Scooters and Motorcycles in Egypt, Buying Used, Plates and Licence

Scooters in Hurghada and in Cairo

Distances in Hurghada are short, and for many expats a scooter has become their main transport for shopping, the beach and work. Cairo has dense, chaotic traffic and long distances, so riding on two wheels there is noticeably more dangerous for a beginner. If you are just learning, start on quiet streets and in gated compounds.

Read about neighbourhoods and daily life by the sea in life in Hurghada.

Which licence you need

A motorcycle or a motor scooter requires a licence with a motorcycle category. Rental shops usually give tourists a bike against such a licence and an IDP, although at resorts some only look at a passport. Such a rental is risky: after an accident the insurance will most likely not help, and riding without a licence can bring a serious penalty under Egyptian law.

Residents of Egypt need an Egyptian motorcycle licence. The traffic police (Murour) issue it from age 18 after a medical check with an eye doctor and a general physician, a test on the rules and a practical exam. A foreigner will need a passport with a valid iqama, check the full list at your office.

How to buy a used scooter or motorcycle

Scooters are often sold «without papers». They are cheaper, but registering one in your name will be very difficult, and by law an unregistered bike without plates can be confiscated. A new motorcycle from a shop is registered with the dealer's invoice, and one imported from abroad with customs clearance papers.

Meet in the daytime, test ride the bike and hand over the money only after checking the papers. Do not send prepayments to strangers for a «reservation».

• Papers. Ask for the rokhsa, the registration document, and make sure it is in the seller's name and has not expired.
• The frame and engine numbers on the bike must match the papers.
• Fines. Ask the seller for a fresh certificate from the traffic police showing no fines.
• Price. Compare it with similar listings: a price that is too low often means problems with the papers or hidden repairs.
• Mechanics. Check the brakes, lights, horn, tyres, the chain or the variator belt, a cold start and how the bike handles on the road.
• Transfer. The sale contract is certified at a notary, and the transfer is done at the traffic police, just like with a car.

Registration, plates and insurance

Every motorcycle and motor scooter is registered with the traffic police and gets metal plates. Private motorcycles have a light blue strip on the plate, like private cars. Compulsory insurance is paid together with the registration.

Under Egypt's traffic law a private motorcycle can be registered for up to three years, while a motorcycle carrying paying passengers only for one year. Since 1 October 2026 a «one window» system has been trialled at traffic offices, and according to Egyptian media the registration fees for motorcycles were reduced. The exact amount is shown on a board in the office.

A foreigner may need an iqama and extra papers, so call the office before you go.

Helmet and safety

A helmet is mandatory for motorcycle riders by law. Under the 2021 amendments riding without a helmet carried a fine of 200 to 400 pounds and two points off, and the amounts may have changed. The police do record such violations.

• Wear a helmet on every ride, even a short one, and carry a second one for a passenger.
• Even in the heat, closed shoes and gloves greatly reduce injuries in a fall.
• Keep your headlight on during the day too, car drivers often do not notice scooters.
• Watch out for sand on the asphalt, potholes and high speed bumps, especially at night.
• Do not ride after drinking and do not take more than one passenger.
• The British Foreign Office warns of serious quad bike accidents at resorts: safety standards of rental firms vary, so always wear a helmet there too.

Electric scooters and tuk-tuks

In October 2025 the Governor of Cairo ordered shops selling electric scooters and tuk-tuks to close and scooters riding illegally on the streets to be confiscated. The reason is a rise in accidents: such scooters are not registered with the traffic police, have no plates and are ridden mostly by teenagers and young people. Keep this risk in mind before buying an electric scooter for getting around Cairo.

Renting a scooter at a resort

In Hurghada scooters are rented by the day and by the month. Before renting, check the brakes and lights, photograph all scratches, and ask whether there is insurance and who pays for repairs after a breakdown. A cash deposit is better than leaving your passport, as you may need the original at a document check. Agree on the terms in writing in a chat. Make sure the scooter has plates and valid registration, otherwise you will be the one answering to the police.

Scooters and motorcycles on Tullab

In motorcycles and scooters people sell used bikes in Cairo and Hurghada, and bicycles and kick scooters are in bicycles and scooters. Listings for the seaside city are collected on the Hurghada page.

Selling a scooter? Post a free ad with the year, mileage, engine size, whether it has a rokhsa and plates, and describe its condition honestly.