How to get a visa for Egypt

Egypt is one of the world's most legendary and mysterious civilisations and continues to wow visitors with its 5000-year history. It is a transcontinental country, located in North Africa and extending towards the Middle East through the Sinai Peninsula.

Bathed by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east, most of Egypt’s territory is desert. The Nile River, one of the longest and largest in the world, gave ancient Egypt a massive boost to its economy.

Here you will discover how to get a visa for Egypt and other advice to make your Egypt trip easier.

Do I need an Egypt visa to travel?

Yes, all people who wish to travel to Egypt must process their visa application. Depending on your nationality, you can do this online or in person. All European citizens can apply online for the Egypt Online Visa (eVisa), the official electronic travel authorization system, as long as travel is for tourism.

Only 5 nationalities are exempt from needing a visa for Egypt: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE). If you are from another country, then you must apply for an eVisa. 

Check the eligibility of your nationality to find out if you need to get an Egypt visa.

Types of visas for Egypt

If you are travelling to Egypt as a tourist you can apply and get online your Egypt visa. Nevertheless, there is a wide variety of visas for every traveller's needs and type of trip to Egypt:

Entry visa

The entry visa is valid for 90 days from the date of approval and allows for a single entry with a maximum stay of 30 days in the country. The best option is to apply for this visa online, saving you the hassle of going to the Egyptian embassy or consulate.

This visa is necessary not only for tourism but also for any residence procedure in Egypt, whether it is for study, work or any other reason that requires you to spend more than 30 days in the country. We must enter the country with an entry visa and once inside, process the additional permission that is needed.

Multiple entry visa

This visa is valid for 180 days from the moment it is approved with a maximum stay of 30 days. The difference is that this visa allows you to leave and enter as many times as you need within those 30 days. After this time, we must apply for another visa if we wish to re-enter the country. The reason for applying must be tourism or business. The quickest way to apply is online.

These are the two ways to apply for a visa to Egypt; you can apply for it yourself online, or through a third party such as visagov.com, where you will find all the assistance and help you need and in your own language. If you have to spend more time in Egypt, then you have to apply for a specific permit in addition to the visa:

Work or residence permits

Residence permits can be valid for between 3 and 5 years and can be renewed for a further 6 months at the Egyptian Directorate General of Immigration in the Mugamma building. You only need to attach a valid passport, an ID photo and the previous visa.

Permission to stay (free of charge)

There is only one area of entry to the country free of government fees. It is mainly intended for family visits or some kind of business because it does not cover tourist areas such as the city of Cairo or the pyramids. Through the airports in South Sinai, you could process this permit on arrival.

It is free and valid for 15 days, but you cannot move from the place where you first arrive. It does not allow you to move around the country or to take part in tourism activities. For any stay longer than 30 days in the country, whether for health, work, study, family reasons, etc., you must apply at the Egyptian embassy or consulate for a work or residence permit. Likewise, to process these permits, you must first have an entry visa to Egypt.

How do I apply for an Egypt visa?

The answer to how to get a visa for Egypt will change depending on the type of visa you need.

The entry visa to Egypt can be applied for online and in person, from the consulate or embassy nearest to your place of residence. To apply for the Egypt evisa, it is necessary to fill in the form with your information, passport details and your travel information, including the hotel where we are staying, etc. You must attach a colour image of your passport that is complete and clear and then we make the payment by credit card. The answer to your request will then be sent to by e-mail.

What are the requirements to apply for the Egypt visa online?

Knowing how to get a visa for Egypt means knowing the Egypt entry requirements. They are:

• Have a passport with a validity of more than 6 months, from the time of entry to Egypt. You must attach a clear photocopy of the passport in colour; the Egyptian government is strict with the quality of the image required.
• You must know your travel dates and your choice of accommodation as the authorities will ask for this information while processing the form. It is also necessary to have a credit card to make the payment.

Can the Egypt visa be changed once it has been processed?

It is not possible to change the visa once it has been processed unless the government authorities ask you to do so because of a mistake or because of the poor quality of the image in your passport. This would need to be a government directive. If you make a mistake, the visa will be denied, and you can only go to the embassy to solve the problem.

You cannot get a new visa while there is one in force, nor can you apply for it again as it is linked to your passport. Therefore, it is best to review the data before sending it to the authorities. You can do this on your own, or with the help of Visagov who will check your details and make sure everything is correct before processing.

How much does a visa for Egypt cost?

The government fees for the visa to Egypt are:

• 25 for a single-entry visa
• 60 for multiple entry visa

How far in advance do I need to apply for an Egypt visa?

It is advisable to make the visa request at least 5 working days before your trip. As we have commented before, the Egyptian authorities are very strict with the quality of the image of your passport. If any changes are required, you must allow time for processing them before your departure to Egypt. The estimated response time from the authorities is 3 to 5 working days from the time of submitting your application. You must never travel to Egypt without the approved visa.

What are the entry borders to Egypt?

Egypt borders Sudan to the south, Israel and Palestine to the northwest and Libya to the west. The north of the country borders the Mediterranean Sea and the southeast the Red Sea. You can enter Egypt by land, air or sea. Make sure to read about the requirements to take an Egypt cruise as they're a bit different than when traveling by air.

Due to conflicts with other territories, many of Egypt’s border crossings are closed, so these are the most common and recommended entrances to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Airports

The most common air entries are through these international airports:

• Cairo International Airport (CAI): This is the country's main airport, with the most flights. It is located 15 km from Cairo.
• Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH): You could say that this airport is the second most important in the country. From here, the airlines that fly to the main cities of Europe transit. It's located just 10 kilometres from the city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
• Hurghada International Airport (HRG): Hurghada Airport competes with Sharm el-Sheikh Airport for passengers. Passengers arrive at this airport to enjoy the Red Sea area. It is the closest airport to the sea, 12 km from the city centre.
• Luxor International Airport (LXR): This airport is mainly used for travellers to the Nile lands and the Valley of the Kings. It is located 7 km from the city of Luxor.
• Nouzha Airport (ALY): This airport is better known as Alexandria International Airport. It receives flights mainly from the Arab region and domestic flights from Egypt. It is located 7 km from the city centre.

Seaports

• Port of Alexandria: It is the main port of the country. It is located in the Nile Delta and supports 80% of the country's maritime traffic.
• Port Said: Port Said is one of the ports with the highest port traffic in the world. Located to the north of the Suez Canal, it covers Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. However, it is not a standard port of entry for tourists. Egypt has many more active ports, but they are predominantly for the entry and exit of goods.

Land border crossings

• The border crossing point between Egypt and Sudan: Can be crossed by boat or bus.
• The border crossing point between Egypt and Libya: The land border extends from the Gulf of Sollum to the Mediterranean coast.
• The border crossing point between Egypt and Israel: The border between these two countries runs from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Gaza Strip. The most direct crossing would be from the north (the Gaza Strip), but this is not possible for political reasons. Israel can be reached from the city of Taba.

Do you need a transit visa to travel to Egypt?

You won’t need a transit visa if you only stay in Egypt for less than 48 hours and do not wish to leave the airport. However, you’ll have to apply for a transit visa if you want to explore your surroundings between flights.