Choose the visa that fits your trip. Fully online process, real-time tracking.
Since December 2017, Egypt has issued an electronic visa — the e-Visa — valid for all entry points in the country, whether by air, sea or land. The entire process takes place online: no postal mail, no visit to a consulate. The traveller receives an official PDF document by email, which must be printed in colour and presented upon arrival. Reserved for tourist stays, this e-Visa allows a maximum stay of 30 days. With 78 eligible nationalities — including French, Belgian and Swiss citizens — the Egypt e-Visa is today the preferred entry route to discover the land of the pharaohs.
01 · Key facts
Since December 2017, the entire process is done over the internet — no postal mail, no visit to a consulate.
The e-Visa is open to 78 nationalities, including French, Belgian and Swiss citizens.
The official form is demanding: mandatory account creation and a specific format required for copies of identity documents.
The Egypt e-Visa is a fully-fledged electronic visa — not to be confused with a simple travel authorisation or transit permit. It grants access to Egyptian territory for tourist stays and is recognised at all immigration checkpoints: international airports, maritime ports and land borders.
Once your application has been accepted by the Egyptian authorities, you receive an official PDF document by email containing your entry authorisation. It is strongly recommended to print this document in colour and keep it with your identity document to present upon arrival. The 30-day authorised stay starts from your entry into the country, not from the date the document was issued. Do not confuse this with the validity period of the e-Visa — the time you have to reach the border after it is issued —, which is longer for the multiple-entry option than for single entry.
The e-Visa system has been operational since December 2017. It has progressively replaced the visa on arrival as the preferred solution for travellers of eligible nationalities, offering far greater administrative security: your authorisation is verified even before you depart.
02 · Eligibility
The Egypt e-Visa is open to 78 nationalities, including French, Belgian, Swiss, Canadian and American citizens. The main requirement: the trip must be for strictly tourist purposes. For any other reason — business, study, work — a traditional consular visa remains necessary.
Regardless of your type of entry into the country (by plane, ship or land), the e-Visa is recognised: all Egyptian immigration crossing points — air, sea and land — are eligible, and you state your intended port of entry when you apply. It is the visa on arrival that is restricted: it is issued only at international airports, not at every land border post or seaport. So for an overland arrival (Taba from Israel, Wadi Halfa from Sudan) as much as for a cruise, applying online before departure remains the safest option.
If your nationality is not eligible for the e-Visa, or if your stay exceeds 30 days, contact the Egyptian consular authorities to find out the procedures applicable to your situation.
Valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry into Egyptian territory.
Available to Germans, Belgians, French, Italians and Portuguese, and only for a visa issued on arrival: the online e-Visa itself requires a passport. Two passport-style photos must be presented to the authorities on arrival.
The e-Visa does not cover professional stays, studies or work.
Duration cannot be extended. Neither an extension nor conversion to a traditional visa is possible via the e-Visa.
The online e-Visa application requires a passport: the official form asks for a passport number and does not accept a national identity card. Germans, Belgians, French, Italians and Portuguese can nonetheless enter with their national identity card, but only through a visa issued on arrival (not the e-Visa). The card must be valid for at least 6 months after the planned return date, and two passport-style photos must be handed to the authorities on arrival.
A visa obtained with an ID card is valid for 30 days and cannot be extended: no on-site extension is possible. For the flexibility of an application checked before departure, the e-Visa with a passport remains the safest option.
Stay limited to the Sinai / Red Sea resorts? Travellers whose itinerary is limited to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba can receive a free "Sinai only" entry permit valid for roughly 14 to 15 days. Note: this permit does not cover Cairo, Luxor or a Nile cruise. To visit the rest of the country, a full tourist visa (e-Visa with a passport or visa on arrival) is required.
For applications made with a passport, the required validity period is at least 6 months from the date of entry into the territory.
03 · The procedure
The Egypt e-Visa application process is entirely paperless. Before starting your application, have your travel dates, your identity document (passport or national ID card depending on the case) and an accommodation address in Egypt ready — a hotel booking or a confirmed accommodation address is required by the Egyptian authorities.
One particular point to watch: the application form requires a specific format for copies of identity documents. An incorrectly formatted copy may result in rejection. Furthermore, creating an account on the official platform is required before submitting the application.
Prepare your passport (or national ID card for FR, BE, DE, IT, PT) valid under the required conditions, your precise travel dates and a confirmed accommodation address in Egypt (hotel booking, Airbnb, address of a relative).
Select the single-entry e-Visa (one border crossing only) or the multiple-entry e-Visa (several border crossings possible during the validity period). Both options allow a stay of 30 days per entry.
Enter your personal details, your travel dates and the data from your identity document. Attach a digital copy of your document in the format required by the Egyptian authorities (specific format and resolution).
Once the application has been submitted, the Egyptian authorities process the file. Processing can take up to 7 days depending on the workload of the services. It is therefore advisable to submit your application at least 7 days before your planned arrival.
Your entry authorisation is sent to you by email as a PDF document. Print it in colour and keep it with your identity document to present upon arrival in Egypt.
04 · Fees and processing times
Consular fees for the Egypt e-Visa are set by the Egyptian authorities. They amount to 30 USD €25.81 for single entry and 65 USD €55.92 for multiple entries per traveller. These amounts correspond to consular fees only; service fees may be added depending on the channel chosen for the application.
As for processing times, the Egyptian authorities can take up to 7 days. In most cases, the response comes before this limit, but it is strongly recommended not to leave it to the last minute. Ideally, submit your application at least one week before your departure.
