co habiting with an Egytian is this illegal?

Should be fine .

Well..it is against the law..but since you are not Egyptian it shouldnt be a problem but seeing as your fiance is Egyptian then agian you shouldn't be to outward about telling others if you choose to live together. If you were both non Egyptian it would be no problem 100% I think this is extremely frowned upon but to each his own..

oh you could also consider just doing an orfi marriage until your ready to get a full fledged marriage.. Orfi is a paper marriage also known as "f**king papers" it's also frowned on but it is accepted in Egypt so in this case you wont have any problems about living together. and if he turns out to be an ass and you want to leave just tear up the papers and end of story hope I helped.

yes you are correct

Eypicanmeraty wrote:

oh you could also consider just doing an orfi marriage until your ready to get a full fledged marriage.. Orfi is a paper marriage also known as "f**king papers" it's also frowned on but it is accepted in Egypt so in this case you wont have any problems about living together. and if he turns out to be an ass and you want to leave just tear up the papers and end of story hope I helped.

gingerqueen, there are no laws against anybody living with a partner in Egypt, as long as they live in their own apartment (hotel rooms are forbidden), no one will knock the door and ask you to show any papers. It's just not encouraged socially or traditionally, so if he is living in a building where he is known socially, they will "make faces" only, but nothing more, and no law will be broken, laws are only against prostitution or in other words: continuously changing partners for sex. If he is living in an area where nobody knows him, then just say you are married and that is it, no proves are needed.

As for the Orfi paper idea, I don't recommend this because it can be considered a sort of legal marriages by law, and there can arise some legal commitments if he or you decided to use it and prove the marriage, but I suggest to ask a lawyer in this and not take it as just a written paper.

i agree with moaataz

In Egypt an Egyptian man can only live together with a woman if she is his wife. The police can come and check for this, I think the trouble would be more for him than for you.

Make sure with your fiance that his surrounding environment is safe for living with him under the same roof .Like many said the society can look at this relationship as illegal or forbidden even thought things worst than living with a boyfriend or fiance are done in this country.As a foreigner I was always asked if my partner is my husband or a boyfrined everytime we look for an apartment because I speak arabic and he doesn't .Please do not take any risks at signing any papers as this may turn against you if there are bad intentions .If you too love each other then you have to agree on what is safe for both of 2 .
Take care

So inviting an Egyptian (girl) friend to your hotel room is forbidden by law??

I thought they were just hotel rules...

Ginger!!

If he plans on living in a rented apartment then honey you're going to be in for a shit load of problems!

1- If it's a rented flat, the land lord can kick you both out!
2- Chances are the land lord won't rent to you if you are un wed. There are many old fashioned people here.
3- If it's a rented flat then ANYONE can call the police and they can come by and arrest you for prostitution. Even if you are NOT living together but neighbours see that you have a lot of guy friends over.  (It has happened)

A Orfi marriage, wouldn't be what I would do, but it is a solution. It is legal but the conotations of it mean that he is just with you for the soul purpose of pleasure.
However, even though it is a marriage of convenience, it is legal.

If you are living in an apartment that is owned by your fiance hen no one can do anything! It's private property!
I hope this helps you!

Best of Luck lass

elhector wrote:

So inviting an Egyptian (girl) friend to your hotel room is forbidden by law??

I thought they were just hotel rules...

If two foreigners stay in a hotel room and they are un wed, no one will blink an eye. If an Egyptian girl is seen with a guy going to a room she could be stopped and asked for a wedding certificate. If she is caught in a hotel room then she is arrested for prostitution.
If you travel with an Egyptian guy by car, make sure ladies you have your foreign passport with you!! Especially in Sharm, scurity check points are cracking down HARD on Egyptians! Especially if they are Egyptian, male and female and not of the same religion. Some people were take to headquarters and questioned for 4 hours without the right to a phone call!

