Wise in Egypt: Paying Egyptian Pounds to a Bank (2026)

I hear from freelancers in Cairo and Alexandria who've been told, by clients and by YouTube videos, that Wise is the answer. Sometimes that's right, but only if you understand what the Egypt-specific pages say. I've read Wise's guide to Egyptian pound transfers and its lists of where Wise works, and the picture is more specific than the videos suggest.

The IBAN is the first thing your client needs

Wise's EGP guide says you can send Egyptian pounds to individual and business bank accounts in Egypt, with charities and trust beneficiaries excluded. The sender needs your full name and your 29-character IBAN. A normal account number isn't enough, so find the IBAN in your banking app or on a bank statement before you reply to your client.

Any typo means a delay, or a returned payment. Copy it rather than retyping.

Purpose of payment: a step people forget

Wise says the sender must choose the most appropriate purpose of payment category from a dropdown menu. That choice is made by the person paying, not by you, so tell your client what the payment is for. If you're invoicing for design work, say so in plain words and ask them to choose the category that matches. Don't leave it to guesswork.

How much, and how fast

What I checked	What Wise says for Egypt
Where it can go	Individual and business bank accounts in Egypt
What the sender needs	Your full name and 29-character IBAN
Maximum	5 million EGP per transfer
Conversion	Up to 2 working days
After conversion	Usually the same working day
Excluded	Charities and trust beneficiaries

So a payment can take up to two working days to convert and then reach you the same day. Wise says it gives an estimate when the sender sets up the transfer. If a client needs an exact arrival date for a deadline, ask them to share that estimate with you.

Can you open a Wise balance in Egypt?

This is where I'd be careful. The Wise page about where you can hold a balance names a long list of countries and territories, and Egypt isn't on the one I read. Wise's separate page on where you can use Wise lists places where it doesn't operate, and Egypt isn't there either. So the honest reading is that sending to Egypt is covered, while holding a balance as an Egyptian resident isn't something I can confirm.

Check the sign-up screen and the availability tools in the app for your own status. Wise also says older accounts may have features that newer ones don't.

Why you can't top up Egyptian pounds from a bank

Wise says you can send EGP only if you already hold it in your Wise account, and you can add EGP by converting another currency you hold with Wise. It also says it's not currently possible to add EGP to your Wise account, or send EGP into it, through a bank account or other external payment method. For a freelancer, this means Wise isn't a place to park pounds from your local bank. It's a one-way route for foreign money coming into Egypt.

Where Wise sits next to your Egyptian bank

Think of Wise as the middle step. The client pays in dollars, pounds or euros from their side, Wise converts the money, and the Egyptian pounds are paid into your bank account. Your bank is still the account that holds the money, so your bank's own rules, hours and charges still apply once the funds land. If you expect a very large or unusual payment, it's worth mentioning it to your bank in advance.

It's also worth keeping the invoice, the contract and a screenshot of the transfer. If your bank asks where the money came from, you'll have the answer ready in one message instead of three days of emails.

What I'd ask your client before they pay

1. Which currency are you paying me in, and how much?
2. Can you send it through Wise to my Egyptian bank account using my IBAN?
3. Which purpose of payment category will you choose?
4. Can you share the delivery estimate Wise shows you?
5. Who pays any fee on your side?

Wise links to its pricing page for fees rather than listing them in the Egypt guide, so I'm not going to quote any.

Other ways Egyptians get paid from abroad

Wise isn't the only option, and many people in Egypt use more than one. I've written about what PayPal does for Egyptian users, which explains different limits to the ones above. If your client lives in another country, how Wise works for people in India shows how much the rules change from place to place.

Please check with your bank about anything it needs to see for incoming foreign payments, and ask a local accountant about tax. Neither is something I can advise on.

A fair summary

Wise has a clear, documented route for foreign money into Egyptian bank accounts. What I can't confirm from the pages I read is a full Wise account with balance and top-ups for residents. Plan around the part that's documented, and treat the rest as something to confirm in the app.

Frequently asked questions

Can I receive money in Egypt through Wise?

According to Wise's EGP guide, a sender can send Egyptian pounds to individual and business bank accounts in Egypt. The sender needs your full name and 29-character IBAN.

What is the maximum Wise can send to Egypt?

Wise says you can send up to 5 million EGP per transfer.

How long does it take?

Wise says conversion can take up to 2 working days, and funds then usually reach the recipient's account on the same working day.

Does the sender have to give a reason for the payment?

Wise says the sender must choose the most appropriate purpose of payment category from a dropdown menu.

Can I top up Egyptian pounds in Wise from my bank?

Wise says it's not currently possible to add EGP to your Wise account through a bank account or other external payment method. You can add EGP only by converting another currency you hold with Wise.