Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, dating back as far as year 3000 BC, including the time of the Pharaohs. The country links northeast Africa with the Middle East and houses many antique monuments like Giza’s Pyramids, the Sphinx and the ancient tombs.
Most of the travellers who want to visit these ancient sites will have to apply for an Egypt visa, a process fortunately made much easier by the Egyptian government in recent years. This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Egypt.
It is important to familiarise yourself with all legal requirements of entry before your visit, since in most cases, you will have to obtain an Egypt visa prior to your travels.
Visa requirements are governed by the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate located in the area you reside and can be found through visiting the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and may be subject to change without prior notice.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Egypt for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons.
A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified. Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING EGYPT
The Egypt tourist visa is issued for short-term purposes – up to 90 days maximum. Nationals of certain countries are exempt from applying for an Egypt tourist visa prior to travel, but they still have to obtain a visa if they want to stay long-term.
Nationals from several other countries can obtain an Egypt tourist visa online or upon arrival in Egypt. Visitors holding passports from ‘exempt’ countries do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving but are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
The time it takes to process an Egypt visa depends on the method of application. If applied for on arrival, a visitor will receive it (or have it rejected) right there. If applying through an embassy or consulate, the processing time also depends on the specific office.
It normally takes at least 10 working days, so make sure to apply well in advance, but not earlier than three months. An Egypt eVisa (online) can be processed in about seven days. Visitors from countries that require pre-approval will wait from six to eight weeks.
The duration of an Egypt visa depends on the number of entries it allows. Egyptian visas on arrival and e-Visas are valid for 90 days from the date of issue. They allow a single entry and the holder may remain in Egypt for up to 30 days.
Single-entry Egypt tourist visas are valid for six months and allow a stay for a maximum of 60 days.
Multiple-entry Egypt tourist visas are valid for six months and allow a stay of a maximum of 90 collective days in Egypt.
A traveller in transit in Egypt for less than six hours does not need a transit visa but are not allowed to leave the airport. If the transit period is between six and 48 hours, a visitor may leave the airport but must show a valid passport and proof of onward travel. If the transit period is longer than 48 hours, a relevant visa must be obtained.
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
All visitors to Egypt except those from the countries listed below, must have a visa to enter Egypt.
Nationals of the following countries may enter Egypt without a visa for stays of up to 90 days: Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Lebanon (If you’re traveling by a charter flight, you can only enter through Borg El Arab Airport, Hurghada Airport or Sharm el-sheik Airport), Macao, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia (for stays of up to 14 days).
Other exemptions: Visitors from one of the following countries, and fulfilling certain conditions, may also be exempt from an Egypt visa:
Afghanistan – if you are younger than 16 years or 50 years and older
Algeria – if you are younger than 14 years
China – if you have a return or onward flight ticket, a reservation in a 4 or 5-star hotel and USD  2000 (or the equivalent in another currency).
Libya –if you are a woman or resident of the Butnan District, only on Sundays and Mondays
Jordan – if you have an ordinary 5-year passport, not stamped by the Jordanian Registration Office on the back cover
Lebanon –if you are 50 years old and over or 16 years old or younger (for Alexandria and South Sinai all ages can enter visa-free)
Morocco –if you are 14 years old or younger
Sudan –if you are 50 years old or older, or 16 years old and younger, or a female national
South Sudan –if you are 50 years old or older, or 16 years old or younger, or a female
Tunisia – if you are 14 years old or younger
Yemen –if you are 50 years old or older, or 16 years old or younger, or you travel for medical purposes
Palestine – if your travel document is issued by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria and you are older than 40 years or younger than 18 years
Additionally, you are also exempt from an Egypt visa if you travel as part of a tourist group consisting of at least five people, have a return ticket, reserved accommodation, and a signed letter of guarantee from a travel agency and you are from one of the following countries: Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belize, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Moldova (excluding women between the ages of 15 and 35), Nicaragua, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkey, you are the child of an Egyptian father (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar), you are the child of an Egyptian mother born after 25 July 2004 (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar), you are a woman married to an Egyptian man (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar).
