All About Visas

Non-Egyptian visitors to Egypt are required to have a valid passport with at least six months left before expiration.

A visa is required for most citizens of other countries when entering into Egypt. Upon arrival at any of the Egyptian ports of entry, visitors from these countries must have or get an entry visa: Australia, Canada, Croatia, European Union, Georgia, Japan, Macedonia, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

What Visa Do I Need to Visit Egypt?

If you are traveling solely for the purpose of tourism, you can apply for a Egypt tourist visa. However, the type of tourist visa you need to get depends on your length of visit and your itinerary.

Single Entry Tourist Visa — 95% of TOET tourists need this visa, which you can purchase upon arrival in the Cairo airport for $25 cash.

Single Entry Tourist Visa95% of TOET tourists need this visa.

If your visit is 30 days or less and you plan to remain in Egypt the entire trip, apply for the Single Entry Tourist Visa. This visa costs $25 USD (cash only) regardless of where you obtain it and is valid for 30 days. There is an online portal to purchase the visa, but you can easily obtain it for the same price at the airport when you arrive in Cairo. TOET guides will meet you at the airport, collect your passport and the $25 fee per person, and buy the group’s visas.

Multi Entry Visa — If you plan to leave and re-enter Egypt to visit neighboring countries such as Jordan or Israel, then you need a Multi Entry Visa. This visa costs $60 USD regardless of where you obtain it and is valid for 6 months. You can also purchase this visa at the airport when you arrive.

In June 2023, the Egyptian government announced a new Multi Entry Visa that would allow foreign visitors to stay for up to 90 days per trip, be valid for 5 years, and cost $700. Read more here.

You can also apply for a visa through their nearest Egyptian Consulate or Embassy. Find the Embassy or Consulate nearest you.

A TOET rep/chaperone will collect passports and fees from each guest and purchase everyone’s visas upon arrival. S/He will then assist you through customs and help you collect your luggage.

95% of tourists can stop reading here! But if you have special circumstances, you may need the info below.


Visa information from the Egyptian Embassy (Washington, DC)

Visa information from the US Consulate (Cairo, Egypt)


Less Common Visa Types (including Diplomatic)

Entry visas may also 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 your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship.

There are three types of Egyptian visas:

  1. Tourist Visa: valid up to three months and granted for either single or multiple entries.
  2. Entry Visa: required for any foreigner arriving in Egypt for purposes other than tourism (e.g. work, study, emigration). The possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
  3. Transit Visa.

Major Ports of Entry into Egypt

Airports:

  • Cairo International (2 terminals)
  • Alexandria Nozha
  • Luxor, Upper Egypt
  • Aswan, Upper Egypt
  • Hurghaga, Red Sea
  • Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai

Marine Harbors:

  • Alexandria, Mediterranean
  • Port Said, Mediterranean
  • Damietta, Mediterranean
  • Suez, Gulf of Suez
  • Nuweiba, Gulf of Aqaba
  • Hurghada, Red Sea
  • Safaga, Red Sea
  • Sharm El-Sheikh, Red Sea

Overland Entry Posts:

  • Salloum, northwestern border (to and from Libya)
  • Rafah, northeastern border (to and from Gaza strip, the Occupied Territories and Israel)
  • Taba, eastern border (to and from Israel)

Exemptions from Visa Fees

Egyptian visa fees do not apply to the following:

  • Holders of diplomatic passports.
  • Officials of international organizations and specialized agencies and state delegates to conferences.
  • Arab League officials.
  • Non-national spouses of Egyptian nationals.
  • Non-national members of the clergy, prominent scientists, journalists and members of official cultural, educational and sports delegations.
  • Non-national students studying in Egyptian institutions.
  • Non-diplomatic personnel of diplomatic and consular missions affected in Egypt.
  • Parents, siblings and adult children of members of the diplomatic and consular corps affected in Egypt.
  • Nationals of Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia and the United States are partially exempt from Egyptian visa fees and therefore pay a reduced fee.

Visa Exemptions

The following are exempt from visa requirements when visiting Egypt:

  • Nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Holders of diplomatic passports of Argentina, Bosnia Herzegovina, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, and Turkey.

Special Services

Foreigners arriving in Egypt on board of ships are granted a permission to visit the port of arrival for 24 hours and catch their ship at the same port. They can also be granted 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 to exceed 24 hours. 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.