Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026
The Cairo embassy is not Egypt’s mission alone. It is currently also the competent mission for people ordinarily resident in Libya, Yemen and Sudan — with one important carve-out: reunification applications to protected persons from Sudan are not within its remit. For residents of Syria, competence moved on 1 June 2026 to Amman, Beirut and Erbil.
Cairo embassy — remit and address
- Primary remit
- Anyone ordinarily resident in Egypt — as a rule from six months of residence.
- Additional remit, currently
- Residents of Libya, Yemen and Sudan — except reunification applications to protected persons from Sudan.
- Syria
- Since 1 June 2026: visas — Schengen and long-stay — at Amman, Beirut and Erbil only.
- Consular services
- Passports, certificates, legalisations: Egypt and Sudan.
- Address
- 2 Sharia Berlin (off Sharia Hassan Sabri), Zamalek, Cairo 11211
- Hours
- Sunday–Wednesday 08:00 – 16:00 · Thursday 08:30 – 13:30 — an Egyptian working week, not a German one.
- Telephone
- +20 2 2728 2000 — gives no visa information at all.
The six-month rule: where to file if you are outside your own country
Competence does not follow your nationality but your place of ordinary residence. The stated benchmark is six months: anyone resident in Egypt for six months or more files in Cairo, whatever their nationality.
The reverse holds just as firmly, and the embassy states it expressly: anyone who has lived outside Syria for at least six months and holds a valid residence permit there must file in that country of residence — not in Cairo and not in Damascus. This is the most common confusion among Syrians and Sudanese living in Egypt: many assume nationality decides the mission, when residence decides it.
And one practical point that gets forgotten: bookings and registrations are not transferred between missions. Anyone who registered in Cairo and then finds competence has moved must register afresh with the competent mission — and the queue starts from zero.
The Sudan carve-out that changes the calculation
Read the wording of the remit closely: Cairo is competent for residents of Sudan, except for reunification applications to protected persons. So a Sudanese resident in Sudan files a work, study or visit application in Cairo — but a reunification file to a relative holding protection in Germany is expressly outside Cairo’s remit.
That carve-out is read quickly and understood backwards. If your file is of that kind, the first question is not “when is the Cairo appointment” but “which mission is competent at all” — and ask before travelling, not after.
Ordinary consular services — passports, certificates, legalisations — are a different matter: there Cairo covers Egypt and Sudan together, with no carve-out.
The steps from Egypt
- Identify your competent mission before anything elseThe rule is residence, not nationality: six months of ordinary residence in Egypt ⇒ Cairo. And if your file is reunification to a protected person while you reside in Sudan, Cairo is not your mission.
- Check your relative’s status in GermanySubsidiary protection ⇒ reunification suspended until 24 July 2027. Refugee status, work, study or a Blue Card ⇒ the suspension does not concern you.
- Do not phone the embassy about a visaThe published number states expressly that it gives no visa information. Use the visa channels published on the mission’s own site.
- Count the Egyptian working week, not the German oneSunday to Wednesday, with Thursday a half day — Friday and Saturday closed. Planning on a European week loses two days out of every week.
- Prepare the language certificate and sworn translation firstThey are the two longest items and neither depends on the mission, so start them while you wait for the appointment.
- Do not rely on an old booking being movedRegistrations and bookings are not transferred between missions. Any change of competence means registering afresh from zero.
⚠️ The suspension follows your relative’s status, not your nationality: subsidiary protection ⇒ reunification is suspended until 24 July 2027, and the only path is a hardship report to info.fap.hardship@iom.int. Refugee status, or a work, study or Blue Card permit ⇒ the suspension does not concern you.
Official sources
German Embassy Cairo — remit, address and hours · Section 30 AufenthG · Notice on the suspension for subsidiary protection
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Reunification cases are assessed individually — consult a lawyer specialising in immigration law or a migration advice centre before any decision concerning your family.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Cairo embassy competent for my application?
When your ordinary residence is in Egypt — the stated benchmark is generally six months of residence. Competence follows residence, not nationality.
I am Syrian and live in Egypt — where do I file?
In Cairo, if your ordinary residence is in Egypt. Anyone who has lived outside Syria for at least six months and holds a valid residence permit there must file in that country. For people inside Syria, competence has lain with Amman, Beirut and Erbil since 1 June 2026.
Does Cairo accept applications from residents of Sudan?
In principle yes, but with an express carve-out: reunification applications to protected persons from Sudan are outside its remit. Ordinary consular services do cover Egypt and Sudan together.
Can my appointment be transferred to another mission?
No. The embassy states expressly that registrations and bookings are not transferred between missions; anyone whose competent mission changes must register again with the new one.
What are the embassy’s hours?
Sunday to Wednesday from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, and Thursday from half past eight to half past one — an Egyptian working week, with Friday and Saturday closed.
Can I phone the embassy about my visa?
No. The published number states expressly that it gives no information on visa matters; the dedicated channels are published on the mission’s site.