How to Apply for an Egypt Tourist Visa

People who are wishing to travel to Egypt must get a tourist visa unless they are from countries eligible for visa-free entry to Egypt. At present, there are three ways to get a tourist visa for Egypt: 1. Apply for an e-tourist visa through online application; 2. Apply for a tourist visa on arrival; and 3. Apply in person at the Egyptian embassy or consulate for a normal tourist visa. However, the e-tourist visa and visa on arrival are only available for citizens coming from dozens of designated countries.

What are the requirements for Egypt Tourist Visa?

The required documents for e-tourist visa include:

1. A scanned copy of your passport, which should have a remaining validity of at least 6 months.
2. A fully and truthfully completed online application form (Click to see the screenshots of the sample form).
3. An up-to-date email address used for all correspondence with the visa-issuing authority of Egypt.
4. A credit card or debit carded used for paying the visa fee online.

The required documents for Egypt tourist visa on arrival include:

1. The original copy of your passport which is valid for not less than 6 months from the date of arrival and has at least one blank page.
2. If you are from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy or Portugal, you may use your national ID card to enter Egypt without the passport. In this case, you also need to submit a passport style photo.
3. USD cash to pay for the visa. It’s advised to take the exact amount of money to save troubles in making change at the border control points.

The required documents for normal Egypt tourist visa:

1. The original copy of your passport, which is valid for no less than 6 months and has at least one empty page.
2. Two photocopies of the data page on your passport.
3. Two recently-taken color passport style photos against white background.
4. A completed visa application form. (Click to see the sample of Egypt Visa Application Form).
5. Proof of travel arrangements, such as round-trip tickets, travel itinerary, and hotel reservation.
6. Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate for applicants arrive from a yellow fever risk area or transiting in the area for a layover of more than 12 hours.

Read More: Egypt Visa Application Requirements – Passport, Form & Others to Prepare

How to Apply for an Egypt Tourist Visa

Apply for an e-tourist visa Egypt:

1. Check whether your country is on the list of the 46 countries eligible for Egypt e-visa. If yes, then proceed to the next step.
2. On Visa2Egypt, the official website for handing Egypt e-visa services, create your own account and start the application.
3. Complete the online application form step by step and upload your passport copy during the process.
4. Make the online payment using your credit card or debit card.
5. Wait for the visa approval result and check your email box. The fastest processing may take only a few minutes. If your visa application has been approved, you will receive an email with the attachment of your electronic visa.
6. Download the e-visa and print it.
7. Show it to the immigration officer while entering the country.

Apply for an Egypt travel visa on arrival:

1. Check whether your country is on the list of the countries eligible for Egypt visa on arrival. If yes, proceed to the next step.
2. Prepare the required documents including passport and USD cash.
3. Upon arrival in Egypt, find the VOA office at the entry border.
4. Submit your passport to the officer and get a visa sticker.
5. Get back your passport and pay the visa fee in USD cash.

Apply for a normal visa at the overseas Egyptian embassy or consulate:

1. Complete the application form and gather all required documents.
2. Go to the embassy or consulate to submit the application. Some embassies or consulates may offer postal service. In this case, you can submit the application via mail.
3. Wait for your visa to be processed.
4. Go to the embassy or consulate to pick up your visa and pay the fee.

Read More: Egypt Visa Application - 7 Steps

How Much Does a Tourist Visa for Egypt Cost?

Costs of e-tourist visa & tourist visa on arrival:

The costs for Egypt e-tourist visa and tourist visa on arrival are the same. If you apply for a single-entry visa, the cost is USD 25. If you apply for a multiple-entry visa, the cost is USD 60. The difference is that if you apply for the e-tourist visa, you may need to cost a little extra for bank transaction services. In addition, you may encounter a number of unofficial websites also engaged in Egypt e-visa services. If you choose to use their services, you need to pay the service fee.

Normal Egypt tourist visa cost:

The fee varies in accordance with the applicant’s nationality, where he or she does the application, and the number of entries the applicant want to get. For US citizens applying in their home country, both the single-entry tourist visa and multiple-entry tourist visa cost 15 US dollars. UK citizens need to pay 20 sterling pounds for a single-entry tourist visa and 32 sterling pounds for a multiple-entry tourist visa if applying from the United Kingdom.

See More: Egypt Visa Fees

How Long Does It Take for the Application?

An Egypt tourist visa on arrival only takes a few minutes to process. If there is a long queue, you may need to spend up to an hour. The processing of an Egypt e-tourist visa takes from a few minutes to five working days. Generally speaking, it takes five to ten working days to process a normal tourist visa application. However, it may take six to eight weeks for nationals from some countries who are required to obtain a pre-approval.

How Far in Advance Do I Apply for an Egypt Tourist Visa?

Needless to say, you know that you don’t need to apply in advance for an Egypt tourist visa on arrival. If you plan to get an e-tourist visa, you have to apply for it at least seven days before your intended travel date. If applying for a normal tourist visa for Egypt, it’s advised to do the application one or two months before your departure.

How Long Is an Egypt Tourist Visa Valid for?

Most Egypt tourist visas on arrival are of only a single entry and valid for a 30-day stay. An e-tourist visa is valid for three months, while you can stay for at most 30 days in Egypt if your visa has a single entry. If you hold a multiple-entry e-tourist visa, you can stay up to 30 days after each entry during the visa’s validity period. A normal single-entry tourist visa obtained through the embassy or consulate has the validity of three months and allows 30 days of stay in common situations.

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