How to check whether an Egyptian tour guide is actually licensed

Guiding in Egypt is a licensed profession. Real guides study Egyptology or a related field, pass examinations, and carry a government credential; since 2026 Egypt has been issuing smart licences with digitally verifiable credentials. The man who attaches himself to you at the ticket line calling himself a guide usually carries none of this.

What you can check yourself

Ask to see the licence card, not a laminated photocopy. Real licences carry the guide's photo and licence number. With the new smart licences, the credential is verified electronically at major sites' gates, which means a legitimate guide has no difficulty showing it and no reason to change the subject when asked.

What EgyRoam checks so you don't have to

Every guide on an EgyRoam itinerary has had their licence checked and recorded by us in person, plus references and a paid test assignment before they ever meet a client. Each carries a public verification page at egyroam.com/verify showing exactly what we checked and when, and a card with a QR code that opens it. If someone shows you an EgyRoam code that does not resolve, treat it as the warning it is.

The honest caveat

A licence proves qualification, not warmth or patience. That is what references and test assignments are for, and it is why we drop operators whose standard slips even when their paperwork is perfect.