If you are to visit the home of the ancient Pharaohs, the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings, and the magnificent Islamic architecture of Cairo, you might need an Egypt tourist visa. This article will provide you with who needs an eVisa for Egypt and who needs a tourist visa, requirements, the application process, FAQs, and rules and regulations over the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Egypt tourist visa
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Before you apply for an Egypt tourist visa, figure out whether you are eligible for an Egypt eVisa or not. The application process for eVisa is online and takes a few minutes to complete.
It permits you to stay in Egypt for 30 days with one single entry. A multiple entry visa is also available, but you need to mention it in your application, and the authorities decide whether to issue it or not.
Video description
The links and extra information explained in the video are here:
Egypt eVisa website to begin the application:
Egypt tourist visa application form:
Only a few countries are eligible to apply for Egypt eVisa:
| Albania | Bulgaria | Ecuador | Iceland |
| Argentina | Canada | Estonia | Ireland |
| Australia | Croatia | Finland | Italy |
| Austria | Chile | France | Japan |
| Bahrain | Colombia | Germany | Kuwait |
| Belgium | Cyprus | Greece | Latvia |
| Bolivia | The Czech Republic | Hong Kong | the UK |
| Brazil | Denmark | Hungary | The US |
If your nationality is among the above list, apply for the eVisa on the online visa application platform.
If you are not qualified for the eVisa, you need to apply for an Egyptian tourist visa to visit the country.
The requirements for an Egypt tourist visa are as follows:
You need to complete the form with your information and attach one photo of yourself to it. Then you need a copy of the attached photo form as well.
One 45″ x 45″ photo of you is required. It must be new with a white background. It can not be older than six months old and if your face goes under a significant change, take a new one. Remember that nothing must cover your face:
The original form plus a copy of the information page is needed. The passport can not be older than ten years and must hold validity for over six months of the date you will leave Egypt.
If the country you live in is not your home country, provide a valid residence permit, stating that your residency is legal.
Provide the itinerary and the things you will do in the country.
It is required for countries listed below who need confirmation
Provide a copy of the round-trip ticket confirmed or purchased.
Note: the list of the requirements is not complete and you might have to provide further documents from the embassy.
If you are from one of the high-risk countries for Yellow fever or are in airport transit for more than 12 hours within that country, you need to provide a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. It is necessary for travelers who are 9 months old and older.
| Angola | The central African Republic | Ecuador | Kenya | Peru | Uganda |
| Argentina | Chad | French Guiana | Liberia | Senegal | Eritrea |
| Benin | Colombia | Gabon | Mali | Sierra Leone | Rwanda |
| Bolivia | Republic of the Congo | The Gambia | Mauritania | South Sudan | Somalia |
| Brazil | The Democratic Republic of the Congo | Ghana | Niger | Sudan | Tanzania |
| Burkina Faso | Côte d’Ivoire | Guinea | Nigeria | Suriname | Venezuela |
| Burundi | Equatorial Guinea | Guyana | Panama | Togo | Zambia |
| Cameroon | Ethiopia | Guinea-Bissau | Paraguay | Trinidad and Tobago | |
The nationals of the following countries require pre-approval before applying for the Egypt tourist visa:
| Afghanistan | Eritrea | Mali | Philippines |
| Algeria | Ethiopia | Mauritania | Rwanda |
| Bangladesh | Ghana | Moldova (5) | Sierra Leone |
| Bhutan | India (2) | Mongolia | Somalia |
| Bosnia (1) | Indonesia | Morocco | South Sudan |
| Burundi | Iran | Myanmar | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Iraq | Nepal | Sudan (7) |
| Chad | Israel | Niger | South Sudan (8) |
| China | Kosovo | Nigeria | Syria |
| Comoros Islands | Laos | North Korea | Thailand |
| Congo | Lebanon (3) | Pakistan | Tunis |
| Cyprus | Libya (4) | Palestine (6) | Turkey (9) |
| Djibouti | Maldives | People’s Republic of China | |
The application process for an Egypt tourist visa is as follows:
Before you begin applying for an Egypt tourist visa, determine if you are eligible for Egypt eVisa. The above section explained what countries are eligible for the eVisa. If yes, go through the process as it’s easy and short. If not, continue the process as explained in the below section.
