How To Apply For Egyptian Visa

If you must take a trip to most countries of the world, you will most likely need a visa. The ancient city of Egypt is no exception.

One of the world’s earliest civilizations, Egypt had unified kingdoms as early as 3000 BC, during the reign of the Pharaohs. The nation connects northeast Africa to the Middle East and is home to historic structures dating back thousands of years, including the massive Pyramids of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the Sphinx, and ancient tombs covered in hieroglyphs.

To visit these stunning ancient ruins, the majority of visitors must have an Egypt visa, though. Fortunately, the Egyptian government has simplified the visa application procedure for many.

Is a Visa Required for Egypt?

Yes, a visa is required for entry into Egypt unless you are a citizen of one of the nations listed below. However, a lot of nationals are qualified to obtain a visa either online or upon arrival, which shortens the procedure.

Except when otherwise noted, nationals of the following nations are permitted entry into Egypt without a visa for periods of up to 90 days:

• Bahrain
• Hong Kong
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
•  Macao
• Oman.
• Arab States
• Malaysia
• United Arab Emirates (for stays of up to 14 days)

Other Egypt visa-exemptions

You may also be exempt from an Egypt visa if you are from one of the following countries and you fulfill certain conditions:

• Afghanistan – only if you are 50 years of age and over or 16 years of age and under
• Algeria – only if you are under 14 years of age
• China – only if you have a return or onward flight ticker as well as a reservation in a 4 or 5-star hotel and USD 2000 (or the equivalent in another currency).
• Libya – only if you are a woman or a resident of the Butnan District on Sundays and Mondays
• Jordan – if you have an ordinary 5-year passport that is not stamped by the Jordanian Registration Office on the back cover
• Lebanon – only if you are 50 years of age and over or 16 years of age and under (for Alexandria and South Sinai all ages can enter visa-free)
• Morocco – only if you are 14 years of age and under
• Sudan – only if you are 50 years of age and over or 16 years of age and under or you are a female national
• South Sudan – only if you are 50 years of age and over or 16 years of age and under or you are a female national
• Tunisia – only if you are 14 years of age and under
• Yemen – only if you are 50 years of age and over or 16 years of age and under or you are traveling for medical purposes
• Palestine – you have a travel document issued by Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria and you are over 40 years of age or under 18 years of age

In addition, you are also exempt from an Egypt visa if you:

• Are traveling as part of a tourist group consisting of at least 5 people, have a return ticket, reserved accommodation, and a signed letter of guarantee from a travel agency and you are from one of the following countries:
  • Azerbaijan
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • China
  • Costa Rica
  • El Salvador
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Lebanon
  • Moldova (excluding women between the ages of 15 and 35)
  • Nicaragua
  • Russia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Turkey
• You are the child of an Egyptian father (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar)
• You are the child of an Egyptian mother born after 25 July 2004 (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar)
• You are a woman married to an Egyptian man (unless you are from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Qatar)

Countries who need pre-clearance to apply for an Egypt visa

If you are from one of the nations below, you must obtain pre-approval from the Egyptian State Security Authorities before you may apply for an Egypt visa at a consulate:

• Iran
• Iraq
• Kazakhstan
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Mauritania
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka
• Syria
• Yemen

Egypt Visa On Arrival

All nationals, excluding those from the list below, are eligible for an Egypt visa on arrival:

In addition:

• Turkey passport holders can get an Egypt Visa On Arrival if they are 45 years of age and above or 18 years of age and below
• Sudan passport holders can get an Egypt Visa On Arrival if they have a residence permit issued by Australia, Canada, USA, or an EU Member State
• Resident Permit holders issued by a GCC Member State can get an Egypt Visa On Arrival if they have at least six more months left on the residence permit

How to Apply for an Egypt Visa On Arrival

You must get the visa after arriving in Egypt but before going through immigration if you are from one of the nations eligible for an Egypt Visa On Arrival. At one of the visa-issuing counters at Egyptian entry ports, you can obtain a Visa On Arrival. The visa fee for Egypt must be paid in exact change.

Many visitors, even those who qualify for visas on arrival, still opt to get their Egypt travel documents in advance. This is because all nationals qualified for the VOA are also able to apply online for an Egypt visa, and the online application process provides better security because you are aware that your visa has been accepted before you ever submit it.

How to Apply for an Egypt Visa Online (e-Visa)

An Egypt e-Visa must be requested at least seven days before your intended departure. You must apply through this website, which operates under the Egyptian Ministry of Interior.

• Create an account. You will receive a confirmation code at your email address.
• Enter the traveling information (visa type, arrival and departure dates, etc)
• Attach the scanned copy of your passport
• Pay the Egypt eVisa fee through a credit or debit card
• Wait for the visa to be processed

If your Egypt eVisa application is accepted, you will be sent an electronic visa that you must print out and present at the Egyptian entry point.

