If you are interested in ancient times, unique history experience and the intersection point of world cultures, what better country to travel can you think of than Egypt? Not to mention Egypt’s stunning natural beauty! However, as it applies to most things in life, there is no rose without a torn and Egypt’s torn is the visa! Rest assured, today we will answer all of your questions regarding the Egypt visa!
Do you need to get a visa to travel to Egypt?
Yes, you need to get an Egyptian visa to travel. However, there are some visa-exempt countries under different conditions.
Let’s take a look at them one by one and see if you need to get a visa for Egypt.
If you are a citizen of Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macao, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, you can travel to Egypt without a visa and you can stay in Egypt for a period of shorter than 90 days.
If you are from Malaysia, then this short term stay period will only be for 14 days for you. This does not mean that you should get an Egypt visa if you are a Malaysian citizen. However, if you are planning to stay longer than 2 weeks in Egypt, it will be in your best interest to apply for an Egypt tourist visa.
Does Egypt have any visa exemptions?
Yes! As we have mentioned above, if you satisfy some special requirements, you can be exempted from Egypt visa.
Let’s take a look at the citizens of countries which are exempt from the Egypt visa.
- Afghanistan - Citizens of Afghanistan who are under 16 years old or over 50 years old are visa-exempt for entering Egypt.
- Algeria - Citizens of Algeria who are under 14 years old are visa-exempt for entering Egypt.
- China - If you have a return flight ticket and you have a 4-5 star hotel reservation that costs at least 2000 USD, then you’re visa-exempt for entering Egypt.
- Libya - Women of Libya are visa-exempt from entering Egypt and Libyan men are also visa exempt on Sundays and Mondays only if they are from Butnan District.
- Jordan - If you are eligible for a 5-year passport of Jordan, then you are visa-exempt for entering Egypt.
- Lebanon - Citizens of Lebanon who are under 16 years old or over 50 years old are visa exempt for entering Egypt. (If you are from Alexandria or South Sinai you can enter Egypt without a visa at any age.)
- Morocco - Children under 14 years old can enter Egypt without a visa.
- Sudan - Women of Sudan can enter Egypt without a visa and men who are older than 50 and under 16 are visa-exempt for entering Egypt.
- South Sudan - Men who are older than 50 and under 16 are visa-exempt for entering Egypt and women can enter Egypt without a visa at any age.
- Tunisia - Children under 14 years old can enter Egypt without a visa.
- Yemen - Citizens of Yemen who are under 16 years old or over 50 years old are visa-exempt for entering Egypt. If you are travelling to Egypt for medical purposes, you will not need to get a visa at any age.
- Palestine - To be visa-exempt as a Palestine citizen, your travel documents should be issued by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria and you must be over 40 or under 18.
Gladly, the list is not all about it! There are some other Egypt visa exemptions if you are travelling as a group of minimum 5 people, and you have a return ticket along with a hotel reservation. Under these conditions, the visa-exempt countries are:
- Azerbaijan
- Barbados
- Belize
- China
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- India
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Lebanon
- Moldova
- Nicaragua
- Russia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Turkey
Which countries need pre-clearance when applying to Egyptian Visa?
In some cases, pre-clearance may be required when applying to an Egyptian visa. If you are a citizen of the countries below, you can visit the Egyptian embassy or the consulate in your country and then apply for the pre-clearance before travelling. The countries who need pre-clearance are:
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Mauritania
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Yemen
What is an Egypt Tourist Visa?
Just like any other tourist visa, the Egypt tourist visa has a period of 90 days. It is issued as a short term visa. Although the countries we have listed above are visa exempt from entering Egypt, if the citizens of the countries above would like to stay longer in Egypt, they must apply for the Egypt tourist visa.
Bear in mind that even if you are eligible for an Egypt Visa on Arrival, you must apply for the Egypt Tourist visa for a stay of longer than 90 days.
Which countries are eligible for the Egypt Visa on Arrival?
There are a great number of countries which are eligible for the Egypt Visa on Arrival.
Here’s a list of every country which is eligible for Egypt Visa on Arrival
Afghanistan |
Algeria |
Angola |
Armenia |
Azerbaijan |
Bangladesh |
Barbados |
Belarus |
Belize |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Botswana |
Burkina Faso |
Burundi |
Cameroon |
Cape Verde |
Central African Republic |
Chad |
Comoros |
Côte d’Ivoire |
Djibouti |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
El Salvador |
Equatorial Guinea |
Eritrea |
Ethiopia |
Gabon |
Ghana |
Guatemala |
Guinea-Bissau |
Honduras |
India |
Indonesia |
Iran |
Iraq |
Israel |
Kenya |
Kosovo |
Kyrgyzstan |
Lebanon (excluding Alexandria and South Sinai) |
Lesotho |
Liberia |
Madagascar |
Malawi |
Malaysia |
Mali |
Mauritania |
Mauritius |
Moldova |
Mongolia |
Montenegro |
Morocco |
Mozambique |
Myanmar |
Namibia |
Nicaragua |
Niger |
Nigeria |
North Korea |
Pakistan |
Palestine |
Philippines |
Qatar |
Republic of the Congo |
Sierra Leone |
Somalia |
South Africa |
Sri Lanka |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
Sudan |
Swaziland |
Syria |
Tajikistan |
Tanzania |
Thailand |
The Gambia |
Togo |
Tunisia |
Turkey |
Turkmenistan |
Uganda |
Uzbekistan |
Vietnam |
Zambia |
Zimbabwe |
In addition to the list above, if you are a citizen of Turkey and either you are over 40 years of age or under 18 years old, you can get an Egypt visa on arrival. On the other hand, citizens of Sudan can get an Egypt visa on arrival if they have the residency card issued by Australia, Canada, USA, or an EU Member State.
