Do You Need a Visa for Egypt? (2026)

Egypt's entry rules sound complicated and are mostly not. For the great majority of travellers it comes down to a five-minute online form or a stamp at the airport — plus a couple of details, and a couple of traps, worth knowing before you book.

The short answer

Most visitors need a tourist visa. Two easy routes:

• e-Visa (recommended). Apply online before you fly through the official government portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg. It's about US$25 single-entry or US$60 multiple-entry, each granting a stay of up to 30 days, and approval usually arrives by email within a few business days. Apply at least a week ahead.
• Visa on arrival (VOA). Available to many nationalities at major airports (Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm, Luxor). The fee rose to US$30 in early 2026, paid in cash — US dollars are simplest, and you buy the sticker from a bank kiosk before the immigration desk.

The e-Visa is the smoother choice: it's settled before you travel and skips a post-flight queue.

The Sinai exemption (a useful loophole)

If you're flying only to a South Sinai resort — Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba — for up to 15 days and staying in that area, you can usually enter on a free "Sinai-only" entry permit stamped on arrival, no visa needed. The catch: it does not let you travel to the Nile Valley, the pyramids or Cairo. If you plan any side trip beyond Sinai (even a day tour to the pyramids or Luxor), get a full visa instead.

Who is exempt — and the scam to avoid

A handful of nationalities can enter visa-free for short stays; others have special rules — so check your own passport's requirements against official sources. And beware the biggest trap: search results are crowded with unofficial "visa agent" sites that charge two to four times the real price for the same e-Visa. Apply only at visa2egypt.gov.eg. If a site wants far more than the figures above, it isn't the official one.

Practical checklist

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, with a blank page.
• A printed copy of your e-Visa approval (don't rely on phone signal at immigration).
• A little US-dollar cash as backup for any on-arrival fee.
• Overstaying carries fines, so note your 30-day window.

For the bigger planning picture — timing, safety, budget — see the Egypt Travel Guide 2026, and plan your route on the interactive map.