years-experience access-alumni-network airfare airport-pick-up assistance-with-application-process community-service-placement continuous-support cultural-trips domestic-transport emergency-support field-trips global-competence-certificate grade-transcripts host-family-placement housing individual-contact-person internship-placement language-instruction meals medical-insurance orientations-during-your-time-abroad other pre-departure-orientation product-materials re-entry-orientation school-dipolma school-materials school-placement school-transport school-uniform stipend teaching-materials vaccinations visa-and-passport-fees visa-application-assistance world-wide-presence

AFS aims to provide 30% of our students with scholarships or grants

Find out about our range of scholarships, grants and fundraising

Eligibility Requirements

  • You must be between 15 years and 17 years of age
  • Enrolled in an NZ school
  • You can’t have graduated from school in New Zealand

Notes

  • Your Egypt short programme brochure: 4 weeks in summer, live with host families, learn Arabic language , and participate in different cultural activities in your host community No language requirement & Tourist Visa 

The Two Trimester Programmes:

  • Both run September-November
  • For 2026 AFS Egypt have gifted a $2,500 scholarship to a AFS New Zealand Student for a Trimester programme! This scholarship from AFS Egypt makes this programme our second most affordable. Priced at $8,342
  •  Our standard programme with the peace camp in Brussels, Belgium is priced at $11,997
    Read more below

What's included in your experience

  • Airfare
  • Airport Pick-up
  • Host Family Placement
  • Housing
  • Meals
  • School Placement
  • Individual Contact Person
  • Medical Insurance
  • 24/7 Emergency Support
  • School Transport
  • Assistance with Application Process
  • Visa Application Assistance
  • Pre-Departure Orientation
  • Orientations during your time abroad
  • Continuous Support
  • Worldwide Presence
  • 70 Years Experience

What you are responsible for

  • Vaccinations
  • Cultural Tours
  • Visa and Passport Fees
  • Stipend
  • School Uniform

Host Family & Community

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Life in Egypt usually revolves around extended family, religious events and activities. The majority of people in Egypt is Muslim. There is also a significant number of Christians (approx. 10%), but not many other religions. You can be hosted throughout Egypt, most likely in urban and suburban areas of Alexandria, Cairo, El Fayoum, El Menya, Giza, Ismailia, Port Said and Tanta. If you’re in an urban area, expect to live in an apartment, while people in more rural areas usually live with extended family in a big house.

School

The Egyptian education system has four different kinds of schools: governmental schools (where they study everything in Arabic), experimental schools (where they study most subjects in Arabic and few in English), private schools (where they study most subjects in English and a few in Arabic) and international schools (where they study in a system of another country, e.g. the USA). Most AFS students in Egypt attend a private or international school, and some go to an experimental school.
The school year runs from September to June, with a two-week break in January. The school week starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday.
Most schools have a uniform.

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Language

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The official language of Egypt is Arabic, with many regional dialects spoken all over the country.
English is also commonly used and is taught in schools starting with first grade.

Food

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The Egyptian diet is typically rich in beans, bread, rice, vegetables and fruits. Lunch is the most significant meal of the day and is often followed by an afternoon rest. Falafel (fried bean balls) and koshary (a dish of rice and lentils) are popular street food that can be purchased from street vendors all over Egypt.
For religious reasons, most people eat halal food. It is very rare to see pork in shops or restaurants.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are uncommon, and may be difficult to accommodate.

Food in Egypt

Peace Camp Info

The PEACE Programme or PEACE through Exchange and Active Citizenship Education is a secondary school trimester programme which aims at empowering and enabling young people to become active citizens. The participants stay with host-families and go to high school in a European country. At the end of the programme, all participants of the PEACE programme come to Belgium for a five day long camp with a focus on Active Global Citizenship in Europe.

Find out More