Visa to Egypt in questions and answers

Our website presents a detailed large article about visa and visa-free entry to Egypt. But if you do not want to read a large text, we present to your attention a selection of the main questions and answers about a visa to Egypt:

• Do I need to present a vaccination certificate, a PCR test, or be tested upon arrival in Egypt?

  As of 2024, all anti-covid requirements in Egypt have been canceled, nothing is required. The only thing left is the temperature measurement when passing through the frame on arrival, but no one actually controls this requirement either.

• Do I need a visa to Egypt?

  Yes, citizens of most countries of the world, including Russians and tourists from the countries of the former USSR, need a visa to enter Egypt. But if you enter South Sinai (usually through Sharm el-Sheikh airport) to the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Taba, Dahab and Nuweiba (the coast from Sharm el-Sheikh to Taba, including the monastery of Santa Catarina and Mount Moses), you can optionally get a free "Sinai visa" or a "Sinai stamp" for a stay of up to 15 days.

• What is a "stamp" or "sticker" in Egypt?

  The "stamp" or "sticker" is actually the visa itself, or rather a self-adhesive piece of paper that is issued after paying the $ 25 visa fee, and it actually just confirms the payment. You can paste it yourself, or you will have it pasted into your passport when paying.

• How and where to get a visa to Egypt?

  For tourists, the easiest and most convenient way is to get a visa on arrival at the airport, at a land border crossing or at international seaports. You can also apply for an electronic visa in advance or get a paper one at the embassy, but for tourists, both of these options do not give any advantages and are less convenient than receiving on arrival.

• How much does a visa to Egypt cost?

  A regular single-entry tourist visa, obtained on arrival or issued in advance, costs $ 25. Multiple costs $60. In practice, unfortunately, tourists at airports are often "bred" to pay for a visa not $ 25, but $ 27.

• How and how to pay for a visa on arrival in Egypt?

  The visa is paid only in cash in US dollars, the change is also issued in dollars. You can ask for change in local currency, but the exchange rate will be unpredictable and may be less than what you will find in the exchangers at the resort (see details – Where is it profitable to change the currency in Egypt). Tourists from European countries can pay in euros, but judging by the reviews, the cost of a visa in euros is also unpredictable – from 25 to 30 euros.

• How long does a visa to Egypt last?

  A single-entry tourist visa, which you receive in advance (electronic or at the consulate), is valid for 90 days. But this does not mean that you can stay in the country for 90 days on it, but that you can enter the country within 90 days after its issuance.

  Attention! Many websites misinterpret this information and write that you can stay in the country for 90 days on a visa.

• How long can I stay in Egypt on a tourist visa?

  A single-entry tourist visa, obtained in advance or upon arrival, gives you the opportunity to rest in Egypt for up to 30 days.

• What should be the validity period of a passport to enter Egypt or obtain a visa?

  At the time of crossing the border, the passport must be valid for at least another 6 months. If the validity period is shorter, you may not even be put on a flight at the airport of departure.

• What documents are needed for entry or visa processing?

  The requirements for documents are minimal. At the border passport control, a border guard (not a customs officer) theoretically needs to present a passport (valid for at least 6 months); a travel voucher or reservation; a completed immigration card; a return ticket; a boarding pass for the flight you arrived on. In practice, everything is even simpler, and you don't need anything except a passport, a completed immigration card and a boarding pass from the flight you arrived on.

• Why and whether it is necessary to apply for a visa in advance?

  It makes no sense for most tourists to apply for a visa to Egypt in advance. You may need to apply for a paper or electronic visa in advance except for special purposes (work, student, etc.), or if you need a multiple-entry visa, i.e. if you want to enter and leave Egypt several times, for example, to visit neighboring countries.

• How long before the trip do I need to apply for an electronic visa to Egypt?

  If you decide to apply for an electronic visa before your trip, it is recommended to do so at least 7 days before departure, otherwise it may not have time to be produced (approved)

• Can I be denied a visa or entry to Egypt?