Additionally, you must bring the following items with you when visiting Egypt:

• Your passport, which is valid for at least six more months
• The printed Egypt e-Visa
• A travel itinerary
• Hotel reservation or a tour agenda, if you’re traveling as a tourist
• A letter of invitation from a host or company/organization in Egypt (if applicable)

How to Apply for an Egypt Visa at an Embassy or Consulate

Anyone who needs an Egypt visa but isn’t exempt from them or qualifies for Egypt Visa On Arrival or Online must apply through an Egyptian embassy or consulate in their nation or a nearby one.

Depending on which country’s embassy or consulate you applied for a visa at, the specific application varies. However, the following summarizes the procedure for applying for an Egypt visa:

• Contact the Egyptian embassy or consulate to set up an appointment
• Complete the Egypt Visa Application Form. You can get the application form at the embassy/consulate offices
• Gather the required documents
• Pay the Egypt visa fee*
• Submit the documents and application at the Egyptian embassy/consulate. Check with them regarding the submission process, since some offices require you to submit the documents in person, whereas others also allow submissions through the mail.
• Wait for the visa to be processed
• Pick up your passport (or have it mailed back to you) with the visa affixed, if the application is approved.

You might need to pay the visa cost in advance by bank transfer or in cash at the real visa counter at the embassy or consulate. For details on the particular visa fee requirements, check with the Egyptian embassy or consulate.
If they deem it necessary, the consulate or embassy may also demand an interview.

Note: If you are from a nation that does not require a visa or if you qualify for an e-Visa or VOA and want to stay in Egypt for an extended period, you must also apply for your visa to Egypt at an Egyptian embassy or consulate.

Egypt Visa Requirements

You require a number of supporting documents when applying for a visa to Egypt, including:

• The Egypt Visa application form (two copies)
• Two passport-size pictures of yourself (2inch x 2inch, white background, taken recently)
• Your passport, valid for at least six more months from the date of entry in Egypt and with at least two blank pages
• Two photocopies of the personal information page of your passport
• If you are not a citizen of the country from which you’re applying: Your residence permit or other proof of legal residence
• Proof of a return or onward travel ticket
• Proof of accommodation in Egypt
• If you’re traveling for business: A Letter of Invitation from the company which is hosting you
• Proof of payment of the visa fee
• If you apply by mail, also include a self-addressed and prepaid envelope so that the Egyptian embassy/consulate can return your passport and documents

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of the documents you might need to submit with your Egypt visa application. The specific documents needed will vary depending on your trip itinerary and the embassy or consulate where you apply.

Visa Processing Time For Egypt

Depending on how you apply, the processing time for an Egypt visa varies. When you apply for a Visa On Arrival, you will find out if you were approved or not there and then.

It is advised to apply at least seven days before your intended trip because the Egypt e-Visa takes about seven days to process.

If you apply by mail, also take into consideration the time it will need for the documents to be mailed back and forth.

Duration of an Egypt Visa

The duration of an Egypt visa depends on the number of entries it allows. As such:

• Egypt Visa On Arrival and e-Visa are valid for 90 days from the date of issue. They’re valid for one single entry and allow you to remain in Egypt for a maximum of 30 days.
• Single-entry Egypt tourist visas are valid for 6 months and allow you to stay in Egypt for a maximum of 60 days
• Multiple-entry Egypt tourist visas are valid for 6 months and allow you to stay in Egypt for a maximum of 90 collective days

Can you extend an Egypt Tourist Visa?

You may be able to extend an Egypt tourist visa (short-term visa) for an additional 90 days at the Egypt Passport and Immigration Administration.  You need a copy of your passport, your Egypt visa, and enough money to pay for the processing fee.

Do I need an Egypt Transit Visa?

Whether you need an Egypt Transit visa depends on the duration of your transit. As such:

• If your transit is less than six hours: You do not need a transit visa, but you are not allowed to leave the airport
• If your transit is 6 – 48 hours, you may leave the airport and visit the surrounding areas. You must show your valid passport and proof of onward travel.
• If your transit will be longer than 48 hours, you have to get the relevant visa

How to Submit an Egypt Visa Application from the UK

You may apply online or obtain an Egypt visa upon arrival if you are a citizen of the UK. If you apply through one of Egypt’s consulates in the UK, you can also obtain an Egypt visa.

This website allows you to submit an online application at least seven days before your intended trip. If you choose to obtain an Egypt visa on arrival, you will need to stand in line before passing through immigration at one of the visa-issuing counters located at the Egyptian airport.

You must apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate if you intend to visit Egypt for an extended period.

An explanation of how to apply for an Egypt e-Visa or Visa On Arrival is provided above.

Egypt Visa fees

For the eVisa and Visa On Arrival, which are issued for tourism purposes, the fees are as follows:

• Single-entry visa: 25$
• Multiple-entry visa: 60$

I believe this page has fed you richly on how to go about applying for an Egypt visa. You can start right away with planning your first or next trip to the beautiful and ancient city of Egypt today!