In the event of a refusal by the Egyptian authorities, all fees incurred for the e-Visa application process are fully refunded.
The 30-day authorised stay starts on the day you actually enter Egyptian territory, not on the date the e-Visa was issued. If you have lost your e-Visa before your departure, a copy can be sent to you by email on request, provided the application was submitted digitally.
05 · FAQ & special situations
Several special situations deserve clarification before submitting your Egypt e-Visa application.
The e-Visa is valid for all entry points, including maritime ports. Cruise passengers must therefore have one before their arrival.
The e-Visa is required for every person wishing to enter Egyptian territory, regardless of age, including children under 12.
If you dive with an accredited diving centre, a separate diving permit may be required by the Egyptian authorities, in addition to or instead of the tourist e-Visa.
A passport bearing an entry stamp or proof of travel to Israel may complicate obtaining the e-Visa. The authorities generally authorise entry, but difficulties are possible.
Travellers arriving at Sharm el-Sheikh, Taba or Saint Catherine airports who limit their stay to the resorts of southern Sinai — Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba, plus the Saint Catherine / Mount Sinai area — receive a free « Sinai only » entry stamp on arrival, valid for up to 14 days. No e-Visa is required in this case.
Important limitation: this permit does not allow you to leave the southern Sinai area. To visit the rest of Egypt — Cairo, the Giza pyramids, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada or the mainland Red Sea coast — a full e-Visa or tourist visa is still required. Likewise, a stay of more than 14 days requires a standard e-Visa.
The Egypt e-Visa itself can be neither extended nor converted into a traditional visa: its 30-day duration is firm.
An extension of stay beyond 30 days must be requested locally, from the Egyptian immigration service (the Mogamma'a in Cairo). It is never guaranteed and remains at the discretion of the authorities. Crucially, this procedure is reserved for travellers who entered on a passport — those who entered on a national identity card cannot extend their stay.
If you already know your stay will exceed 30 days, file a traditional visa application with the Egyptian consular authorities before you leave. Do not count on an extension obtained on the spot.
If your e-Visa application is refused, you may try presenting yourself at the visa counter at the arrival airport for an on-arrival application. However, this solution is not guaranteed: the issuance of a visa on arrival may be refused, which could result in your being sent back. The online solution remains by far the safest option.
If your nationality does not appear in the list of 78 nationalities eligible for the e-Visa, contact the Egyptian authorities directly to obtain a traditional consular visa.
06 · Before you leave
Beyond the e-Visa, a trip to Egypt requires a minimum of administrative preparation. Here are the key points to check before your departure, based solely on factual elements from the official e-Visa conditions and standard entry practices.
The official portal opens, valid for every entry point in the country.
In Cairo, the visa on arrival is paid online and issued as a QR code — pilot phase.
Since 1 August 2026, Cairo International Airport has been rolling out a paperless visa on arrival: the sticker bought at the counter gives way to a QR code paid for online by bank card before arrival, on the official portal. The code can be shown from a phone — no printing needed — and is valid for 7 days from the hour it was generated, with no extension possible.
Three points matter. First, the scheme is a pilot in Cairo only: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor and Alexandria still run the old system. Second, the QR code is proof of payment, not an entry authorisation: border police retain the power to allow or refuse entry, with no refund. Third, not every nationality is eligible for the visa on arrival.
The e-Visa applied for online before departure remains the safest route: your authorisation is checked before boarding rather than at the border.
Beyond the printed e-Visa, the authorities may ask for your travel itinerary and hotel booking. Keep these to hand, including offline.
Bringing Egyptian pounds in or out is capped at EGP 5,000. Foreign currency is capped at the equivalent of USD 10,000: beyond that, sums may be confiscated.
Men aged 18 to 30 who hold Egyptian nationality alongside another must regularise their military service status, or risk being refused permission to leave the country.
Egyptian port and airport authorities may refuse entry to an e-Visa holder, without explanation and without refund.
Parts of Egyptian territory are subject to permanent restrictions, whatever your visa:
The « Sinai only » permit covers the south of the peninsula alone: it gives no access to North Sinai, an area advised against. Check your country of residence's travel advice before departure — these classifications change regularly.
The Egypt e-Visa is the simplest, safest and most recommended solution for entering Egypt as a tourist. It is valid at every entry point — air, sea and land — allows a 30-day stay and must be used within 3 months (single entry) or 6 months (multiple entries) of approval.
The process is entirely online, but the form can be lengthy and technical: plan your application in advance, check the required format for your identity documents and always print your authorisation in colour before boarding. The authorities' processing time can reach 7 days — submit your application at least one week before your departure for complete peace of mind.
The visa on arrival remains a fallback, now paperless in Cairo since 1 August 2026 as a QR code paid for online. But it is open only to certain nationalities, does not yet cover the other airports and never guarantees entry: the final decision always rests with the border police.
Safety
The vigilance level recommended by five foreign ministries, on a shared scale.
Average level
Terrorism, crime, health risks and regional tensions; several areas are formally advised against.
US Department of StateAdvice dated July 15, 2025
Increased caution · Egypt - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Global Affairs CanadaAdvice dated September 1, 2026
Increased caution · Egypt — Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)
German Federal Foreign OfficeAdvice dated August 3, 2026
Increased caution · Egypt: Travel and Security Advice
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Advice dated August 4, 2026
Reconsider travel · Egypt travel advice
France DiplomatieAdvice dated June 30, 2026
Increased caution · Egypt: Travel advice
Levels published by the ministries cited, reproduced unchanged. Visamundi is a private agency with no ties to these administrations.
FAQ