hotstuff,

He will not be allowed in to your room without proof of marriage. If you were a foreign couple (both British) you wouldn't have to be married.
IF you are caught in the room together there will be BIG trouble! Chances are you will both be arrested.
My advice is don't risk it. If he's JUST a friend and from Egypt, he SHOULD understand and be fine with getting a single room. Please don't get a Orfi marriage, because that is more or less saying that your sharing a room is purely for 'pleasure' and it makes you out look realy easy.
I'm sorry to be so blunt and to the point, but I would rather you know what situation you might be putting youself in without knowing the consequences.
There could be another alternative, if you are insisting on sharing the same space and same roof, you might want to consider renting a villa or a flat. The only trouble you may run in to is the some land lords maybe opposed to the idea.
I hope this helps!

Hi ,
I am a foreigner living in Cairo and I've heard the same thing but saw totally different stories :if you are in Sharm i think they should be ok if you guys tell them that you are a dating couple .I have seen Egyptian non-married couple in South Sinai sharing one bedroom (or hut ) and I don't think they were arrested or anything .I am not really sure but you should call the hotel and confirm with them that you are expecting a friend in your room .There are a lot of contradictory do's and don't in this country .Peace

Well, My husband and I went to Sharm for our honeymoon in Oct last year he's Egyptian and Im American. We got married at the  M of J and they dont give you anything saying you are married and it takes up to 10days to get the marriage Cert. It took us most of the first day JUST trying to find a hotel to rent us a room. they all tried to get us to do an Orfi but my husband thought it was stupid to get married twice   So I guess it's hit or miss when one of you are Egyptian. worst case just do the Orfi it doesnt make you appear any more or less easy then trying to share  a room when your unwed. Really who cares what others think of you there, besides anyone either of you might know in Sharm would know what you were doing anyways. Goodluck

My Uncle was in Sharm with his wife and grown up children last spring. They came over from the UK. (He's Egyptian and his wife isn't) They refused to check him in to the hotel with his wife of 30 something years until he proved they were married, (this was a 5 start hotel). He had to insist on talking to the GM of the hotel and kicked up a fuss before they were allowed to check in.
FYI, if you got married in Egypt and are honeymooning in Egypt, the Chuch or the Mosque should issue you a temporary marriage certificate until the 'official' one is ready, so that hotels will not give you a hard time when you check in.

IrishAlexandrian wrote:

My Uncle was in Sharm with his wife and grown up children last spring. They came over from the UK. (He's Egyptian and his wife isn't) They refused to check him in to the hotel with his wife of 30 something years until he proved they were married, (this was a 5 start hotel). He had to insist on talking to the GM of the hotel and kicked up a fuss before they were allowed to check in.
FYI, if you got married in Egypt and are honeymooning in Egypt, the Chuch or the Mosque should issue you a temporary marriage certificate until the 'official' one is ready, so that hotels will not give you a hard time when you check in.

it is happen also with my friend he is Egyptian and his wife is German, this is the Egyptian roles

Hey ginger.

I'm currently living with my Egyptian fiance, but we're in Hurghada. So it's a lot more liberal than in Cairo.

In cairo, you may run into a few problems depending on where you live. If you have nosy neighbours, they can create big problems for you and can repeatedly call the police / landlord etc merely because you have men over. I have been forced to move because of this problem in Cairo...nosy neighbours are a pain anywhere you go.

Your fiance may suggest an Urfi contract to you. there are a few things to keep in mind when / if he suggests this. Yes it is known as a "F*ck paper" but this is the informal name given to it as many egyptians will use it to have sexual relations with a foreigner and not have to deal with the consequences. there are however many Egyptian couples who use an Urfi contract as a marriage paper, particularly those couples that cannot afford the expenses of a full blown wedding.

1 - there are TWO types of Urfi marriages. One gives the woman absolutely NO rights whatsoever. If your husband decides to toss you on the street, he can do so without any repercussions. The Second type will protect both parties involved in case something goes wrong.

