Do You Need a Visa for Egypt?
Most visitors need a visa for Egypt. The three main routes are an e-visa bought online in advance, a visa on arrival bought at approved airports, and a digital visa on arrival at Cairo Airport.
This Egypt visa guide covers each route in depth, with fees, eligibility, the Sinai free stamp, transit, land entry, extensions, and overstay rules. For what to see once you are in, see places to visit in Egypt.
Egypt E-Visa: How to Apply Step by Step
Apply only on the official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg. Its own rule is: "You have to create an e-Visa application at least 7 days before your departure."
- Create an account on visa2egypt.gov.eg, then sign in and start a new application.
- Fill in the form as shown in the passport.
- Upload documents as the portal prompts: passport bio-data page scan, passport-style photo, flight details, and accommodation booking, per secondary sources.
- Pay online by card. The portal accepts Visa card, MasterCard, or other debit cards.
- Wait for processing. The portal emails your application status. Processing time is not stated on the portal home page; guides report 3 to 7 business days.
- Print the approved e-visa. The approval arrives by email as a PDF.
What the E-Visa Allows: Stay Length, Validity, and Entries
A single-entry e-visa is valid for 3 months from issue, with one entry and a stay of up to 30 days per entry, per secondary sources. A multiple-entry e-visa is valid for 6 months from issue, with multiple entries and a stay of up to 30 days per entry. The e-visa is for tourism only.
Visa on Arrival: Airports, Cash, and What Happens at the Counter
A visa on arrival is bought at a kiosk or bank counter before the immigration counters, and is valid for up to 30 days, per the FCDO. You get a sticker visa for immigration, per secondary sources. It is single entry. At the counter, you need a valid passport with 6 or more months left and 1 blank page. The FCDO says "approved airports" without naming them.
Digital Visa on Arrival at Cairo Airport
The digital visa on arrival is bought at Cairo Airport on arrival by card, for $36 including a $6 digital service fee, per the FCDO. Available since 1 August 2026.
| Route | Where you buy | Payment | Reported fee, Oct 2026 | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-visa, single-entry | Online before departure | Card | About $30 | Up to 30 days |
| E-visa, multiple-entry | Online before departure | Card | About $65 | Up to 30 days per entry |
| Physical visa on arrival | Airport kiosk before immigration | $30 cash only | $30, per FCDO | Up to 30 days |
| Digital visa on arrival, Cairo Airport only | Cairo Airport digital machines | Card only | $36, incl. $6 fee, per FCDO | Up to 30 days |
Egypt Visa Fees
Fees below are dated ranges. The portal states no fees, so e-visa fees here are secondary except the FCDO-confirmed $30 cash and $36 digital figures. Fees changed twice in 2026: the visa on arrival rose from $25 to $30 on 1 March 2026, and the e-visa rose from $25 single and $60 multiple to $30 single and $65 multiple on 27 April 2026, per secondary sources.
Who Can Use the E-Visa?
The portal home page does not publish the full list of eligible countries. What sources agree on: UK, US, EU nationals, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and most of Europe are consistently reported as eligible for both the e-visa and the visa on arrival, per secondary sources. India is contested: some sources report Indian passport holders can use the e-visa, others state it is not available. Check the portal before booking.
Sinai Free Entry Stamp: Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba, and Taba
The Sinai free stamp covers air arrivals only. The FCDO states that air arrivals to Sharm El-Sheikh staying under 15 days at resorts in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, or Taba do not need a visa and get a free entry permission stamp. Travel outside the resorts or a longer stay needs a visa. Mainland travel is not covered.
Passport, Health and Children
Your passport, health documents, and children's visas each have their own rules.
Passport and Health Rules for Entry
To enter Egypt, your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive, and at least one blank page, per the FCDO. A yellow fever certificate is needed only if you arrive from a transmission-risk country, including transits over 12 hours in a risk country. There is no yellow fever risk in Egypt itself. See the CDC Yellow Book, Egypt for the full entry rules.
Children and Minors
Every traveller, including infants, needs a separate visa linked to their own passport.
Transit and Land or Sea Entry
Transit, land, and sea entry follow different rules from flying in on an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Transit Through Egypt: The Free 96-Hour Transit Visa
The free 96-hour transit visa covers layovers on EgyptAir, Air Cairo, or Nile Air only, per secondary sources. The layover must be at least 8 hours and not more than 96 hours. It covers travellers from countries eligible for visa on arrival; nationals who need a pre-arranged visa are not eligible.
Entering Egypt by Land or Sea
Entering from Israel at Taba needs cash. The FCDO advises bringing at least $170 USD cash per person. Taba border taxes: $20 for Taba itself; $120 for travel within Sinai; and beyond Sinai, $120 plus a $30 visa plus a $20 letter of guarantee. Jordan ferry entry visas: $35 at Taba Heights, $30 at Nuweiba. Sudan: no visa on arrival at Qustul and Argeen, per the FCDO. See the FCDO Egypt entry requirements for the full wording.
If Your E-Visa Is Delayed or Denied
If approval has not arrived by departure, do not fly on the assumption it will arrive. Apply at least 7 days before departure. If denied, the common causes are data mismatches, unclear scans, expired passport, incomplete details, wrong nationality selection, and duplicate requests, per secondary sources. The usual path is a new application with corrected details, with a new fee per application.
How to Extend Your Visa and What Happens If You Overstay
Apply for an extension before your visa expires; if you overstay, a fine can apply after a 14-day grace period.
How to Extend Your Visa
Apply at an Egyptian Passport and Immigration Office before your visa expires, per the FCDO. In Cairo, extensions are handled in Abbassia.
What Happens If You Overstay
The FCDO states: "If you try to leave Egypt on an expired visa, you may face difficulties, including a fine if your visa has expired by more than 14 days." A grace period of up to 14 days is commonly reported. No official fine table is published. Do not treat the grace period as a plan. Once your visa is sorted, plan what to do with the time: see things to do in Egypt.
Sources
- Egypt e-Visa Portal: visa2egypt.gov.eg - 7-day rule.
- UK FCDO: Egypt entry requirements - passport, visa on arrival $30 cash, digital visa on arrival $36 Cairo, extensions, updated 4 Aug 2026.
- CDC Yellow Book: Egypt - yellow fever entry rule.
Fees and eligibility detail are secondary except the FCDO-confirmed $30 and $36 figures.
