Egypt Visa on Arrival - 5 Things You Need to Know

The Egypt visa on arrival provides an easy way to enter and travel in Egypt. By doing so, tourists do not need to deal with visa application prior to departure and can travel to Egypt at any time they want. However, it only covers about 46 countries currently, including all European Union member states, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States. Tourists are often advised to get it at international airports in the country pay showing a valid passport and paying a fee of about USD 25. In most cases, this visa on arrival allows a maximum stay of 30 days. For more information, please read the 5 things you need to know on Egypt VOA.

1. Can I get a visa on arrival for Egypt?

At present, there are altogether 46 countries whose citizens can get a visa on arrival for Egypt, including:

All European Union member states, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Norway, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States.

Besides, citizens from other countries may also be eligible for getting an Egyptian visa on arrival provided that they meet the requirements:

1. Citizens from Sudan holding a residence permit of Australia, USA, Canada, or a member state of EU.
2. Foreign citizens having a residence permit of a member state of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Note that the residence permit should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry.

2. Where can I get the Egypt visa on arrival?

You can apply for an Egypt visa on arrival at the international airports and land borders. However, travelers are not advised to use land borders or checkpoints, because there is less up-to-date information regarding the opening status of border crossings and checkpoints. According to the locals, some of them may close down at any moment. Therefore, international airports are a better choice to guarantee a more secure entry. Cairo Airport and Hurghada Airport are the top two popular options by tourists. After landing at the airport, you can go to the visa on arrival window within the airport arrival hall before queueing for immigration.

3. How do I apply for the Egypt visa on arrival?

1) Find and queue in front of the visa on arrival window.
2) Submit your passport to the officer, who will then place a visa sticker on a blank page of your passport
3) Get back your passport and pay the fee.

In order to get the Egypt visa on arrival, tourists should ensure that:
1. Their passports are valid for more than 6 months and have no less than two blank pages.
2. Citizens from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal can enter with a national ID card instead of passports. Under such conditions, they also need to submit a passport size photo.

4. How much does an Egypt visa on arrival cost?

Most tourists can get a single-entry visa on arrival for Egypt at the cost of USD 25. Some may get a multiple-entry visa by paying USD 60. According to the government website of the United Kingdom, the fee is payable in pounds sterling, US dollars, and euros. However, based on the feedback of some travelers, only USD cash is accepted. Debit card and credit card are not accepted. In addition, it’s highly recommended to prepare the exact amount of money to save trouble. In some points of entry, you may find currency exchange desks, but the exchange rate are mostly not favorable, and they are not surely open at the time of your arrival.

5. Getting an Egypt E-Visa is a better option than visa on arrival.

Actually, though many tourists would prefer to get a visa on arrival, it’s not a good option. You may have to line up in a queue for up to an hour in front of the visa on arrival window, it will be tiring and timewasting, especially if you have just ended a long flight. What’s more, you have to prepare USD cash in advance and still risk being denied of your entry. Furthermore, there are agents in the airport which may cheat with the visa on arrival. They may harass you and offer to get you the visa on arrival at a high price. Therefore, it’s better to apply for an Egypt e-visa in advance.