Entry visa to Egypt: who needs one, what it costs and how to get it

Who needs a visa for Egypt?

The official e-visa portal lists 78 countries whose citizens can apply online, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. The UK government says British passport holders “normally need a visa”. The Government of Canada says a tourist visa is required for Canadians.

Rules depend on your passport, so the portal and your nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate are the final word. None of the official pages we opened lists nationalities that are exempt from a visa altogether, so if your passport is not from the UK or Canada, ask the embassy before you book.

The tourism board site Experience Egypt, checked on 29 October 2026, adds a wider rule: over 180 nationalities can get a tourist visa on arrival if they hold a valid, used visa for the US, the UK, the Schengen Area, Japan, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The same page repeats that 78 nationalities can use the e-visa portal. It quotes $30 for the arrival visa in one section and $25 in its FAQ, so we use the UK government and portal figures instead.

What does the Egypt e-visa cost?

On 28 October 2026 the official portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) listed a tourism e-visa at $30 for a single entry and $65 for multiple entries. You pay by credit or debit card on the website.

The UK government says tourist e-visas are valid for up to 3 months. The portal pages we opened do not state the validity or the length of stay, so check both on your confirmation email. The Egyptian consulate in the UK also announced on its website that its visa and consular fees rose by £5 from 1 March 2026. Always read the figure on the portal on the day you apply.

How much is the visa on arrival?

The UK government page, checked on 28 October 2026, gives $30 for a visa on arrival at approved airport kiosks, valid for up to 30 days. It must be paid in cash, in US dollars. The Government of Canada also says Canadians can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival and that it is paid in cash, in US dollars only.

The UK page also lists a digital visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport from 1 August 2026. It costs $36, which includes a $6 digital service fee, and is paid by card at self-service machines or through the Visa on Arrival portal.

You do not need an agent. The UK page warns that agents often charge more than the official $30 fee.

Which visa option fits my trip?

A multiple-entry visa only matters if you plan to leave Egypt and come back during the validity period, for example on a side trip abroad. The pages we opened do not say how a single-entry visa applies to travel inside Egypt, so confirm that on the portal if your plans are complicated.

What are the passport rules?

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date. The e-visa portal states this, and both the UK and Canadian governments repeat it. The UK page adds that you need at least one blank page.

If your passport is close to the limit, renew it before you book flights. The UK page says entry is denied without a valid travel document.

How do I apply for the e-visa, step by step?

1. Go to the official portal at visa2egypt.gov.eg and create an account with your email address.
2. Sign in and start a new application.
3. Fill in the form and pay by card. The portal says to apply at least 7 days before departure.
4. Wait for processing. You receive an email with the status of your application.

Use the official address only. The UK page notes that you do not need an agent to get a visa.

Is there a visa-free option for Sinai resorts?

Yes, for a short stay in the Sinai resorts. The UK government describes a free entry permission stamp for travellers arriving by air at Sharm El-Sheikh who stay under 15 days in Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba. The Government of Canada says travellers entering at the Taba land border and staying within the Sinai Peninsula may get a 14-day visa-free entry stamp.

This stamp does not cover Cairo, Luxor or Aswan. If you plan to leave the resort area, you need a full visa. The UK page gives border costs for Taba that differ by route, so read it before you cross by land.

What changes at the Taba land border?

Costs differ at the land crossings, and the UK page notes that all payments at Taba are cash and that the ATMs there are unreliable. For travellers arriving from Israel, it lists a $20 border tax for Taba only, and $120 for travel beyond Taba within Sinai or beyond Sinai, plus a $30 visa. For Jordan ferry arrivals at Taba Heights or Nuweiba, it lists $35 and $30 visas respectively for stays beyond 15 days in Sinai or travel beyond it, and says ferry payments are often cash only.

These border fees are separate from the tourist visa fee and are set by the authorities, so confirm them on the UK page or with the Egyptian consulate before you cross.

Can I extend a visa once I am in Egypt?

The UK government says visa extensions are made at Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices. It also says a fine may apply if your visa has expired by more than 14 days. Do not rely on an extension to cover a plan you can already see. Pick the visa type that matches the length of your trip.