  There are practically no cases of refusal to issue visas on arrival, since no checks are carried out at all: you just give the money, they give you a "stamp" for pasting, and that's it. But if you apply for a visa in advance, as well as when checking at passport control, you may be "deployed" if you do not have a suitable passport validity period, do not have enough documents, if you have previously been expelled from the country or violated the conditions of stay.

• Do customs officers in Egypt check passport and visa?

  No way! Customs does not deal with visas and passport checks. The customs service is only interested in the items and money that you import, namely, that there are no prohibited items among them and the duty-free import/export regulations are observed. Learn more about the customs rules of Egypt and what can and cannot be imported/ exported, we wrote here.

• How to enter Egypt without a visa?

  Without a visa, you can only enter South Sinai (usually through Sharm el-Sheikh Airport) to the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh Taba, Dahab and Nuweiba (the coast from Sharm el-Sheikh to Taba, including the monastery of Santa Catarina and Mount Moses). At the airport, instead of a visa at border control, you can get a so-called "Sinai stamp" or "Sinai visa" in your passport, and it's completely free. The stamp allows you to stay in the territory of South Sinai for 15 days, leaving this territory is prohibited.

  Attention! The Sinai stamp is not for everyone. Russians are put without problems, and citizens of other countries may not be put.

• If I got a Sinai stamp, and then decided to go to Cairo and the pyramids, what should I do?

  This problem is solved quite easily: apply for a visa (paste a stamp into your passport) guides and tour sellers will help you in Egypt for $ 30-50, or you can get to Sharm el-Sheikh airport yourself, contact the staff there, and they will paste a visa for you at the state price for $ 25 + you can leave them tips a couple of dollars for help.

• What to do if they refuse to put the "Sinai stamp"?

  Indeed, passport control officers sometimes refuse to put a stamp, although this happens very rarely, at least with Russian tourists. If this happens, then you can simply buy a visa stamp on arrival for $ 25, and all problems will be solved.

• How much does the "Sinai stamp" or "Sinai visa" cost?

  The stamp is absolutely free of charge, but often at Sharm el-Sheikh airport tourists are "bred" to buy or fill out an immigration card for $ 2. But you can fill out this card yourself in a couple of minutes, and not pay anyone anything. There are blank cards at the counters in front of passport control and at the passport control windows (you can go there without a queue and ask for a blank), but be sure to take a pen with you, there are none here.

• Do I need insurance in Egypt?

  There is no mandatory requirement for insurance when entering Egypt, and everything that is written on travel sites about its obligation is actually just a recommendation or an attempt to sell you insurance. If you are traveling in Egypt on your own, then insurance really won't hurt, because you won't get free medical care here, but we repeat once again – this is not necessary and no one asks for it at the entrance. Moreover, you can apply for insurance while already in Egypt, if you decide that you need it. You can insure online on these sites:

  • ☂ Найти и сравнить цены на туристическую страховку на Sravni.ru
  • ☂ Найти и сравнить цены на туристическую страховку на Cherehapa.ru
  • ☂ Найти и сравнить цены на туристическую страховку на Tripinsurance.ru

• Where to apply for a visa and where to get official information about the visa regime of Egypt?

  unfortunately, the official website of the embassy and consular department of egypt has not been working for a long time, and therefore it is difficult to find official information on the internet in russian. Therefore, with specific questions about obtaining visas and entering Egypt, you should contact the Egyptian Embassy in Moscow by phone or e-mail. Contacts may change, we advise you to search for current ones through directories, for example on yandex maps.

  Just in case, here is the official website with contacts and addresses of the Russian Embassy and consulates in Egypt - https://egypt.mid.ru/ru/embassy /

That's it. If you have any more questions about a visa to Egypt that we have not answered, you can ask them via the comments form or on our forum about Egypt, we will try to answer.