If you decide to fly to Egypt, you should know that the country requires an entry visa. The guests from Europe do not need to buy it in advance, it is very easy to get it directly at the airport. If you own the passport from another country / Tunis, Turkey ... etc /, get information about the visa at the Egyptian Embassy. Turks living in Germany must book an Egypt trip through the travel agent.
Our advice:
Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and France are the countries whose ID card is accepted for a visa. That means you do not necessarily need to have the passport for Egypt. In this case you need 2 photos (This is a rule, although it is practically only one requested). Please be careful that your documents / ID card or passport / are still valid for at least 6 months from the date of your entry. This is taken very seriously at your home country airport. This means that otherwise you can be already not allowed to leave from there.
After your arrival at the airport (Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Cairo ...) etc. you have more options to buy the visa. Officially, you can do that at the bank right in the arrivals hall for $ 25. You wait in line, pay, get a sticker in the travel document (or on a special card, in case you have ID, not passport) and let it to be stamped in the tourist police window. You also have the possibility to pay the visa at the tour operator’s counters. It's faster, but you pay a few dollars more.
You can officially apply for an Egyptian eVisa before you fly out. Please make sure you have enough time between filling application and the planned flight. The verification process needs few days.
***Please note that Canadian citizens and holders of Canadian passports are not entitled to obtain e-visa. They must visit Egyptian Embassy for it.
Once you get the visa, it can be used for stay of 28 days. If you plan to stay longer, rent the apartment, you need to go to visa office to extend your tourist visa. Make sure you take your passport, photos and your rent contract for this.
The passport office wont deal with anyone except you. It’s a quick visit, simple when you have all needed documentation. The visa form is more of a " purchase " rather than an application. Don’t let lawyers or "friends" tell you you need lawyer for this. Use expats for help, they know the process.
By arrival in Sharm El-Sheikh you do not need a visa if you do not want to travel from the Sinai Peninsula. You will get for two weeks valid stamp "Sinai only" instead. If you are planning a trip outside of Sinai you will need to buy a normal tourist visa indeed. For example, you cannot travel to Cairo only with the stamp!
The transfer from the airport to the hotel can be arranged privately or through a travel agency. Private drive means you go directly to the hotel and you don’t need to make stops in other hotels and wait till the guide will assist accommodating the others. Private transfers are arranged from 10 £ per trip. Feel free to have a look on our offers. Booking is fast through whatsapp, sms or messenger. Please contact us in advance to get all the information for our service.
Before you leave the arrival hall, after passport control, you pick up your luggage. Be careful, if you miss the suitcase or have something damaged, please contact the customer service directly. You have to fill out the papers / insurance and complaint / inside the hall, once you go out, you will not be able to come back for security reasons the check. While in the arrival hall, you can always find someone who speaks English or German and get the help.
In order to connect to the world online, you will find Mobile Operator Desks / Vodafone, Orange..etc / in the arrival hall, where you may buy the Internet SIM card. You get this already activated, the prices are from 15 Euro. 20GB card costs 15 Euro, 30 GB 17 Euro, 42 GB 20 Euro (*prices are subject to change)
If you need to extend your tourist visa
There are many rumours around visa extension, fact is, you can (as written already above) do it by your own and don't need to hire lawyer or assistance as some claim.
After entering Egypt you have the $25 Visa glued in your passport and stamped at the airport with the date of arrival.
Followed by going to the Misr Bank branch, exchanging Dollars, Euros or British Pound into LE, you are ready to ask for extension. With the exchange bill of the Misr Bank you will go to the Tourist Visa Office with:
- Passport
- 2 Pictures
- 2 Passport copies - the page with the photo and your data
- 2 Copies of the page with the stamped entry visa
- 1750 or if multientry 2350 LE
- The bill of the Misr Bank
- Not to forget the pen for filling the forms :)
When you enter the Visa office in the first floor pass the security gate and tell the police officer that you need a number for a new tourist visa.
If your number is shown at the counter go to see counter.
Tell the employee that you want a visa or multi entry visa. They will give you a application form you have to fill the requested data. A renting contract or a form that you own an real estate is not nessesary.
You have to pay the visa/ multi entry visa costs as usual at the cashier, you will be photographed and suppose to give your fingerprints. Then go to the General officer who has to sign your papers.
You will get a bill and a collection certificate. You will come back to the office to collect your extended visa with the passport according to instructions.