What do you show at the airport?

Carry paper copies of everything, even if you hold an e-visa on your phone. The portal’s FAQ, checked on 29 October 2026, lists a printed e-visa, a travel itinerary and a supporting letter. For tourists it asks for hotel bookings or details of the places you plan to visit. Passport authorities at arrival ports can check the e-visa in their system, and the portal warns that they may refuse entry without giving a reason.

Keep the same papers within reach after you land. GOV.UK says police check ID often and that you can be detained if you cannot show your passport and visa, although a digital or paper copy is accepted. Photocopies of your passport, visa and flight ticket, kept apart from the originals, also make a replacement passport easier to arrange if the original is lost or stolen.

What can you carry through customs?

Most holiday luggage passes without comment, but a few items are controlled. Canada advises listing expensive electronics for personal use by model and serial number, because they may be checked on arrival and on departure. It also says satellite phones, radios, large video cameras and certain binoculars can be confiscated unless you obtained approval first.

Drones need special care. GOV.UK says importing or using a drone requires prior permission from the Egyptian Ministry of Defence, and that unauthorised use or import can bring up to 7 years in prison or a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 Egyptian pounds. Canada says drones are strictly prohibited. Experience Egypt asks visitors to declare professional cameras and drones at the airport. If a drone is part of your plan, leave it at home unless you hold written approval.

Souvenirs matter on the way out. Buy from shops that give a receipt, and ask what paperwork an item needs before you pay. Replicas are the simple choice for statues and papyrus-style gifts.

How much cash can you bring in?

You may bring up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds into or out of Egypt, according to GOV.UK and Canada. Foreign currency has no cap, but GOV.UK says amounts above 10,000 US dollars must be declared on arrival, and Canada words it as 10,000 US dollars or more. If you carry the visa-on-arrival fee in cash, that sum is far below the limit. Declare anything near it, and keep the form.

Can you bring your own medicines?

Often yes, but some everyday medicines are controlled. GOV.UK says certain prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are controlled substances in Egypt, that you may need permission from the Ministry of Health before you arrive, and that you should carry a letter from your doctor stating your condition, the amount you carry and that it is for personal use. Canada adds that narcotic and psychotropic medicines are seized even with a prescription, and that other medicines should stay in their original packaging with the prescription, in a quantity of no more than three months. Write to the Egyptian consulate in your country well before you fly if your medicine is on a controlled list.

Do you need a yellow fever certificate?

Only in one case. The CDC says the vaccine is not recommended for Egypt and not required if you travel directly from the United States. It is required for travellers aged 9 months and older arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, including after a layover of more than 12 hours in such a country. Canada states the same rule for people who arrive from, or transit through an airport in, an affected country. Check your connecting airports before you book.

What mistakes cause visa trouble?

• Arriving at a kiosk with only a card. The $30 visa on arrival is cash in US dollars, so keep clean notes in your wallet.
• Treating the Sinai resort stamp as a full visa. It does not cover a flight to Cairo or Luxor.
• Booking the return flight after the visa runs out. The kiosk visa lasts up to 30 days, not the three months of the e-visa.
• Typing a name or passport number that differs from the passport. Match the passport page exactly before you pay.
• Planning to fix an overstay at the airport. Experience Egypt says a few days over may bring a fine, and that an overstay of more than a month means paying the fine before boarding. GOV.UK mentions a fine when the visa has expired by more than 14 days.

Are there special cases for children and dual nationals?

A few. Canada says a child born in Egypt to a Canadian parent needs a data stamp in the Canadian passport before leaving, obtained from Egyptian Immigration with the birth certificate and passport. GOV.UK says British citizens who are dual nationals must carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when they return to the UK. Neither page gives a separate visa rule for children travelling on their own passport, so confirm that with the consulate.

What should I do before I fly?

Check three things a few days before departure: the fee on the official portal, your passport expiry date, and any new entry or exit measures on your government’s travel page. The Canadian advisory we read on 28 October 2026 said its latest update concerned entry and exit requirements.

If you are planning a longer trip, our trip planning page is the place to ask about timing. For months to arrive, see when to visit Egypt.