Do Russians need a visa to Egypt in 2026 or can they enter without a visa?

In 2026, Russians in most cases still need a visa to visit Egypt, but it can be obtained directly at the airport upon arrival. There are two legal entry options: a paid visa on arrival for 30 days for 30 US dollars, or a free “Sinai stamp” that is issued only at Sharm el-Sheikh airport and a couple of other points on the Sinai Peninsula, but with serious restrictions.

If you are flying to the resorts of Hurghada, Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, or other places that are not part of South Sinai, you will need to buy a visa upon arrival. It is a sticker stamp that is placed in your passport at a special counter before passport control. Without this stamp, you simply will not be allowed through the border.

However, if your vacation is limited to the coast from Sharm el-Sheikh to Taba, including Dahab, Nuweiba, Saint Catherine's Monastery, and Mount Moses, you can use the free Sinai stamp. But keep in mind: it only gives you the right to stay in the territory of South Sinai for a maximum of 15 days, and you will not be able to travel with it to Cairo or Luxor.

To enter, you also need to fill out a migration card, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, and in practice, only your passport and boarding pass are needed as documents. We have detailed the requirements and pitfalls in our honest guide to the visa for Egypt. We recommend reading it before your flight to avoid falling for the tricks of local “helpers” at the airport.

So, in short: without a visa, you can only go to Sinai; for the rest of the territory, you need a visa on arrival for 30 dollars. For most tourists from Russia, this is a simple and quick procedure that can really be done independently in 10–15 minutes.

Does everyone get a Sinai stamp in Sharm?
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