Planning a trip to Egypt? Our comprehensive guide provides all the information you need for obtaining an Egypt entry visa hassle-free. From application requirements to processing times, we’ve got you covered. Start your adventure in Egypt with confidence and peace of mind.
Many nationalities can purchase a visa on arrival. At Cairo and other international airports in Egypt, they are sold at a row of bank booths in every arrivals terminal. Purchase the visa at the booth and then present the sticker along with your arrival form and passport at the immigration desks. The procedure is typically speedy, no questions asked, though lines might be long if several flights have arrived at once.
There is talk of changing the process at some stage in the future, so that travellers must purchase an e-visa before arrival.
-Duty-free allowances on arrival: 1L alcohol, 1L perfume, and either 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200g tobacco.
-Up to 48 hours after arrival, you can purchase another 3L alcohol plus up to US$200 in other duty-free articles at dedicated Egypt Free shops at the airport and in Cairo. (Touts in tourist areas may ask you to use your allotment to buy alcohol for them.)
-Customs Declaration Form D is occasionally required for electronics, jewellery and cash.
-Prohibited and restricted articles include tools for espionage as well as books, pamphlets, films and photos ‘subversive or constituting a national risk or incompatible with the public interest’. This needs to be taken seriously.
-Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of entry.
-Israeli stamps in your passport (and Israeli passports, for that matter) present no problem, unlike in some other Middle Eastern countries.
Required for most nationalities. Single-entry, 30-day tourist visas cost US$25 and can be purchased at the airport on arrival. Visa extensions are possible once in-country.
Visas are required for all foreigners visiting Egypt, excepting nationals of certain Arab countries. Many nationalities can purchase a visa on arrival including all EU, Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealander and US passport holders.
-Tourist visas purchased on arrival cost US$25 and are valid for 30 days.
-The visa can be purchased in US dollars, euros or British pounds.
-If you want more time or a multiple-entry visa, apply in advance or get an extension with multiple-entry once in Egypt.
-Visa extensions used to be routine, but are now subject to scrutiny, especially after repeat extensions. Be polite and say you need more time to appreciate the wonders of Egypt.
-There is a 14-day grace period for extension applications, with a E£100 late fee. If you leave during this time, you must pay a E£135 fine at the airport
-Entering from Eilat in Israel, through the Taba land border, the free Sinai-only entry stamp is normally issued. Full Egyptian visas are available but you will have to pay an extra US$10 fee for a local Taba travel agency to guarantee the visa. The process can be long-winded. Alternatively, apply in advance at the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv or the consulate in Eilat.
-If you have entered at Taba or Sharm el-Sheikh and have been issued the free Sinai-only entry stamp but decide that you’d like to travel onward into the rest of Egypt, you can purchase Egyptian tourist visas at Sharm el-Sheikh Airport. You can also pay a fee for a travel agent in Sharm el-Sheikh to go to the airport and purchase it for you.
Egypt is what we call a transcontinental country. It sits in both Africa and Asia. However, the most significant part of Egypt is in Africa, which is why most consider it Africa. The other small piece of Egypt is in Asia.
The Nile River is one of the most significant geographical features of Egypt, providing the country with fertile land for agriculture and sustaining millions of people. The river flows from south to north, and the Nile Valley and Delta region is home to most of the country’s population and economic activities.
Cairo is fan-shaped, narrowest in the south, where the river valley is wedged between desert escarpments, and widest in the north, where the valley blends into the delta. Over the centuries the city expanded westward, as a receding river channel left land flood-free.
With a population of approximately 105,000,000 people, Egypt is located in the northeast corner of the African continent on the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered to the northeast by Palestine and Israel, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.
Egypt has an area of 1,002,450 km2 (387,050 sq mi) which makes it the 29th largest country in the world. The longest straight-line distance in Egypt from north to south is 1,420 km (880 mi), while that from east to west measures 1,275 km (792 mi).
Get to the heart of Egypt with one of our in-depth guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.