If you are from one of the countries listed below, you need pre-clearance from the Egyptian State Security Authorities before you can apply for an Egypt visa at a consulate: Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mauritania, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria and Yemen.
If you are from one of the countries eligible for an Egypt visa on arrival, you can obtain it on arrival at one of the visa-issuing counters at Egyptian entry ports and must pay for it in exact change. Many travellers eligible for a visa on arrival however still choose to obtain it before they travel, because they can apply online, which offers more security since you know that your visa has been approved before you make any travel plans.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
When applying for an Egypt visa, you need to know which one to apply for according to your reason for traveling to Egypt:
Tourist – for tourist purposes
Entry – for business, work, or study purposes. You need an entry visa to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
Egypt visas are issued as single entry or multiple entry which means you can enter Egypt once or unlimited times within the validity of your visa.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING EGYPT
The Egyptian eVisa was launched by the Egyptian government in 2017, allowing foreigners to obtain a visa much easier. One can get an eVisa online before you travel if you are from: A European Union country, Albania, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vatican City.
How to apply online (e-Visa)
You must apply for an Egypt e-Visa at least seven days before you intend to travel through the Egyptian Ministry of Interior’s website.
You create an account and receive a confirmation code on your email address, enter the traveling information (visa type, arrival and departure dates) and attach a scanned copy of your passport, pay the Egypt eVisa fee with a credit or debit card and wait for the visa to be processed.
Once your eVisa is approved, you receive an electronic visa to print and show at the entry point in Egypt together with your passport, a travel itinerary, hotel reservation or tour agenda and letter of invitation from a host or company/organisation in Egypt.
How to apply for an Egypt Visa at an embassy or consulate
The application process depends on which country’s embassy or consulate you use to submit your visa application. However, the following is a guideline:
Contact the Egyptian embassy or consulate to set up an appointment
Complete an Egypt visa application form obtainable from the embassy/consulate offices
Gather the required documents, pay the visa fee and submit the documents and application at the embassy/consulate. Some offices require you to submit the documents in person, whereas others also allow submissions through the mail.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION FOR VISA
When you apply for an Egypt visa, you need the following documents to support your application: (Note that the exact required documents depend on the purpose of your travel as well as the embassy or consulate in which you apply).
The application form (two copies)
Two passport-size pictures
Your passport, valid for at least six more months from the date of entry and with at least two blank pages
Two photocopies of the personal information page of your passport
A residence permit or other proof of legal residence if you are not a citizen of the country from which you are applying
Proof of a return or onward travel ticket
Proof of accommodation in Egypt
A Letter of invitation from the hosting company if you travel for business
Proof of payment of the visa fee
If you apply by mail, a self-addressed and prepaid envelope for the return of your passport and documents
COST OF AN EGYPT VISA
For the eVisa and visa on arrival, which are issued for tourism purposes, the latest known fees were 25$ for a single-entry visa and 60$ for a multiple-entry visa.
Fees may vary depending on the consulate or embassy, therefore check with them first.
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING EGYPT
Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if you are arriving from a region with the disease. Other vaccines recommended or required for Egypt, as recommend by the CDC and WHO include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Egypt. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Egypt within the 10-day waiting period.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING EGYPT
VISITING EGYPT WITH MINORS
Only one visa is required if a passport holder has children under 16 years old added to his/her passport. Children with their own passports (including babies) require a visa on their passports. Children younger than 16 travelling without an adult must carry a letter from a parent or legal guardian.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN EGYPT
Foreign visitors who overstay on a visa can be declared ‘undesirable persons’ and may incur a ban from Egypt which prevents them from applying for a visa and re-entering Egypt for a prescribed period of time.
You can extend an Egypt tourist visa for additional days at the Egypt Passport and Immigration Administration. If you want more time or a multiple-entry visa, you can get an extension with multiple-entry once in Egypt. Visa extensions are subject to scrutiny, especially after repeat extensions.
An overstay by a period of more than 30 days may attract a fine of around EGP 1500 (approximately US$ 100). This will also cause a delay at the airport and enforcement is random and may change at any time.
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