How to get an e-visa to Egypt in advance and is it worth doing?

An e-visa to Egypt can be obtained on the official government website apps.visaonarrival.gov.eg. Since 2026, Egypt has begun transitioning to e-visas – instead of a paper sticker, you receive a QR code. Such a visa is already accepted at Cairo Airport, and other airports are promised to implement the system later. However, in practice, for most tourists from Russia, the e-visa is not very convenient yet, and here's why.

First, it costs more: a single-entry e-visa will cost $36 versus $30 for a paper visa on arrival. Second, you cannot pay for it with a Russian bank card – the website does not accept Russian cards. Third, the e-visa fee is non-refundable: if your trip is canceled due to a flight delay, illness, or other reasons, the money is simply lost. Moreover, for a standard tourist, buying a visa at the airport takes just a couple of minutes, and there are queues at passport control as well, so the e-visa does not provide significant time savings.

When can an e-visa be useful? Mainly if you need a multiple-entry visa (it costs $60) – such visas are not issued on arrival, only single-entry ones. Or if you want to avoid encountering "scams" at the airport with migration cards and inflated prices. Also, an e-visa can help in a situation where your passport is valid for less than 6 months – perhaps the airline will not be picky if the visa is already issued.

Be careful: there are many fraudulent websites online offering to arrange a visa for a lot of money. Use only the official resource mentioned above. If in doubt, it's simpler and safer to just buy a visa on arrival – it's reliable and cheaper. We have collected all the details, including tourist mistakes and life hacks, in a fresh article about the visa to Egypt.

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