Egypt Visa Requirements: E-Visa, Visa on Arrival & Costs (2026)

The visa is usually the last box travellers tick before an Egypt trip, and for most people it's genuinely simple. We help visitors plan trips here every week, and the vast majority arrive on either an e-Visa they sorted online in ten minutes or a visa on arrival they picked up at the airport for a handful of US dollars. That said, the exact rules depend on your nationality — some travellers are exempt, some must apply in advance, and a few need to go through an embassy — so the single most important habit is to check the official Egyptian e-Visa portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) for your specific passport before you book flights. This guide explains all the routes, the real-world costs, the passport rules and the quirks (like the Sinai 'free' stamp) so nothing catches you out at immigration. Egypt trip cost Things to do in Cairo

There are three ways to get a tourist visa for Egypt, and which applies to you depends on your nationality. For most Western travellers the first two are both available, and it comes down to whether you'd rather sort it before you leave or on arrival.

• E-Visa online: apply in advance through the official government portal, pay by card, and receive an electronic visa by email to show on arrival. Best if you like everything confirmed before you fly.
• Visa on arrival: buy a visa sticker at the airport bank window before passport control. Fast and cheap for eligible nationalities, but you'll need cash US dollars.
• Embassy or consulate visa: required for nationalities not eligible for the e-Visa or visa on arrival. Apply in person or by post before travelling — start early, as processing takes longer.

Whichever route fits your passport, the standard tourist visa is the same product: single entry, valid for 30 days. If you plan to leave and re-enter Egypt (say, a side trip to Jordan and back), look at the multiple-entry option, which costs a little more.

For eligible nationalities, the visa on arrival is the no-paperwork route, and it works smoothly at the major international airports such as Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. The key thing to grasp is the order of events: you buy the visa before you reach the immigration desk, not at it. As you head towards passport control, you'll pass a row of bank kiosks or exchange windows — that's where you buy the visa sticker.

• Cost: around $25 USD for the standard single-entry tourist visa (roughly $60 for multiple-entry).
• Payment: cash US dollars is the safe bet. Bring clean, undamaged notes and the exact-ish amount; euros or pounds are sometimes accepted but don't rely on it.
• The process: buy the visa sticker at the bank window, stick it in your passport, then join the immigration queue to be stamped in.
• Validity: 30 days, single entry — the same as the e-Visa.

Local tip: carry the visa fee in cash USD before you land. The airport ATMs and card machines can be temperamental, and the bank windows deal in dollars — turning up with only your home currency or a card is the most common way we see people get flustered on arrival. Cairo day tours

If you'd rather not queue at a bank window after a long flight, the e-Visa is the stress-free option — and it's what we quietly recommend to most first-timers. You apply on the official government portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg, upload a scan of your passport, pay by card, and receive an electronic visa by email. Print it out (and keep a copy on your phone) to show alongside your passport when you land.

A few pointers make the e-Visa painless. Apply at least a week before you travel — processing is often quick, but the portal advises allowing up to around seven business days, so don't leave it to the night before. Make sure the name and passport number on the application exactly match your passport. And use only the official government site: many look-alike third-party 'visa service' websites charge inflated fees for the same government visa, so double-check the web address before you pay. The e-Visa comes in the same single-entry (30-day) and multiple-entry versions as the visa on arrival.

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This is where it pays to check your own passport rather than trust a blanket answer, because the rules vary by nationality and do change. As a general picture: citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman — are typically exempt and need no tourist visa at all. A large group of nationalities, including most of Europe, North America and Australia, are eligible for both the e-Visa and visa on arrival. Others must obtain their visa in advance through an Egyptian embassy or consulate before travelling.

Because these lists are updated from time to time and depend on factors like your residency, we won't publish a nationality-by-nationality table that could go stale. Instead, check the official e-Visa portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) or your nearest Egyptian embassy for the current rules for your passport — it's the only genuinely authoritative source. For a feel for how safe and straightforward travel here is once you've arrived, our honest local safety guide is a good companion read. Is Egypt safe to visit

Here's a useful quirk that saves beach-focused travellers the visa fee — but comes with a big catch. If you're flying into Sharm El Sheikh (or arriving at other South Sinai points) and staying only in the Sinai coastal resort zone — Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba — you can usually get a free entry permit, sometimes called the Sinai stamp, valid for a short stay (commonly up to around 15 days) instead of a full visa.

The catch is that this permit is strictly for the Sinai resort area. It does not let you travel to mainland Egypt — so no Cairo, no Pyramids, no Luxor or Aswan — and it can also limit trips such as St Catherine's Monastery, which may require the full visa. If your plan is diving and beach time only, the free stamp is perfect. But the moment you want to see the Pyramids of Giza or join a Nile cruise, you need a proper tourist visa. When in doubt, just get the full visa — it keeps every option open. Sharm El Sheikh day tours Dahab day trips

Getting the visa is only half the job — a couple of passport-level details are what actually get you waved through immigration. Sort these before you fly and arrival is a formality.

• Six-month rule: your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date in Egypt. If yours is close to expiry, renew it well before the trip. Best time to visit Egypt
• Blank pages: make sure you have at least one or two blank pages for the visa sticker and entry stamp.
• Bring cash USD: even if you're on an e-Visa, having clean US dollar notes on arrival is handy for tips and any on-the-spot fees.
• Keep copies: carry a printed copy of your e-Visa and a photo of your passport photo page, stored separately from the originals.
• Match your details: the name and passport number on any application must exactly match your passport, or you can be turned away.
• Check for children: minors travelling on their own passports usually need their own visa too — confirm the requirement on the portal. What to wear in Egypt

None of this is difficult, but it's admin that's far easier to handle at home than in an airport queue. With the visa and passport sorted, the only thing left is the trip itself — a classic Cairo-to-Aswan route, temple days in Luxor and Aswan, or a relaxed Nile cruise. Luxor & Aswan Nile cruises 7-day Egypt itinerary Luxor day tours Aswan day tours

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