Egypt Visa Guide – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Egyptian Tourist Visa, e-Visa, Visa On Arrival

Egypt is an intriguing destination and many visitors go there to seek out the iconic attractions such as the Valley of the Kings and the pyramids. Of course, there is much more to this exotic land – temple towns, beautiful Islamic architecture, beach resorts, and some of the best diving on the planet. Have you bought your ticket yet? In this article learn more about how to apply for Egypt Travel Visa at the Egyptian embassies and consulates worldwide, Egypt visa appointment booking, Visa on arrival, Egypt visa online, Egypt e-visa portal, Processing time at the Egyptian visa application center, Egypt visa application form, apply from USA, India, China, Philippines, Russia, Egypt visa application requirements, confirmed itinerary or round trip ticket booking or flight reservation, Egypt visa types, Hotel reservation or proof of accommodation.

Applying for Egypt visa

Visa Exemption

If you are a citizen of one of the following countries, you can enter Egypt without a visa for a maximum of 3 months:

Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Lebanon (at Borg El Arab airport, Hurghada airport, or Sharm el Sheikh airport if arriving on a charter flight), Macao, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia

Citizens of the following countries can also visit Egypt without a visa, but there are certain conditions that apply:

1. Afghanistan – citizens aged 50 years and above and 16 years and below
2. Algeria – citizens 14 years of age and below
3. Libya – female nationals only or residents of Butnan district on Sundays and Mondays
4. Jordan – citizens holding a normal 5-year passport, provided passport does not contain a stamp from the Jordanian Registration Office
5. Lebanon – citizens aged 50 years and above and 16 years and below, however, a visa is not required for Alexandria and South Sinai (for all ages)
6. Morocco – citizens 14 years of age and below
7. Sudan – citizens aged 50 years and above and 16 years and below or female nationals
8. South Sudan – citizens aged 50 years and above and 16 years and below or female nationals
9. Tunisia – citizens 14 years of age and below
10. Yemen – citizens aged 50 years and above and 16 years and below or traveling for medical reasons
11. China – citizens must have a return/onward ticket, a confirmed hotel reservation in a 4 or 5-star hotel and an equivalent of USD 2000

In addition, if you are traveling as part of a tour group and are from the following countries, you do not need a visa for Egypt:

Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belize, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Moldova (except females aged between 15 and 35), Nicaragua, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkey

However, for citizens of the above countries, certain conditions apply in order for you to enjoy this visa-free status:

1. The tour group must have at least 5 people
2. Must have a return ticket
3. Must have booked accommodation
4. Must have a signed guarantee from a travel agency

Visa on arrival

There are a few countries who are eligible for a visa on arrival in Egypt, so if you are a citizen of any of these countries, there is no need to arrange a visa up front:

1. European Union – Citizens of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal can enter Egypt with a national ID card, but they must bring a passport photo to be attached to the visa
2. Australia
3. Canada
4. Georgia
5. Japan
6. South Korea
7. Macedonia
8. New Zealand
9. Norway
10. Russia
11. Serbia
12. Ukraine
13. United States

If you come from Turkey, you are eligible to get a visa on arrival as long as you are aged 45 years and above or 18 years and below or if you have a residence permit issued by Australia, Canada, USA or an EU Member state

Citizens of Sudan can obtain a visa on arrival if you have a residence permit issued by Australia, Canada, USA or an EU Member state

Electronic visa(e-visa)

If you come from the following countries and wish to apply for a tourist or business visa for a maximum of 30 days, you can apply for an e-visa:

European Union, Albania, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States, Vatican City

Citizens of certain countries require “pre-approval” before the embassy or consulate agrees to the visa:

1. Afghanistan
2. Algeria
3. Bangladesh
4. Bhutan
5. Bosnia – (of Egyptian Origin)
6. Burundi
7. Cambodia
8. Chad
9. China
10. Congo
11. Cyprus
12. Eritrea
13. Ethiopia
14. Ghana
15. Indonesia
16. Iran
17. Iraq
18. Israel
19. Kosovo
20. Laos
21. Lebanon – aged 16 to 50 years old
22. Liberia
23. Libya – men aged 16-60 years old
24. Malaysia
25. Maldives
26. Mali
27. Mauritania
28. Moldova – Females aged 15 to 35 years old
29. Mongolia
30. Morocco
31. Myanmar
32. Nepal
33. Niger
34. Nigeria
35. North Korea
36. Pakistan
37. Palestine
38. Peoples Republic of China
39. Philippines
40. Rwanda
41. Sierra Leone
42. Somalia
43. South Sudan
44. Sri Lanka
45. Sudan
46. Syria
47. Tunis
48. Turkey – Males and Females aged 18 to 45 years old
49. Vietnam
50. Yemen

If you are from any other country not mentioned above, you need to apply for a visa to be able to enter Egypt prior to arrival.

Types of visas for Egypt

If you are applying for an Egypt visa, you need to know which one you need to apply for. This is based on your reason for traveling to Egypt:

1. Tourist – for tourist purposes
2. Entry – for business, work, study purposes etc. You must have an entry visa in order to complete the residence procedure in Egypt

Egypt visas are issued as single entry or multiple entry which means you can enter Egypt once or unlimited times within the validity of your visa.

1. Single entry – valid for 6 months for stays up to a maximum of 60 days
2. Multiple entry – valid for 6 months for stays of up to 90 days (30 days each stay)

Where to apply for Egypt visa

If you are a citizen of a country that is not eligible for visa exemption or visa on arrival, you must apply for a visa prior to your trip. You can do this through an Egyptian Embassy or Consulate located in the area you reside.

