Egypt visa

Choosing the right option for your trip

Egypt's tourist visa allows a stay of one month. It comes as single entry or multiple entry; the second is for travellers who leave Egypt during the trip and come back, for example after a stop in Jordan. All three ways of obtaining it give the same right of stay: the difference lies in when you deal with it and how you pay.

The e-visa suits travellers who want everything in order before they land. The portal asks for your passport, itinerary and hotel bookings; the visa arrives by email, and you show the printout at passport control. As with any visa, border police keep the right to refuse entry.

The visa on arrival remains the most common option. At the Red Sea and Luxor airports, bring notes in good condition. Middlemen sometimes offer their services in the arrivals hall at a higher price than the counter: you can buy the visa directly, without them.

Arriving in Cairo: the QR code replaces the sticker

Since 1 August 2026, Cairo International Airport has issued the visa on arrival in digital form. The sticker in the passport has been replaced by a QR code, which costs USD 36 and is paid by Visa or Mastercard. You can get it before departure, on the official portal or its app, during the flight, or at the self-service kiosks in the arrivals hall. The code is valid for 48 hours from issue, so it can be bought the day before you fly; show it on your phone or as a printout. Each traveller needs their own code, but one payment can cover a whole family.

Bank counters stay open during the changeover, and queues can build up. For a late-evening arrival, Sabaro recommends buying the code before leaving home, or taking the e-visa.

South Sinai

Sharm el-Sheikh has its own scheme. Travellers who fly into Sharm el-Sheikh airport and stay less than 15 days in the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba receive a free entry stamp that replaces the visa. To go anywhere else or stay longer, you need the ordinary visa, sold for USD 30 at the same airport.

The stamp cannot be converted into a visa once you are in the country. The choice is therefore made at the counter, before passport control:

• A beach or diving holiday on the coast, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, for less than 15 days: the free stamp is enough.
• A trip that includes St Catherine and Mount Sinai, Cairo, Luxor, the mainland Red Sea coast or a domestic flight: Sabaro recommends taking the ordinary visa at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, or the e-visa before departure. It covers the whole country.

Sabaro's trip idea "Sinai, Mount Sinai, St Catherine's Monastery and Dahab, 7 days" follows this rule.

Arriving by land or sea

The Taba crossing from Israel, and the ferries from Aqaba in Jordan to Nuweiba or Taba Heights, have their own charges, payable in cash in dollars. At Taba, a USD 120 tax applies as soon as you go beyond the town; to continue outside Sinai, you also need the visa and a letter of guarantee from a travel agency. These amounts often change without notice, and the Taba crossing can close overnight depending on the regional situation. Cash machines there are unreliable: bring new notes.

Documents, length of stay and departure

Documents. The Egyptian portal counts six months' validity from arrival; a document still valid six months after the return date avoids any argument. If your nationality allows entry with an ID card, bring two passport photos: the visa is issued on a separate card that carries one photo and must be kept until departure. Check the spelling of your name and the card number on the spot. A passport is simpler: some Egyptian offices refuse the ID card as proof of identity, and only a passport allows you to extend your stay. Carry a copy with you, as police check papers often.

Extending your stay. Beyond one month, extensions are requested at an immigration office; in Cairo it is in Abbassia. A visa that expired more than 14 days earlier leads to a fine on departure. Checks on the purpose of stay have been tightened, and overstaying can lead to deportation followed by a ban on returning.

Charter flights. In Egypt, a charter ticket is sold as a return package. Travellers who arrived on a scheduled flight have been refused boarding on a charter home, especially after stays of more than a month or when leaving from a different airport. Sabaro books both legs on the same type of flight.

Dual nationals. Men aged 18 to 30 who also hold Egyptian nationality must settle their military service status before travelling; otherwise they cannot leave Egypt.

The accepted document and the visa depend on your nationality: