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Everything you need to know about Egypt Visa

egypt-visa-image All UK Nationals travelling to Egypt may need a visa depending on the purpose of travel, period of stay and the place of visit in Egypt. Following are the visa options available to travel to Egypt.

Visa Exemption

If you hold a British passport and travelling to Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts, you can avail visa exemption for a stay of up to 15 days.

You shall get a free entry permission stamp upon arrival. However, if you need to visit other areas apart from the ones mentioned above or your stay exceeds 15 days, you require a visa.

Again, if you have entered any of the South Sinai Red Sea resorts without a visa and your itinerary changes, you can obtain a visa at Sharm el Sheikh airport.

Visa on Arrival

British nationals can also buy a visa on arrival at any of the international airports, after payment of a fee of $25, payable in Sterling, US Dollars or Euros. The payment can be done at approved bank kiosks located inside the airport arrival halls, prior to reaching immigration counters.

These visas offer a maximum validity of 30 days.

If you are planning to stay in Egypt for more than 30 days or entering for business or work-related purposes, you should get a visa before you travel.

As per our recommendation, you should get a visa prior to your plans because at times, you may have to face long waiting queues before immigration counters. Also, it’s better to come prepared so as to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Tourist E-Visa

One of the easiest methods to get entry into Egypt for tourism purposes is to apply for an e-visa. These visas are available in single entry and multiple entry types. Each visa comes with a maximum validity of 3 months and allows you a stay up to 1 month.

All applicants are required to submit a scanned copy of their passport. The entire process is electronic and you do not need to submit or mail any documents. Just make the visa fee payment online and your evisa is sent to your registered email address.

After you arrive at the airport, present the following documents at the immigration counter:

A passport valid for at least six months from your date of entry into Egypt and a minimum of two blank pages
A printout of your e-visa
Travel itinerary
An invitation letter if you are visiting family and relatives
Hotel bookings and details about the places you are planning to visit

Once the immigration official verifies your documents, he will stamp the visa on your passport.

Regular Tourist Visa

Now, if you wish to avoid any hassle at all in the airport and wish to reach your destination as soon as possible, you can also apply for a regular tourist visa via the Egyptian Embassy in London.

It is available in single and multiple entry types, each with a validity of 6 months, and allowing a maximum stay of up to 3 months per visit

For this, you will need:

A passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival and a minimum of two blank pages
Two recent, colored, passport-size (45 mm x 35 mm) photographs, against a white background. These should be attached to your application form and must have your name at the back.
A completely filled and signed application form. You can download ithere. You may also get it from the Egyptian Embassy.
The required visa fees.
A copy of your round trip tickets or confirmed itinerary.

Note: If you are a traveler with Egyptian roots or are the spouse of an Egyptian national, you can get a free, multiple entry visa if you provide official proof such as an Egyptian ID or a Marriage Certificate.

For minors with their own passport, they do need a visa stamped on the passport. If aged below 16 and he/she applies without an adult, then a letter from the parent or legal guardian is required.

Regular Business Visa

A business visa is required if you are planning to enter Egypt for carrying out business related activities, without seeking employment.

It is available in single entry and multiple entry types. Both the visas are valid for 6 months. A single entry visa allows a maximum stay period of 60 days and a multiple entry visa allows up to 90 days.

For this, you will need:

A passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival and a minimum of two blank pages
Two recent, colored, passport-size (45 mm x 35 mm) photographs, against a white background. These should be attached to your application form and must have your name at the back.
A completely filled and signed application form. You can download ithere. You may also get it from the Egyptian Embassy.
The required visa fees.
A copy of your round trip tickets or confirmed itinerary.
An invitation letter that is issued by the concerned organization or inviting company in Egypt.
An employment letter from your employer in the UK employer. It should confirm your employment with the company and should be on a company letterhead paper, including your name, explanation of the purpose of journey, expected return date. It must be typed and signed in original by your supervisor or HR department.

Visa Extension

If you enter Egypt and for some reason, you need to extend your stay in the country, you can apply for a visa extension at any of the Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices.

It is important that you extend your visa if it has expired; or else you may face difficulties when exiting Egypt with an out of date visa.

Note that if the expiry period has exceeded the limit of 14 days, you may be able to leave the nation, but only after paying a fine.

UK Emergency Travel Documents

UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are recognized by the Egyptian government, only for exit purposes. You cannot use an ETD for entering or transiting the country.

In order to obtain an ETD, you need to go to an Egyptian Passport and Immigration Office and complete all the documentation requirements for leaving the borders.

You may receive assistance at passport offices outside of Cairo, but you need to complete all the formalities at National HQ in the Immigration Office Mogammaa El Tahrir, Tahrir Square, Down Town, Cairo.

The entire process can take up to five business days. Hence, if you need to change any travel plans, make the alterations accordingly.

Medical Requirements

When you apply for an Egyptian work permit, you need to present evidence of testing for HIV.

As for other medications, do note that some common over the counter drugs are considered to fall in the category of controlled substances in Egypt.

In these cases, you cannot carry such medicines without obtaining prior permission from Egypt’s Ministry of Health. If you fail to adhere to these regulations, you may even be prosecuted by law.

Again, if your luggage has prescription medication, please remember to accompany it with a credible medical certificate, which states that the drugs have been prescribed for your ailment.

The prescription should be in the form of an official letter from your GP, that should explain all the details of your illness, specify the quantity of medication that you will have with you, and state that you will be using it only for personal purposes.

As for yellow fever certification, any traveller above the age of nine months is required to carry one if he/she is arriving from or transiting for more than 12 hours from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

If you don’t hold the certificate, you shall be detained in quarantine for up to 6 days. A yellow fever certificate comes with a lifetime validity and can be used even if its more than 10 years since you had your last vaccine.

It also nullifies the requirement of any boosters or revaccination.