Most nationalities can get an Egypt e-visa online before arrival, or a visa on arrival at major airports. Requirements vary by passport, so confirm current rules before you book flights — a handful of nationalities need a visa arranged through an embassy in advance, and rules do shift periodically, so treat any guide, including this one, as a starting point rather than the final word.
Applied for online through Egypt’s official e-visa portal, typically processed within a few business days. This is the recommended route for most travelers — it locks in your entry before you fly, rather than leaving it to an airport queue. You’ll need a passport photo, passport scan, and a valid payment card to complete the application, and it’s worth double-checking you’re using the official government portal rather than a third-party site charging extra service fees.
Available at Cairo and several other major airports for many nationalities, paid in cash (USD, EUR, or GBP) at a kiosk before passport control. Convenient, but subject to queues and cash-only payment — the e-visa avoids both, particularly useful if you’re arriving on a red-eye flight and want to skip an extra line while tired.
The e-visa locks in your entry before you fly, rather than leaving it to an airport queue.
Standard tourist visas are typically valid for 30 days from entry, single or multiple entry depending on the type purchased. Multiple-entry visas are worth considering if your trip includes a side excursion to Jordan or another neighboring country and you plan to re-enter Egypt afterward. Extensions are possible through Egypt’s immigration authorities if your trip runs longer than planned, typically handled at a local passport office rather than at the airport.
Visa rules can differ slightly for travelers entering by land (such as via Taba from Israel) or sea rather than by air — the Sinai-only entry permit available at some land crossings is a simplified alternative worth knowing about if your trip stays entirely within the Sinai Peninsula.
Apply for your e-visa at least a week before departure to avoid last-minute stress, though processing is often faster than the stated window. Keep a printed or downloaded copy of your confirmation — airlines sometimes check it before boarding, separate from Egyptian immigration itself, and a saved PDF on your phone isn’t always a reliable backup if you lose signal or battery at check-in.
Applying through unofficial third-party websites that charge inflated fees is the most common visa-related complaint from travelers — the official portal is straightforward enough that a middleman rarely adds real value. Double-check your passport’s expiration date meets Egypt’s minimum validity requirement (typically six months beyond your travel dates) before applying, since this is a common and entirely avoidable rejection reason.