Can you get the Egypt Visa online?
Yes! You can apply for the Egypt Visa online if you are a citizen of the countries which are listed below:
A European Union country |
Albania |
Australia |
Canada |
Iceland |
Japan |
North Korea |
South Korea |
Moldova |
Monaco |
Montenegro |
North Macedonia |
Norway |
Russia |
Serbia |
Switzerland |
Ukraine |
United Kingdom |
United States |
Vatican City |
Additionally, since 2017 there is a program called Egypt eVisa. This eVisa program allows you to get your Egypt visa with ease.
What is Egypt e-Visa?
Egypt e-Visa program allows you to apply for the Egypt visa online. However, you should remember that you can apply to Egypt eVisa at least a week before the date of your travel.
There are some certain steps which you need to follow when you apply for Egypt e-Visa. Firstly, you need to create an account on the website on the Electronic Visa Portal of Egypt. Make sure that you create your account with a valid email address because you are going to be receiving a confirmation email. Then you are going to be asked to fill in your personal and travel information. On the third step, you will be asked to upload a scanned copy of your passport. On the last step, you are going to pay for the eVisa fee.
Bear in mind that you need to have your eVisa printed out on hand along with your minimum 6 months valid passport.
How much time does the Egypt Visa process take?
Egypt visa requirements can be confusing. So, depending on the number of the applicants during the time you have applied or the type of visa you want to have, the Egyptian Visa process can take more than expected. In a situation like this, don’t worry and be patient!
When applying for the Egypt visa, the process usually goes as follows:
- You’re going to need 2 copies of the Egypt visa application form.
- Two passport-size photos of yours which are recently taken with a white background (note that it’s always beneficial to look good on a passport photo)
- Your minimum 6 months valid passport with at least 2 blank pages
- Residence permit or the legal proof of the country in which you are living in
- Proof of return tickets
- Proof of accommodation (Hotel reservations are just fine!)
- Letter of invitation, only if you are travelling for business purposes
If you are double-sure that you have provided the documents above to the Egyptian Consulate, then you should not be worrying about anything else! You will receive your passport with your Egypt visa in it as soon as possible!
What is the duration of the Egypt Visa?
The duration of your Egypt visa is based on the type of visa.
If you have received the eVisa for Egypt or you applied for the Egypt visa on arrival, then the duration of your stay is upto 90 days.
Usually, the visas that are issued by Egypt are single-entry visas. Single-entry Egypt tourist visa allows you to stay in Egypt for a maximum period of 60 days and you cannot reenter the country with the same visa once you leave the country.
However, multiple-entry Egypt visas are very handy when it comes to leaving and re-entering the country. With a multiple entry visa, you can enter Egypt for multiple times and stay in Egypt for a period of up to 180 days.
Do you need a visa to use Egyptian lands to transit?
Egypt Transit Visa depends on the circumstances of your flight. If your transit is going to happen in less than 6 hours, then you won’t need a transit visa. However, you should know that you will not be allowed to leave the airport. If the transit flight is going to take place in 6 to 48 hours, then you are free to leave the airport and visit the areas that are around the airport. Solely, you are going to need an Egyptian visa if your transit flight is going to take place later than 48 hours.
What are the Egyptian Visa Fees?
In most cases, the Egyptian Visa Fees are 25 USD for single-entry visas and 60 USD for multiple entry visas. However, this price may vary depending on your country.
Here’s a detailed list of Egyptian Visa Fees:
For nationals of: |
Single-entry tourist visa |
Multiple-entry tourist visa |
Single-entry business visa |
Multiple-entry business visa |
The United States |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Germany |
$20 |
$20 |
$40 |
$55 |
Russia |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Denmark |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Finland |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Sweeden |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Guinea |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Cyprus |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Norway |
$15 |
$15 |
$40 |
$55 |
Canada (individual passport) |
$30 |
$40 |
$65 |
$85 |
Canada (family passport) |
$30 |
$40 |
$115 |
$155 |
The UK |
$30 |
$40 |
$95 |
$160 |
Nigeria |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
$45 |
$70 |
South Africa |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
Zimbabwe |
Free of charge |
Free of charge |
$45 |
$70 |
All other countries: |
$30 |
$40 |
$40 |
$55 |
Do US and UK citizens need to have a visa to travel to Egypt?
Yes, they do! If you are eligible for applying for an Egypt visa online, then it will be easier for you to get your visa to travel to Egypt.