Travel Warning - Egypt
February 01, 2011
On February 1, the Department of State ordered the departure of all
non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members from Egypt.
This replaces the Travel Warning for Egypt dated January 28, 2011. The
U.S. Department of State continues to recommend that U.S. citizens avoid
travel to Egypt at this time. U.S. citizens should consider leaving
Egypt as soon as they can safely do so, due to ongoing political and
social unrest. Large-scale demonstrations with the potential for
violence continue in several areas of Cairo, Alexandria, and other parts
of the country, and rail and road travel has been disrupted between
cities, and between city centers and airports. Disruptions in
communications, including internet service, also continue. The
Government of Egypt may also disrupt mobile phone service during future
demonstrations. The Government of Egypt modified the curfew times and
locations; now 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. throughout Egypt until further
notice. U.S. citizens should obey curfew orders and remain indoors
during curfew hours.
U.S. citizens currently in Egypt should monitor international and local
media to stay abreast of announcements from the embassy. Due to the
fluid nature of the situation and the volume of phone calls to the
embassy, U.S. citizens should not wait for a reply from the embassy or
the Department of State before traveling to the nearest airport. Cairo
airport is open and operating, but flights may be delayed or cancelled,
and transport to the airport is disrupted, due to the protests.
Travelers should remain in contact with their airlines or tour operators
concerning flight schedules, and arrange to arrive at the airport well
before curfew hours.
The U.S. Department of State is making arrangements to provide charter
air transportation to safe haven locations in Europe of U.S. citizens
and eligible dependents who wish to depart Egypt. This assistance will
be provided on a reimbursable basis, as required by U.S. law. U.S.
citizens who travel on U.S. Government-arranged transport will be
expected to make their own onward travel plans from the safe haven
location; currently: Larnaca, Cyprus; Istanbul, Turkey; Frankfurt,
Germany; and Athens, Greece. Flights to evacuation points began
departing Cairo on Monday, January 31. There will be a limited number
of seats available on future evacuation flights. Priority will be given
to persons with medical emergencies or severe medical conditions.
Persons interested in departing Egypt via U.S. Government-arranged
chartered transportation should proceed to one of the airports in Cairo,
Alexandria, Luxor, or Aswan.
U.S. citizens with a valid passport wishing to depart from Cairo may
proceed to the Hajj Terminal/VIP Hall (Terminal 1, Hall 4) of the
airport after curfew is lifted, currently 8:00 a.m. For U.S. citizens
attempting to depart via Alexandria, airports are all open and there are
commercial flights available to U.S. citizens. If traveling from Luxor,
Alexandria, or Aswan airport, be sure to have a confirmed ticket and
know the terminal you need before traveling to the airport. There are
two operational airports in Alexandria:
Primary airport: Borg El Arab - two terminals:
* One newer where commercial flights are departing.
* Older terminal where chartered flights are departing and some
commercial flights.
Secondary airport: El Nouzha - older, under reconstruction
Passengers must have a ticket in hand, or arrange to purchase a ticket
via cell phone or internet. Tickets are NOT being sold at the airport.
Immediate family members (spouses and children) who are not U.S.
citizens must be documented for entry into the safe haven country and/or
the United States, if that is their final destination. Travelers who
are not U.S. citizens but are accompanying a U.S. citizen immediate
family member (child, spouse, parent of minor child) should have a valid
passport. U.S. citizens seeking evacuation should be prepared for a
substantial wait at the airport. Travelers are advised to bring food,
water, diapers, and other necessary toiletries with them to the airport.
Travelers will not be able to choose their destination, and they are
permitted only one piece of luggage per person. Travelers may not bring
pets.
In the event of demonstrations, U.S. citizens in Egypt should remain in
their residences or hotels until the demonstrations subside. Security
forces may block off the area around the U.S. Embassy during
demonstrations, and U.S. citizens should not attempt to come to the U.S.
Embassy or the Tahrir Square area during that time. Demonstrations have
degenerated on several occasions into violent clashes between police and
protesters, resulting in injuries and extensive property damage. While
demonstrations have not been directed toward Westerners, U.S. citizens
are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be
vigilant regarding their personal security. The U.S. Department of
State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even
peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and a foreigner could become a
target of harassment or worse. If caught unexpectedly near a
demonstration, U.S. citizens should obey instructions from police and
leave the area as quickly as possible. U.S. citizens resident in Egypt
should monitor local news broadcasts and U.S. citizen visitors should
ask tour guides and hotel officials about any planned demonstrations in
the locations they plan to visit. U.S. citizens should carry
identification and a cell phone that works in Egypt.
The U.S. Embassy will be open only for emergency services to U.S.
citizens until further notice. As always, any change to Embassy hours
will be posted on the Embassy website
U.S. citizens in Egypt may also enroll them in the Smart Traveler
Enrollment Program (STEP)
Egypt, or their loved ones, may contact the U.S. Department of State and
the U.S. Embassy in Cairo via email
, or at 1-202-501-4444. Please follow the directions on the Embassy
website
other consular inquiries.
Current information on travel and security in Egypt may be obtained from
the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the
United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and
Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further
information, please consult the Country Specific Information for Egypt
as the Worldwide Caution
For American Citizens in Oman
Americans living or traveling in Oman are strongly encouraged to
register with the U.S. Embassy in Muscat. Registration with
Embassies/Consulates is available at www.travel.state.gov under
"International Travel for U.S. Citizens." Americans without Internet
access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Muscat. The
Embassy's phone number is (968) 2464-3400. This new phone number is also
for after-hours emergencies.
American citizens wishing to contact the Consular Section may do so via
email at ConsularMuscat@state.gov or fax at (968) 2464-3535. If you wish
to speak directly to a consular staff member, please call the embassy
phone number between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday, and follow the prompts. American Citizen
Services are available by appointment
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday and
between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Monday. When visiting the embassy, please
bring two forms of government-issued identification with photographs, as
you will need to leave one with the security guards while inside the
building.
The U.S. Embassy is located on Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street in the
diplomatic area of Shatti al Qurum in the capital city of Muscat. The
Embassy is closed on Omani and American holidays. For the latest
security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly
monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs' web site at
http://travel.state.gov
Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts
as the Worldwide Caution
found.
Tracey Thornton
Vice Consul
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