Background: Informed consent (IC) is a healthcare standard emphasizing the meaning of human dignity as clarified in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Data about IC practices in Egypt is insufficient. This study aimed to describe the Egyptian patients ‘or guardians ‘experience about IC and their expectations about its meaning in general and according to type of healthcare facility. Methods: Self-administered questionnaire to 1092 participants who had undergone or were scheduled to a procedure requiring an IC at three types of Egyptian health care facilities. Ten statements were ranked twice by the participants to reflect their perception of IC purpose as per what is currently practiced then as per what they believe should be practiced. Results: Informed consent implementation varies across the different levels of health care facilities in Egypt; being implemented the most at the non-governmental health facilities (in 85.9 % of procedures) followed by the governmental health care facilities (77.8 %) and the least at the university hospitals (63.8 %). Current practice was perceived to: “Help patient/guardian decide”, “Document patient’s/guardian’s decision”, and “Have shared decision” (ranked 1–5 by 64.9%, 59.3 %, and 57.3% of respondents, respectively). The perceived purpose of IC was to: “Inform the patient/guardian”, “Make sure patient/guardian understand” and “Document patient’s/guardian’s decision” (ranked 1–5 by 68.4%, 65.3 %, and 65.1% of respondents, respectively). Conclusion: The use of IC is common in Egyptian medical practice but varies across healthcare facilities. Participants believe that the current purpose of IC is to help in decision making, and its main purpose should be information disclosure. There is consensus agreement that both documenting the patient’s/guardian’s decision and informing the patient /guardian is considered as important current as well as preferred practices. IC should be an integral part of any procedure with more emphasis on seeking assent children whenever appropriate. Keywords: Informed consent, Arab Culture, Norm perception, Current practice.