ARCE sponsors the field work of its member institutions by providing administrative and technical support to affiliated expeditions each season. In order to be affiliated with ARCE, an expedition must be conducted by a Research Supporting Member (RSM). Visit our Membership page to apply for or renew your institutional membership.

New requests for project sponsorship are reviewed by ARCE’s Archaeological and Research Expeditions Committee, a subcommittee of the Board of Governors. The review period can be lengthy and project leaders are encouraged to submit their initial proposals at least 6 months prior to their desired arrival in Egypt. Please send your proposal to cairo@arce.org. For complete instructions, see:
Information to Assist Archaeological Expeditions to Apply for ARCE Sponsorship

Renewal requests, please note that ARCE and the MSA have recently made a number of changes to the logistical aspects of the sponsorship & application process. Paperwork required for MSA clearances should be submitted to the ARCE Cairo Office in hard copy at least 4 months prior to your desired arrival in Egypt. For complete instructions, see:
Information to Assist Archaeological Expeditions Yearly Application to the SCA

Although ARCE is not responsible for organizing your security strategies while in Egypt, in times of difficulty, we will endeavor to assist in any way we can in order to ensure your safety. To this end we require all projects represented by ARCE to provide our Cairo office with a Contact Details Form. This form includes information with regard to evacuation procedures the project has arranged with their respective university/institute/museum. Please complete as much of the information as possible and email it to Mme Amira Khattab (akhattab@arce.org) with cc to Jane Smythe (jsmythe@arce.org).

MSA GUIDELINES

Archaeological and conservation work in Egypt is conducted under the auspices of the Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA), which is at present a bureau under the direct control of the Egyptian Prime Minister’s cabinet. In 2002, the MSA established an Office of Foreign Archaeological Missions to supervise archaeological research in Egypt sponsored by non-Egyptian institutions.

The Office of Foreign Archaeological Missions at the MSA is continually reviewing and revising regulations governing the activities of foreign expeditions/missions in Egypt. Regulations published by the Office in 2002 and in January 2003, supplemented by amendments issued in March and June of that year, specify conditions, qualifications, fees and reporting requirements that apply to all foreign expeditions undertaking scientific research in Egypt. These rules, as published, are set forth below. Any future regulations or revisions will be posted on this page.

IMPORTANT: Egyptian Labor Laws are available in English: http://www.egypt.gov.eg/english/laws/labour/default.aspx. Download "Book 2 - Individual Labour Relationships". Then review Part VI, Chapter 3: Employemnt of infants/juveniles for information on hiring Egyptians.

IMPORTANT: When applying for a concession, please include a brief note stating the source of your funding. You will find this request on the MSA Foreign Mission Application Form (see below), which must be completed. This is to ensure that only institutions of clear academic integrity are involved in excavations in Egypt. Expedition leaders should review all documents for completeness and accuracy.