The first stage is to complete the application form. You can receive it from the Egyptian embassy or consulate website in your home country. Remember that you need to find their website and know the requirements.
Complete the firm with the exact information from your documents. Your name must be as written on your passport. So it is with the other documents. When you complete the form, print, date, and sign it. Ask the embassy whether you should date the form or not.
The Egyptian embassy requires you to submit some supporting documents to prove you are eligible to visit the country. You can see the list of them in the above section, but the embassy or consulate in your home country could require further documents. It’s up to their decision and your case.
Remember that you can start collecting requirements earlier than the date you want to apply for the visa. It could take a bit longer for you to collect everything, so consider some delays.
When you have collected all or part of the requirements, contact the embassy and schedule a visa appointment with them. If you have not gathered part of the supporting documents, see if you can collect all the requirements by the date of the interview.
Determine if the embassy provides a recipe for the scheduled meeting or not. If yes, keep the receipt and provide it for the interview. You need to remember the exact date and time of the interview as you should not be late.
Go to the visa meeting on the exact date you reserved it. You should not be late and, in fact, a bit early. It could take time to go through the security check and prove your identity. You need to carry all the supporting documents to the meeting. As there is a fee with the visa processing, bring enough money to pay it. Ask the embassy what form they receive the payment; cash or credit card.
When you meet the visa officer, submit the requirements, pay the fee and keep the receipt. They will also ask you questions about the purpose of your visit to the country. Be honest and give true answers regarding your visit.
When everything is completed, you can ask about the processing time and the way to receive your visa.
It takes time, so the embassy works on your visa and decides whether to issue it or not. The processing time is up to a few factors;
When your visa is ready, the officials inform you to pick it up or send it to your address. If it’s refused, they will inform you of the reason.
The fee of the cost of the Egypt tourist visa is up to the country you apply from. The type of visa is also another factor. For instance, US citizens have to pay $29 for a single tourist visa while a multiple tourist visa is $63. A single entry visa costs $13, and multiple entries cost $89. Some countries might also be free of fees for some types such as:
You would better ask the embassy about the fee and be prepared to pay it.
The processing time for the Egyptian tourist visa is up to different factors. The time of the year you apply influences it if you apply during the peak tourist season, the processing will become longer. Also, if your documents are not complete and the embassy asks for more, the timing will become longer. However, the embassy will process everything fast and inform you of the decision as soon as possible.
The US citizens do not need to apply for an Egypt tourist visa as they can apply for an Egypt eVisa. The processing application for eVisa is completely online, and the US nationals will receive the visa through your mail. You print the visa and provide it to the Border officials at the port of entry. The one point to remember is that US citizens need to apply for the eVisa at least 7 days before the date they want to enter the country.
The US citizens are allowed to stay in Egypt for 30 days. If you receive a multiple-entry visa, there won’t be a limit on the times to enter the country, but you can not stay for over 30 days on each visit.
Tourists can enter Egypt for tourism, and the officials are issuing visas. However, the COVID-19 requirements are still in place.
You need to provide a negative PCR test when you arrive in the country. The result of the test is accepted in English or Arabic. The test can not be older than 72 hours before the arrival date in Egypt. The test you take must be based on a nasal or oral swab, and the certificate you provide to officials must be issued by an approved laboratory.
If you come from one of the following countries or have taken a PCR test in one of them, the validity of the test is 96 hours:
| Argentina | Ecuador | Paraguay |
| Australia | France (Paris) | Peru |
| Bolivia | Germany (Frankfurt) | Suriname |
| Brazil | Guyana | Thailand |
| Cameroon | Italy (Rome) | The USA |
| Canada | Japan | The UK (London Heathrow) |
| Chile | Republic of Korea | Uruguay |
| China | Mexico | Venezuela |
| Colombia | New Zealand | |
Children under 6 years of age do not need COVID-19 tests or vaccination certificates until further notice.
