We are not the immigration authority. The visa is in your name and at your cost. We confirm the process in your briefing and can point to the official portal; you file the application.
1. Passport
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date you enter Egypt, with two blank pages for stamps. Airlines sometimes refuse boarding if these are not met — it is not a footnote. Check when you book the flight, not the night before.
The name on the visa, the ticket and the hotel file must match the passport, including middle names if the form asks for them. Children need their own document and, in some cases, a parental authorisation.
2. E-visa
Many nationalities (including France, Belgium, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada and most EU countries) can apply for a tourist e-visa on Egypt’s government portal. It is often the simplest path: you skip part of the airport queue.
- Apply with the same details as your passport and ticket.
- Upload a clear scan of the identity page if asked, and a compliant photo.
- Pay the fee online. Keep the approval printed and on your phone — officers still ask for paper.
- Allow several working days; in peak season apply 1–2 weeks before the flight.
A single-entry tourist e-visa usually covers a stay of about 30 days, subject to immigration on arrival. A multiple-entry visa exists for some travellers — useful only if you leave and re-enter during the same trip.
3. Visa on arrival
Well over a hundred nationalities remain eligible for visa on arrival at international airports (Cairo first). Egypt is modernising the process: kiosks, card payment and a QR code are replacing the old sticker counter. Fees, payment method (card or cash in dollars / euros) and the exact kiosk location change — we put the current notes in your departure briefing.
Still bring: hotel or circuit confirmation, return ticket, emergency cash, and perhaps two passport photos. An arrival card is filled in the hall. Answer simply: tourism, length of stay, hotel address.
If your nationality is not eligible on arrival, a consulate visa or e-visa (if open to you) is required before the flight. Do not count on an exception at the desk.
4. What you do / what we do
- You: check eligibility, file the e-visa or prepare visa on arrival, travel with the passport and printed approval.
- We: confirm the process in the briefing, provide the hotel / circuit confirmation immigration may ask for, and meet you after passport control.
A visa or boarding refusal is not covered by our terms: that is why cancellation insurance and a valid passport matter as much as the circuit itself. See also health & entry and insurance.
5. Where to check
Egypt’s official e-visa portal (visa2egypt / e-visa) and the consulate for your passport are the authorities. Be wary of commercial sites selling the same visa at a mark-up. If in doubt, write to us with each traveller’s nationality: we will point you, we will not replace the government.