, and that pharmacies outside hotels often charge less. We found no reliable single price list to quote. There is no single official price. As an order of magnitude, a French insurance comparison site (read on 24 October 2026) quotes about €10,000 to €40,000 for repatriation on a scheduled flight with medical assistance, €40,000 to €250,000 by air ambulance, and €500 to €3,000 for a local ambulance. These are commercial figures, given as a guide only.
Your options compared
A traveller really has four options, and they do not cover the same things. The table compares them; the exact terms are in each contract.
| Option | What it covers | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) | Valid only in the EU, EEA and Switzerland | Does not apply in Egypt: you pay for care yourself |
| Premium bank card | Medical costs and repatriation during the trip, often only if you paid for the trip with the card | Ceilings, exclusions and maximum trip length vary: read the notice |
| Your usual health insurer | Sometimes a refund of care abroad | Often after you pay upfront; repatriation rarely included |
| SafetyWing Nomad Insurance (Essential plan) | Medical care up to US$250,000, evacuation up to US$100,000 | No pre-existing conditions, no trip cancellation |
| Trip-cancellation insurance | Refunds a prepaid trip if you must cancel for a covered reason | A different product, not part of SafetyWing's Essential plan |
Information checked on 24 October 2026.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: what to know
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is a travel health insurance sold online in 4-week periods, which you can buy before leaving or once abroad. The facts below were read on SafetyWing's website on 24 October 2026; terms can change, so read them again before buying. It is one option among others, not the only one.
- Covered (Essential plan): medical treatment and hospital stays up to US$250,000, ambulance to hospital, evacuation to a better-equipped hospital up to US$100,000 (lifetime maximum).
- Two-wheelers and sports: road accidents are covered if you hold the right licence, wear all safety equipment and are not intoxicated; leisure-sport injuries up to US$250,000, with an activity list on the site (adventure sports are an option).
- Not covered (Essential): pre-existing conditions, maternity, cancer treatment, trip cancellation. The Complete plan, at US$177.50 a month, is broader. Deductible: check on the site.
- How to buy: online, in periods up to 364 days; 30 days of care covered in your home country; US coverage costs extra.
- Price: from US$62.72 per 4 weeks for an adult aged 18 to 39 (Essential), higher with age; check the price on the site.
Diving and the Red Sea in Hurghada
- Diving: DAN (Divers Alert Network, read on 24 October 2026) notes that very few travel insurance plans cover diving accidents, that many exclude dives deeper than about 30 m, and that hyperbaric chamber treatment is not typically covered by medical or travel insurance; DAN sells separate dive accident cover. Check the maximum depth and chamber cover before you go.
- SafetyWing: sources disagree on diving cover (some mention an adventure-sports option); get written confirmation before a first dive.
- Emergencies: 123 for an ambulance (Foreign Office), 122 for the police, 126 for the tourist police; contact the insurer as soon as you are directed to a facility.
- Our guide to a discovery dive in Hurghada helps you choose a club.
How to choose: a checklist
- Check the care limit and the evacuation or repatriation limit, not only the price.
- Read the definition of pre-existing conditions and the list of excluded activities.
- See whether the insurer pays the hospital directly or makes you pay upfront.
- Check the cover period: start date, end date, and a trip already under way.
- Keep the 24-hour assistance number and the policy in your phone.
- If you dive, ask in writing whether recreational diving, your planned depth and the hyperbaric chamber are covered, or buy separate dive accident insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy SafetyWing once you have arrived?
According to SafetyWing's website (read on 24 October 2026), you can sign up before leaving or at any point during your trip. Check the cover start date in the terms.
Does the insurance cover trip cancellation?
Not SafetyWing's Essential plan. Cancellation is a separate insurance, which we do not offer here.
Does my insurance cover a diving accident in the Red Sea?
Not necessarily: many contracts exclude diving or limit depth, and the chamber is often excluded. Read the exclusions and get written confirmation before you dive.
Further reading
Also read: before you go to Hurghada, scams and safety in Hurghada and Hurghada on a budget.
