President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has yet to formally announce his bid for re-election, but is widely expected to run and win a second four-year term.

Authorities have waged a wide-scale crackdown on dissent since Mr el-Sissi, as defence minister, led the military overthrow of Mohamed Morsi, an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013.

Lasheen Ibrahim, the chairman of the national election authority, announced the dates for the election on Monday.

A run-off will be held on April 24-26 if no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote. Egyptian expatriates will vote from March 16-18 and April 19-21.