Egypt visa: how to get it and what to expect at the border

Egypt is one of the few tourist destinations in the world that requires a visa from virtually all foreign visitors, including EU and US citizens. This is not a problem, but it is a variable that needs to be factored into planning because it can cost time and money if discovered at the last minute.

The three options

The most convenient route for most European travellers is the online e-visa. The Egyptian government system (official portal at visa.on-arrival.com) processes applications in three to five working days, at a cost of 25 dollars, paid by credit card. The result arrives by email as a PDF: you can print it or show it on your phone at the border. The process is straightforward, and the only common complication is making sure you use the official portal rather than one of the private intermediaries that charge additional fees.

The second option is the visa on arrival, available at the airports of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. You pay 25 dollars in cash (euros and pounds sterling are also accepted) at automated machines or at the bank counters located before passport control. The queue can be long at tourist airports: at Hurghada in August, with several charter flights arriving simultaneously, you may wait 45 minutes or more. The e-visa avoids this entirely.

The third option, a visa from the Egyptian consulate in your home country, is more expensive, slower and only makes sense in specific cases: passports from certain countries that cannot access the other two options, or travellers who for some reason need the stamp in their passport before departure.

The Sinai exception

Travellers going exclusively to Sharm el-Sheikh and not leaving the Sinai Peninsula have an advantage: they can enter visa-free and stay up to 15 days at no cost. This exemption applies at Sharm el-Sheikh airport and also at the entry points from Jordan and Israel. The condition is not crossing into mainland Egypt: the moment you leave the Sinai Peninsula you need a visa. The checkpoint between Sinai and the rest of Egypt is at the Ras Sidr pass, where guards verify your entry document.

Validity and extension

The standard visa is valid for 30 days from the date of entry — not from the date the e-visa was issued, but from the first day you cross the border. It is a single-entry visa, meaning that as soon as you leave Egypt it expires. Travellers planning to cross to Jordan via Aqaba and return — a popular itinerary — need either a double-entry visa or a new one from the consulate in Amman.

Extending the visa within Egyptian territory is possible and not complicated: the passport and immigration offices in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan process extensions of up to three additional months. The process requires going to the office in person with your passport, two photos and the form, and is usually resolved the same day or the next. The cost is minimal (under ten dollars).

Currency in practice

The Egyptian pound has suffered significant depreciations in recent years. In 2022, the government allowed the currency to float and it lost 50% of its value within a few months. Before travelling, it is worth checking the current exchange rate because it directly determines the real cost of everything. ATMs work well in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and at airports. In more remote areas — some desert oases, the west bank of Luxor — it is advisable to carry cash in Egyptian pounds or dollars, as card payment terminals are not universal.

Carrying dollars or euros in cash makes sense: many hotels, private guides and agencies prefer to be paid in foreign currency, and in some cases offer slightly better prices than in pounds. It is not obligatory or always the better option, but it is worth knowing that it is part of the economic system of tourism in Egypt.

Registration no longer required

A detail that many outdated guides still mention: until 2016, foreign travellers were required to register with the police within 24 to 48 hours of arrival. That requirement was abolished. Hotels still collect passport details (for their own records and for tax purposes), but there is no additional registration procedure to carry out with the authorities.

The complete Far Guides Egypt guide includes detailed Nile Valley routes, interactive maps and all the practical information you need to plan your independent trip.