The passengers who have received a vaccination certificate are exempt from taking any PCR tests. The second dose of vaccination must have been received at least 14 days before the date you enter Egypt. The approved vaccines are as follows:
The visitors coming from the following countries need a PCR test on arrival to Egypt:
| Argentina | Colombia | India | Paraguay |
| Bangladesh | Costa Rica | Mexico | Peru |
| Belize | Ecuador | Myanmar | Sri Lanka |
| Bhutan | El Salvador | Nepal | Suriname |
| Bolivia | Guatemala | Nicaragua | Uruguay |
| Brazil | Guyana | Pakistan | Venezuela |
| Chile | Honduras | Panama | Vietnam |
The passengers coming from the above countries need to stay in a hotel room for 12 or 24 hours until the results of the tests are available.
When you enter the Egyptian airport, you need to practice a few procedures. Wearing a facial mask is mandatory at every stage. You also need to keep a safe social distance from others. It is particularly true when boarding and disembarking the aircraft.
The airports provide hand sanitizing stations. You are supposed to wash your hands regularly or use alcohol-based sanitizer whenever you can or use personal ones.
When you arrive at one of the Egyptian airports, you need to provide:
The foreign visitors entering the country need to respect the law and regulations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The evening curfews have been lifted in Egypt. However, the restaurants and cafes must close by 10.00 pm. The shops also need to close by 9.00 pm.
You need to wear a facial mask everywhere you go and the ones who do not have access to Egyptian public transportation.
Public places are active at 50% of capacity with safety hygiene standards:
Places of worship, mosques, and churches, are active but with limitations, and the number of people visiting is reduced.
You would better follow the following instructions for COVID-19 safety procedures:
The Egyptian government has advised foreign visitors to take a PCR test when arriving in the governorates of:
The cost of the PCR test is USD30 but if you have a vaccination certificate of the approved vaccines, you don’t have to pass the PCR test.
After taking the test, you need to isolate yourself until you receive the result of the test. The officials will inform you whether the test is positive and you must continue your isolation for 14 days or if it’s negative and you can leave the hotel. The result of the test will become available in 12-24 hours.
If your symptoms get worse, you must visit a hospital, so it is essential to buy health insurance for your visit to the country.
People ask that if I have visited Israel, will I be banned from entering Egypt? The answer is NO. The Israel entry or exit stamp on your passport does not disqualify you from entering Egypt. However, you might have to get the right of entry into the country and explain the purpose of your visit to Israel. Also, you would better ask the Egyptian embassy or consulate in your home country whether you will have any difficulty visiting the country or not.
The tourists are allowed to bring only up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds to the country. There is no limit to hard currency but the amount over USD 10,000 must be declared on arrival to the officials. If you carry electrical equipment and video cameras, you must declare it to the officials. You need to inform the Ministry of Telecommunications to bring satellite phones and radio communications equipment to the country and if you don’t notify them, the equipment will be confiscated. When you carry electrical equipment that is mentioned on your passport, you must take them out of the country and if not, you have to pay high rates of customs duty.
If you need to carry certain objects with you to Egypt, contact the embassy and ask what the exact rules are.
Some of the common medications that you take and are considered in the EU or the US might be considered illegal by Egyptian authorities without prior permission. You need the approval of Egypt’s Ministry of Health to bring your medicine to the country.
In case you enter the country and don’t have permission and the supporting documents for the medication you carry, you may be prosecuted.
You must carry a medical certificate approving the prescription for the medication you take. The medicine must be for a medical condition you suffer from. The certificate must be through a letter from your GP. The GP or health expert must indicate that the medicine:
If you want to visit the great tourist attractions of Egypt, you might need an Egypt tourist visa. This article explained who needs an eVisa, who needs a tourist visa, the requirements, the application process, FAQs, and rules and restrictions over COVID-19.
You can find out more information about the Egypt visa by looking at the left sidebar. Visa information about other countries is also provided on the top menu.
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