Egypt Visa Information

Most leisure visitors to Egypt need a tourist visa. Below is a practical summary based on what we see week to week with our guests. Your specific case can vary by passport, recent travel history, and route — please treat this page as a starting point and confirm with your nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate before you fly.

1. The three common routes

e-Visa. The fastest, cleanest option for travellers from most Western, Gulf, and East Asian countries. Apply online through the official Egyptian government portal at visa2egypt.gov.eg. Standard processing is around 7 working days. Single-entry tourist e-visas are valid 30 days; multiple-entry options are also available.

Visa on arrival. Travellers from a long list of countries can purchase a 30-day single-entry tourist visa stamp on arrival at major Egyptian airports (Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor). Cost has been USD 25 for several years; bring crisp US dollars or euros — local currency is sometimes refused.

Embassy visa. Required for some passports and for longer stays, business travel, or special permits. Process this through your nearest Egyptian embassy at least 4 weeks ahead of departure.

2. South Sinai exemption

If you fly into Sharm el-Sheikh and stay only in South Sinai (Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) for up to 15 days, you can be issued a free Sinai-only entry permit at arrival. This permit does notcover trips to St Catherine's Monastery, Cairo, or anywhere else in Egypt — those need a full tourist visa.

3. Passport validity and blank pages

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned date of departure from Egypt and have at least one blank page for the entry stamp. Border officers occasionally turn travellers away for falling short on either count.

4. What to bring on travel day

• Printed copy of your e-visa, if applicable.
• Hotel reservation confirmation (we send this with your booking).
• Return or onward ticket.
• USD 25 in cash for visa-on-arrival, if that is your route.
• Travel insurance certificate — strongly recommended, see our health page.

5. We handle the airport for our guests

Every Egypt Stay & Tours guest travelling on our private programmes is met airside (after immigration) by an English-speaking representative holding a placard with their name. If you need help with visa-on-arrival queues, our representative can join you in advance for a small extra fee — ask your specialist.

6. Last word

Visa rules can change at short notice. We update this page when we notice changes through our own bookings, but the legal source of truth is the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and your home government's travel advisory. If anything below conflicts with their guidance, follow them, not us.