Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to be in possession of a passport valid for a minimum 6 months period. Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA). It is, however, possible for most tourists and visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the major ports of entry. Please check with the nearest Egyptian Consulate for specific details and regulations relevant to your nationality. Egyptian Embassies and Consulates outside Egypt Although we will be constantly updating the content of our information, it is the responsibility of the surfer and traveller to check that the below regulations are still valid. In case of any doubt please contact the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate in your country. Remember, you will need to carry your passport with you at all times. If you are travelling between Red Sea cities or to a national park in Egypt, it is especially important to have your passport to be able to enter and cross possible check points between cities. Passports and Identity Cards All nationalities, except for Italian, German, French, Belgian and Portuguese need a passport with minimum 6 months validity. Italian, German, French, Belgian and Portuguese citizens can enter Egypt with either their passports with minimum 6 months validity or their identity cards; the identity card must be valid for travel abroad and have a minimum validity of at least 3 months from arrival date. In such a case visitors need to have: - 2 recent small pictures (passport size)
- 1 photocopy of the identity card Upon arrival (or during the flight) they will be asked to fill in a form that will be handed over at the customs desk. Children Children must be in possession of their own passport or, if travelling with one of the parents, they can be in the parent’s passport. They need a visa only if they are travelling with their own passport. In case they are on their parents’ passport, you have to select “I will obtain visa on my own” next to the name of the child. Please pay attention! Each nation has its own regulations about issuing passports for children; we strongly suggest you to contact the police offices in your country to make sure that your children are in possession of valid travelling documents. We remind you as well that you have also to fulfil any law concerning minors’ expatriation from the country you are leaving from Egyptian Visa Citizens of most nationalities can obtain a tourist visa upon arrival at the airports in Egypt, valid for 30 days and for one single entry. The process is straightforward. You have to buy the visa at the airport before crossing the passport control; the fee varies from 15 to 50 US$ according to your nationality and can not be paid in Egyptian pounds. The visa stamps are stuck to your passport and you can then proceed to the passport control. A pre-arrival visa, which has to be obtained before departure and from the Egyptian Consulate or Embassy nearest to your residence town, is required in the following cases:
- if your nationality does not entitle you to a tourist visa upon arrival;
- if you need a multiple tourist visa;
- if you require a visa for purposes other than tourism (e.g. work, study, etc). To apply for a pre-arrival visa, please contact the nearest Egyptian consulate. For a list of all Egyptian diplomatic missions, click here. Your application requires the following documents: - a passport that is valid for at least another six months
- one passport-sized photograph
- a completed application form The pre-arrival visa fee depends on your nationality. South African and Sudanese citizens pay no fee; others pay between 20 and 60 US$. It is valid for three months from the date of issue and allows you to stay in Egypt for 30 days from the date of your arrival. The possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt. A free Sinai residence permit with fourteen days validity is possible for travellers wishing to visit exclusively the Gulf of Aqaba coast and St. Catherine and entering Egypt at: - the overland border of Taba or
- Sharm el Sheikh or Taba airports or
- Nuweiba harbour The free Sinai residence permit does not allow tourists in Sinai to visit the Ras Mohamed National Park, Cairo or Luxor or any other place not located along the Gulf of Aqaba coast; moreover it does not allow travellers to enter the country at Hurghada or Marsa Alam airports, not to dive or to go on live-aboard cruises. Notes • Foreigners arriving in Egypt on board cruising ships are granted a permission to visit the port of arrival for 24 hours (transit visa) and catch their ship at the same port. They can also be granted a permission to enter the country for a visit not exceeding a period of 3 days before catching their ship at the port of arrival or at any other port. • Air passengers transiting in Egyptian airports are allowed entry for a quick trip not exceeding the period of 24 hours (transit visa). In the event of emergency landing, passengers are entitled to enter Egypt for a period of:
- 24 hours in case of poor weather conditions;
- 48 hours in case of technical faults to the aircraft. • Those in possession of a residence permit in Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave the country and return to it within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less. |