Getting a visa for Egypt is one of the easier parts of planning the trip. All you need to know about the Egyptian Visa!
Getting a visa for Egypt is one of the easier things you will do in the process of planning your trip.
Most nationalities have three options: apply online before you fly, pick it up at the airport on arrival, or in the case of Sinai-only trips, get a free stamp at the desk.
Here is how each one works.
Egypt Visa Overview
Do I Need a Visa for Egypt?
Option 1: The Egypt e-Visa
Option 2: Visa on Arrival
Option 3: The Sinai-Only Stamp
Schengen Visa Holders
Who Enters Visa-Free?
Extending Your Visa
What Happens at the Border
Let's start with the basics.
To enter Egypt as a tourist in 2026 you will need one of the following:
For all options, your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of entry and have at least one blank page free for the stamp or sticker.
Most nationalities do, yes.
The good news is that the process is manageable and for the majority of Western passport holders, it can be handled entirely online or on arrival without a consulate visit.
Citizens of a small number of countries, including Bahrain, Djibouti, Hong Kong and Macau, enter Egypt visa-free.
For everyone else, one of the three options above applies.
The e-Visa is the most straightforward option for anyone with a trip planned in advance. It is applied for online, approved by email, and means you walk straight past the visa queue at the airport.
Apply at visa2egypt.gov.eg. This is the Egyptian Ministry of Interior's official portal, and the only site you should use.
A significant number of copycat sites exist and charge $60 to $120 USD for exactly the same visa. Do not use them.
The process:
Apply at least seven days before travel. The e-Visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue, so there is no point applying months ahead of your trip.
What you need:
If you haven't applied online, visa on arrival is available for citizens of 45+ countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most European nations. You handle it on the day you land.
At Cairo International Airport and most other major entry points, head to the bank counter or visa kiosk before the passport control desks, pay $30 USD in cash (USD, EUR and GBP are all accepted and card payment is generally not accepted), receive a visa sticker, affix it to your passport, and proceed to immigration.
The process takes five to ten minutes, but queues can be long, particularly at Cairo. The e-Visa is the better option if you have a week's notice.
What you need:
If you are flying directly into Sharm El-Sheikh, Taba or Saint Catherine and staying within the South Sinai resort area for 15 days or fewer, you qualify for a free entry stamp on arrival. No application, no fee, no form. Simply tell the immigration officer at the desk you are staying in Sinai. Your passport is scanned, and the stamp is applied digitally.
The whole process takes under two minutes.
The stamp covers Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. It does not cover anywhere else in Egypt. Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada, the Pyramids: none of these are accessible on a Sinai-only stamp. If your plans include anywhere beyond the coastal strip, you need a full e-Visa or visa on arrival before you fly.
If you arrive on a Sinai stamp and decide you want to see the rest of the country, you can upgrade to a full visa at the bank kiosk inside Sharm El-Sheikh Airport or at the local passport offices in the city.
The full visa costs $25 USD.
If you hold a valid Schengen visa issued by Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium or another Schengen member state, you qualify for a free 15-day tourist entry to Egypt.
Present your Schengen visa alongside your passport at immigration.
This applies at Cairo and other major entry points.
Citizens of a small number of countries enter Egypt without any visa at all: Bahrain, Djibouti, Hong Kong and Macau are the main ones.
GCC nationals and Jordanian passport holders also benefit from visa exemptions or simplified arrangements.
If you are not sure whether your nationality qualifies, check the official portal at visa2egypt.gov.eg before assuming you need to apply.
The standard tourist visa gives you 30 days from entry.
Extensions can be arranged through the Egyptian Passport and Immigration Authority office (known as the Mogamma) in Cairo, or through equivalent offices in other major cities.
Apply before your 30-day stamp expires.
Extensions are generally granted for a further 30 days and require your passport, proof of accommodation and a fee paid at the office.
At Cairo International Airport, follow the signs to arrivals, locate the bank counter or e-Visa verification desk before passport control, and have your printed e-Visa or cash for the visa on arrival ready. The immigration officers are accustomed to processing large volumes of tourists and the process is usually efficient, though Cairo can get busy on peak arrival times.
At Sharm El-Sheikh Airport, the Sinai stamp desk is clearly marked at immigration. Tell the officer you are staying in Sinai and the stamp is applied on the spot.
One thing worth knowing: third-party agents inside airports sometimes approach arriving passengers offering to assist with visas. There is no need for this, and their involvement adds cost without adding value. Handle it directly at the official counter.
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