2 - An urfi contract is not a LEGAL marriage contract. to make it legal, you must take it to a court house and have it notarized. It is merely a religious marriage contract, accepted in the eyes of God, and therefore by your peers in the street. In a court of law, without the notarization, in Egypt you are not considered legally married.

Never EVER sign something without making sure that you have fully understood the contract, and having the translation verified by more than one source.

I say this because I have seen it happen too many times, however if your relationship goes sour, and your fiance / husband threatens to get you kicked out of Egypt, just know that he CANNOT, i repeat, CANNOT have you forcibly removed from the country. So many women are led to believe that this is the case.

Bottom line is. Living together in Cairo in a rented flat is not a viable option if you are not married, or at least have this urfi contract. the problems that can be caused for you are just not worth it.

Touche Leprechaun!

Moving to Cairo next weekend.

Hi Im moving to Cairo next weekend with my family ( husband and son, 4 years) I would very much like to get in contact with other mothers that is living in Cairo, ( we didnt find a flat yet, but we are thinking about Maadi)
Im a young mother from Norway, and married to an Egyptian man, lived in cairo for 6 month last year, working in travel busines with my husband. Looking for afternoon or weekendfriends for me and my son. ( my husband have his own friends )

NB/ Also great if enybody have their children in Maadi British international scool and can tell me about your experians ?

Feel free to send me an e.mail if your are in the same situation or have been. Looking forward !

Sorry, this came in a wrong place

Excellent advise. I couldn't have said it better

Hi there I see there is all different views on an Egyptian man sharing an apartment with a English lady. I'm due to return to Egypt next week. I normally stay in a hotel and just see my boyfriend/friend (unsure where it's heading yet) in the evenings after he finishes work. His taking time off when I return and I have suggested we get a villa or a apartment. I no you can not share a hotel room. Do I say I'm staying in the apartment on my own or do I say there is two of us. I'm very confused on what to do.. he said it will be fine but I saw a comment below saying he would get more in trouble then me and I don't want that! Is there certain places that allow an Egyptian man and a English women not married to share a villa/apartment. Please help 🙈

Hi. I'm having exactly the same problem. Have you had any look in finding the best way to be together while you are in Egypt

i agree with moaataz

Check out ur inbox 😉

How could you manage that ?
I'm expecting my gf next month, will really appreciate your help!

@Eypicanmeraty yea you have been an amazing help. Can I ask you more questions as an Egyptian man has asked me to marry him he lives in hurghada but comes from Cairo and wants me to go back to marry him in Cairo. We have been taking daily for six months and have spent time with him on both my visits to hurghada I feel he is being genuine with me but so you have any tips I need to watch out for for if he is only using me to get to the uk. I don’t feel that this is the case but I can’t help but be concerned as I have heard many stories where the man just wanted to travel out of egypt. Anything you can give me to look out for would be so very helpful to help me make my final c/m decision before booking a flight to go back.

It is legal but the conotations of it mean that he is just with you for the soul purpose of pleasure. However, even though it is a marriage of convenience, it is legal.

In Egypt, it is technically illegal for unmarried couples to share a hotel room, and many hotels will require couples to provide proof of marriage upon check-in. However, some hotels in Cairo may be more lenient or discreet about enforcing these laws.

@moataz123 agreed

@furniturewinches What is a marriage of convenience?  It is possible for a respectable Egyptian man to take a "foreign" woman with high values and morals and Islam seriously, and love her for herself, for more than just pleasure, correct?  "Foreignors" are also humans with hearts and dreams, and although many are so loose they undermine the respect and weight of the others, it is possible to find a nice, high-value Muslim one, correct?

@kerslakerachel did you make a decision? I have been with an Egyptian man for over a year and we had an orfi during that time. I chose to end it and it now needs to be dissolved legally.

I would say if you can, take your time.

I don't believe my ex wanted to get out the country but it did end with him showing his true colours over money!!

Don't rush if you are feeling unsure, if you have been able to spend time together so far, it shouldn't be a problem a little longer for you to build on your relationship with him.