To find the nearest one, first go to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and click on: “Ministry” and then “Egypt around the world”:

On the next page, you will find a list of all the Egyptian missions around the world:

There are contact details, but no website addresses, so you can just enter the embassy or consulate in your location into a search engine to go to the relevant website.

The Egypt Visa Application Process and Requirements

Your Egypt visa will be processed between 5 and 10 days, but it’s worth checking with the embassy or consulate you will be dealing with because their timescales may be different. In any case, you should apply well in advance of your trip to allow for your application to be processed in time.

Please, note if you are from any of the countries that require pre-approval, the wait time is 6-8 weeks.

When you submit your application, all you need to do is to go to the respective embassy or consulate during their working hours and hand over your file. There is no need to make an appointment unless this is a requirement of the office you are dealing with. Check the website of the embassy or consulate to check this before arriving.

Step 1: Complete your application form

You need to complete an application form for your Egypt visa. Most of the embassies and consulates have links on their websites where you can download the form.

Alternatively, you can go to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and click on: “Consular section” and then “Visa application”:

On the next page, scroll down and you can complete your application before printing it off:

If you are applying for an e-visa, there is a link on the same page that will direct you to the e-visa portal:

Step 2: Get your documents ready

The next stage of the Egypt visa application process is to get your supporting documents ready to submit along with your application form.

It is very important to make sure you check what is required for your visa application, so spend some time looking at the website of the embassy or consulate you are dealing with before you start. This will save time later and ensure you don’t miss anything. If you submit an incomplete application, it will be rejected.

Please note, you are also required to provide originals AND photocopies of everything. Don’t forget to do this, as it will be seen as an incomplete application and it won’t be accepted.

Required documents for your Egypt visa:

1) Passport of all nationalities – must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel and have an empty visa page. Also, 2 copies of the passport’s information page are required

2) Photographs – 2 x recent color passport-sized photos, against a white background. The name of the applicant must be written on the back and the photo must be attached to the application form

3) A completed application form for Egypt visa

4) 2 x copies of the green card and/or valid visa

5) 2 x copies of school registration

6) 2 copies of round-trip ticket or confirmed itinerary

7) Hotel reservation

8) 2 copies of a letter from your company stating the purpose of the trip and financial guarantee of company and company name in US and Egypt; details of conference or seminar, dates of travel and length of stay

9) Marriage/birth certificate

10) Parent’s/Egyptian national’s passport or ID

11) A self-addressed envelope (for returning passports)

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 3: Submit your application

Depending on the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate you are dealing with, it is possible to submit your file in person or by mail, so check with the respective office of the options available to you.

When the visa staff processes your application, they may wish to ask you extra questions about the information you have supplied, and they may contact you to attend an interview. They could ask you:

1. Is this your first trip to Egypt?
2. What do you know about the country?
3. Are you meeting anyone in Egypt?
4. What work are you planning on doing when you are there?
5. What is your role in your home country?

If you get asked questions like these, all you need to do is answer to the best of your ability and remain calm. The visa staff is only trying to get all the information they need to make a decision about whether to approve your visa or not.

You’ll also have to pay the relevant fee for your visa. You can usually pay by cash, postal order, money order or cashier’s check, but again this depends on the embassy or consulate you are dealing with, so check their website first.

Egypt Visa Fee

Please note, these fees will be charged in the local currency of the country you are applying from.

You may also have to provide biometric data in the form of a scan of your fingerprints and a digital photo.

Step 4: Receive your visa

Once your visa application has been processed, the embassy or consulate will notify you and you can either collect your passport from the visa office or have it returned by mail. You need to check with the respective office which services they provide for returning passports.

Hopefully, you will find your visa inside your passport, but if it is not there, it may have been rejected for a reason. Common rejection reasons include:

1. Personal details don’t match your passport
2. Invalid passport
3. Missing documents
4. You already have a valid visa

Firstly, your passport must have at least 6 months remaining, so make sure it does, otherwise, you need a new one before you can apply for your Egypt visa. If you have a valid visa for Egypt already, you may not need to apply for a new one, so this should be the first thing to check, especially if you have been to Egypt before. Your personal details should match those in your passport, and if any of the required documents are missing, the embassy or consulate won’t accept your application, so check everything before you submit your file.

FAQs

1) Do I need a visa to travel to Egypt?

Unless you are from those countries that don’t need a visa, you do need a visa to travel to Egypt

2) If I get a visa on arrival, how much does this cost?

The cost of a visa on arrival is $25

3) Should I apply for an Egypt visa at the embassy or should I apply for an e-visa?

Only citizens from certain countries are eligible to apply for an e-visa. If this is the case for you, it’s really up to you

4) Do I need to be pre-approved before I apply for an Egypt visa?

See above for the list of countries whose nationals require pre-approval

5) What is a multiple entry visa?

A multiple entry visa allows you to enter Egypt as many times as you like within the validity of the visa

6) Can I get my visa application processed any quicker?

This depends on the visa authority you are applying through, but most aim to process visa applications within 10 days. It’s up to you to apply well in advance of your trip

7) Can someone else apply on my behalf?

Yes, you can get someone else to submit your file and collect your passport, but you must sign your own application form, and if the office wish you to attend an interview, you must attend in person

8) Do I need separate visas if I am visiting more than one city in Egypt?

No, you just need to apply for one visa, either single or multiple entry

Conclusion

When you know where to apply for your Egypt visa, all you need to do is to:

1. Complete Egypt visa application form
2. Get your documents ready
3. Submit your file
4. Receive Egypt visa

Before long, you’ll have your Egypt visa in your hand and then you can prepare for your exciting trip away!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

Worldwide Visa Requirements