Who doesn't want to see one of the wonders of the world? Pyramids of Giza are only one of the must see historical attractions in Egypt. This country is full of magnificent historical places and definitely worth to visit at least once in a lifetime.
The Capital City of Egypt, Cairo is possible to reach from most of the main cities all over the world by flight connection.
Before your visit, here are information about how to enter this amazing country full of contrasts.
To visit Arab republic of Egypt most of the nationalities are obligated to buy an ENTRY Visa. There are two options to do it.
VISA on Arrival
You can by visa after arrival directly on the airport, Visa on arrival, but most notably, the need to wait in queues at Egyptian border entry points.
Egypt eVISA
Other, more comfortable option is to apply on Egypt eVisa, trough official Visa portal.
Egypt allows 74 nationalities to obtain tourist visas electronically. Check if your nationality is one of them.
The Egypt eVisa allows citizens from eligible countries to enter Egypt for tourism. Travelers can apply for the electronic visa in minutes by completing the online application form.
Information about eVisa for Egypt
To apply for a single or multiple-entry Egypt eVisa, applicants need to complete the online visa application form and pay a fee using a credit or debit card. Applicants should apply at least 7 days before their trip.
Approved Egypt eVisas are sent to applicants by email once they have been processed. Travelers need to print a copy of their eVisa to present at the Egyptian border to gain entry into the country.
How do I Get a Visa for Egypt?(Requirements)
Applicants need to meet all the visa requirements to be eligible for the official electronic visa for Egypt.
Passport with at least 6 months remaining which has been issued by one of the eligible countries.
Be a citizen of an eligible country
It is also necessary to have a credit or debit card to pay the fee
active email account to receive the eVisa.
Provide the address of a hotel or destination of their stay in Egypt
Pay a processing fee
Fill in the online application form with personal information ( name and date of birth), passport details (including the number and expiry date), and their travel plans ( flight details).
(Link to apply for e-Visa is at the end of the text)
VISA and validity
Visa on arrival or the Egypt eVisa can be as:
Single-entry visa permits one entry and allows visitors to stay in Egypt for a maximum of 30 days.
Multiple-entry visa. This is useful for any travelers who need to leave and reenter Egypt. The multiple-entry visa offers numerous entries into Egypt over a period of 180 days as long as the total number of days spent in every entry does not exceed 30.
Type of VISA and cost
Single-entry visa are 25$
Multiple - entry visa are 60 $
How Long is an Egyptian Tourist Visa Valid For?
An Egyptian tourist visa is valid for 3 months from the date of issue. If it is not used before this time period elapses it will expire and you need to apply for another eVisa.
If traveling to Egypt within this 3-month window, the visa will be valid for a further 30 days within the country from the date of entry. However, in the case of the multiple-entry tourist visa, the stays can be of up to 30 days and can be used over a period of 6 months from an initial entry.
Renewing tourist VISA
If you’re planning on staying in Egypt for more than a month, you have to renew your Egypt tourist visa in person. Previously, this was at the Mogamma building, but it is now at the Egypt Passport and Immigration Administration. Also, previously, you got a visa; you now get a “Foreign Residence Card”, a plastic ID card with your address, photo, and date of birth.
Required
Go in the morning, early in the week (Monday/Tuesday). Plan to arrive at 8 am (or earlier).
Your Passport. If you have more than one, the one with the visa in it.
A face mask. Please consider protecting others and yourself in a busy area.
Copy of your e-Visa if you got one (lost it? Take the file on a USB stick to print there)
The address of where you’re staying in Arabic.
Cash of 1175 LE per person (see Egypt Tourist Visa costs below) OR a debit card to use with the ATM
On credit cards: Some visa cards are accepted (e.g. Egyptian ones), but many foreign ones are not accepted (e.g. our US JP Morgan Chase or Australian Commonwealth Bank cards). Cash is much more reliable.
Pen
Patience!
Optional but recommended
A lease agreement or long-term residency contract. A booking confirmation is sometimes accepted. Get it in Arabic if possible (e.g. translate the page, or set the website to Arabic). The address must be in Arabic.
Food & water — There are some long breaks! You can also buy snacks and drinks from vendors, or of course go out for food.
Debit card — in case you need more cash. In theory, you can use credit cards, but the machine rarely works.
If you can ahead of time —
Passport photos (you only need one, but may as well have backup)
2 x Photocopies of your passport main page and all Egypt visa pages. There are copy shops around the city that can do it (cheaply), and hotels can too (more expensive)
2 printouts / copies of your e-visa if you have one.
Costs for Egypt Tourist Visa Renewal
It was very hard to find the costs for Egypt renewed visas on the Internet, and we only found out in person. We rely on people on the ground telling us for updates.
The renewed Egypt visa costs 1175 LE (~$70) per person (valid as of Aug 2019) + another fee of 775 LE on collection.
The price is independent of how long you request the visa for (3 months, 6 months, 12 months).
(Optional) The re-entry visa cost is 815 LE
Overstaying of Visa
So everyone can overstay their visa for 2 weeks and there’s no need to go to the Passport and Immigration office for 2-week visa extensions.”
Multiple other people have confirmed you can overstay for 15 days and not be fined.
As at November 2019, the fine for overstaying an Egypt tourist visa up to 3 months is 1515 EGP (including 15 LE for some stamps). You pay a police officer at the airport.
This fine has been constant since early 2019.
If you overstay your visa in Egypt for a few days: the police at the airport are likely to not care (but will give you a tsk tsk, and may still fine you)
If you overstay your visa in Egypt for up to 3 months, it will cost you 1515 EGP (inc. 15 LE for some stamps) — this is valid at November 2019. But it will only take you two minutes to pay the fine.
If you overstay more than three months, you can be liable for a multiple of 1515 EGP. It is at the discretion of the officer to enforce it.