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August 15, 2026
Last updated: 16 August 2026
Most visitors need a tourist visa to enter Egypt. Depending on nationality, travellers may be eligible for an official eVisa or a visa on arrival at an approved entry point. Core Egypt visa requirements generally include an eligible passport valid for at least six months from arrival, a valid visa or entry permission, and evidence of travel plans. Rules can change, so verify your nationality and route with official sources before departure.
This article is general travel information, not legal or immigration advice. Egyptian border authorities make the final admission decision.
| Item | General planning guidance |
|---|---|
| Passport validity | Egypt’s official eVisa guidance requires at least six months from arrival; follow any stricter airline or national guidance |
| Blank pages | Keep at least one blank passport page available |
| Tourist visa | Required for many nationalities |
| eVisa timing | The official portal advises applying at least seven days before departure |
| Arrival documents | Printed eVisa, itinerary and accommodation details may be requested |
| Health documents | A yellow-fever certificate may be required when arriving from a risk country |
| Final authority | Possessing a visa does not guarantee admission |
Use the official Egyptian eVisa portal for eligibility and applications. Avoid websites that imitate the official service or add unclear processing charges.
Travellers building their wider plans can retain a link to the Egypt travel guide for first-time visitors, but it should only be activated after that post is published.
Visa requirements depend on the passport used for travel, not simply the country where the visitor lives. Ordinary passport holders from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and many European countries appear on the official eVisa eligibility list at the time of this update. Eligibility can differ for diplomatic, emergency or refugee travel documents.
Check the official eVisa FAQ and eligible-country list before making a non-refundable booking. If your passport is not listed—or if your visit is for work, study, residence, journalism or another non-tourist purpose—contact the nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate.
An eVisa allows an eligible traveller to apply online before departure. This gives time to resolve an application issue before reaching the airport and avoids relying solely on an arrival facility.
The official portal currently lists:
Fees and procedures are time-sensitive; verify them on the official portal on the day you apply. A third-party processing company may charge more without improving the decision.
Applicants should prepare:
At arrival, carry the printed eVisa approval, passport, itinerary and hotel or host information. Digital copies are useful backups, but they should not replace printed documents requested by the official guidance.
Eligible tourists may be able to obtain a visa on arrival at approved airports. The traditional physical visa-on-arrival process is generally reported as USD 30 for a 30-day tourist stay, with exact US-dollar cash requested at some entry points. Procedures and eligible nationalities must be checked before travel.
The UK government’s Egypt entry guidance reports a digital visa-on-arrival process at Cairo International Airport from 1 August 2026, using machines or the official portal, with a USD 36 total charge including a service fee and card payment. Do not assume this specific process applies at every airport or to every passport.
An eVisa can be more predictable for travellers who want approval before flying. A visa on arrival can be convenient for eligible visitors, but airport procedures, payment methods or rules may change.
The official Egyptian eVisa information requires a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival. Government travel advisories for some nationalities may use stricter wording. For example, Canadian guidance tells Canadian travellers to keep a passport valid for at least six months beyond the expected date of departure.
The safest approach is to follow the strictest applicable requirement among Egypt, your passport-issuing country and your airline. Ensure the passport is undamaged and has a blank page. A traveller using two nationalities should book and travel consistently with the passport linked to the visa application.
Some eligible tourists travelling directly to specified South Sinai resorts—including the Sharm El Sheikh area—may receive a short-stay permission stamp instead of a standard tourist visa. This permission is restricted by location, length of stay, nationality and point of entry.
It is not suitable for an itinerary continuing to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan or other parts of Egypt. If you plan to leave the permitted resort zone or stay longer, obtain the correct tourist visa. Confirm the latest position before flying rather than relying on an older forum post.
The future article on Egypt travel safety and preparation will cover wider pre-departure checks; keep this link inactive until that post exists.
A yellow-fever vaccination certificate may be required for travellers arriving from—or sometimes transiting through—a country with a risk of yellow-fever transmission. The exact requirement depends on the route and current health rules. Check Egypt’s consular information and an official travel-health source before departure.
Prescription medicines should remain in original labelled packaging. Carry a copy of the prescription or a doctor’s letter, especially for controlled medication. Verify whether a medicine is restricted before travelling; a valid prescription at home does not automatically make every medicine legal to import.
Pack these in hand luggage rather than checked baggage:
If you are joining a tour, compare the verified Egypt travel packages and retain the booking confirmation to support your itinerary. A live package page does not replace official entry permission.
Apply for the appropriate visa before the recommended deadline, then coordinate your arrival transfer and first hotel. Avoid scheduling a long sightseeing programme immediately after immigration and baggage collection.
Visitors can compare the verified 10-day Egypt and Nile cruise tour or the shorter Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada itinerary. These are travel products, not visa services; use official channels for immigration applications.
The planned guide to Cairo airport transfers and arrivals can later help readers plan the next step after passport control.
Contact the Egyptian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence. Provide your passport nationality, travel-document type, arrival airport, dates, purpose and planned destinations. Do not send passport scans through an unverified social-media account.
For tour-arrangement questions—not visa decisions—use the verified Egypt Getaway Tours contact page.
Because Egypt visa requirements vary by nationality and may change, verify them twice: before booking non-refundable arrangements and again shortly before departure. Use the official Egyptian eVisa portal, keep at least six months of passport validity from arrival, prepare printed documents and confirm whether your route creates any health-certificate requirement.
Yes, US tourists generally need a visa. Eligible travellers can use Egypt’s official eVisa process or, where permitted, obtain a visa on arrival. Check current official instructions before travel.
British ordinary-passport holders generally need a visa for travel beyond a limited South Sinai permission area. Check both Egypt’s official portal and current UK government guidance.
Current Canadian government guidance says eligible Canadian tourists may obtain an eVisa before travel or a 30-day visa on arrival. Confirm this immediately before departure, as entry rules can change.
The official eVisa portal advises creating the application at least seven days before departure. Applying earlier provides more time to resolve errors.
Yes. Egypt’s official guidance lists a printed eVisa among the documents to present on arrival. Carry it with your passport and itinerary.
No. The limited resort permission is not a substitute for the visa needed to travel to Cairo or other areas outside its specified zone.
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