NEED TO KNOW

Picture by talklikeanegyptian.com

"One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are."

 — Edith Whartone

- Your passport must have a minimum of 6 months validity beyond your departure date in order for you to enter Egypt.

- Everyone older than 16 is required to have a passport of their own. A visa is issued per passport. Tourist visa can be required at the nearest Egyptian Embassy or at any major point of entry in Egypt (depending on your nationality). Officially it's recommended that you obtain your visa before you travel but most visitors to Egypt arrive by air and find it easier to buy a tourist visa upon arrival at the airport. (Only for nationals of Western EU, UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all Arab countries.)

- Visa requirements can change without notice so check the latest requirements as far in advance as possible, in order to allow time to obtain a visa in your home country, should that be necessary.

- In Sharm el Sheikh you buy your tourist visa directly in the arrivals hall of the airport, before you go through customs, at the counter of the bank where you can also change money. It takes about 20 minutes and no photo is required.

- A standard single-entry 30-days full tourist visa costs US $ 25,00 for EU citizens (the costs are depending on nationality) and it's a sticker (stamp) which you need to paste in your passport. Only American dollars,  British Pounds or Euros are accepted if you purchase your visa at the airport and change is given in Egyptian Pounds. We recommend to keep exact change (and a pen to fill out the landing card) on hand. This visa is renewable if you choose to stay longer.

Tourists from the EU, EEA or from Great Britain, arriving on a direct flight to Sharm el Sheikh or Taba and depart from the same airport can opt for a FREE SINAI-ONLY visa. This is your entry stamp and it is valid for 14 days, only for the touristic zones at Sharm El- Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba and the area of Saint Katherine around Mount Sinai. 

However, if you plan to go on a diving, desert or mountain safari deeper into the interior or you want to visit the West coast of Sinai or other parts of Egypt, you will need a 30-day tourist visa and if you want to travel to Jordan or Israel and fly back from Egypt you will need a multiple-entry tourist visa.

In advance of your travel you can opt to apply for an electronic visa through the offical governmental website: https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home

Note: Travelers arriving overland at Taba need to obtain their standard 30-days tourist visa before arrival because at the Taba border you can only get the free SINAI ONLY visa.

Tip: Always bring paper printed copies of your passport with you. These are often required for necessary permissions.

- Full travel insurance is strongly recommended. Insh'Allah you have a great time and you won't need it... but if so, you'll need it for replacement of lost luggage and alike, medicine, doctors, hospital, ambulance or even a flight home. This may be refused to you if you are not insured and you have to pay in full yourself, locally.

Note: If you go diving, hiking, climbing, sit on a beach buggy or intend to do other activities, check this is fully covered by your insurance and if a medical certificate is required by the insurance.