Visas

Am reading about some visa scams happening, especially with British tourists who are being charged 15 GBP for their visas by company reps. You need to be aware, if you are travelling to Egypt for the first time, that most nationalities can buy a single entry visa at the airport or port of arrival for US$15 cash. You don’t need to fill in an additional form (you will be given a form to complete on the aircraft usually, otherwise find it in the arrivals hall) , just go to one of the banks and purchase it with cash.

A visa that you would get on arrival in Egypt

If your tour rep says they already have your visa and it will be 15GBP or Euros, decline and get your own from the bank.

Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad – these can be more expensive than purchasing upon arrival. Please check with your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship.

For a list of all diplomatic missions, see the Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs’ website at www.mfa.gov.eg.

Your application requires the following documents:
A passport that is valid for at least another six months
One passport-sized photograph
A completed application form

Visitors entering Egypt at the overland border post to Taba to visit Gulf of Aqaba coast and St. Catherine can be exempted from visa and granted a free residence permit for fourteen days to visit the area.

Citizens of the following countries are required to be in possession of a pre-arrival visa: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries.

Residents of the above countries may apply for a visa through their nearest Egyptian Consulate or Embassy.

Those in possession of a residence permit in Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave the country and return to it within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less.

There are three types of Egyptian visa:

Tourist Visa: is usually valid for a period not exceeding three months and granted on either single or multiple entry basis.

Entry Visa: is required for any foreigner arriving in Egypt for purposes other than tourism, e.g. work, study, etc. The possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.

Transit Visa

Major Ports of Entry to Egypt

Airports:

Cairo International (3 terminals)
Alexandria Nozha
Alexandria, Burg El Arab
Luxor, Upper Egypt
Aswan, Upper Egypt
Hurghada, Red Sea
Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai
Marsa Alam Airport

Marine Harbors:

Alexandria, Mediterranean
Port Said, Mediterranean
Damietta, Mediterranean
Suez, Gulf of Suez
Nuweiba, Gulf of Aqaba
Hurghada, Red Sea
Safaga, Red Sea
Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai

Overland Entry Posts:
Salloum, northwestern border (to and from Libya)
Rafah, northeastern border (to and from Gaza strip, the Occupied Territories and Israel)
Taba, eastern border (to and from Israel)

Exemptions from Visa Fees

Egyptian visa fees do not apply to the following:

Holders of diplomatic passports.
Officials of international organizations and specialized agencies and state delegates to conferences.
Arab League officials.
Non-national spouses of Egyptian nationals.
Non-national members of the clergy, prominent scientists, journalists and members of official cultural, educational and sports delegations.
Non-national students studying in Egyptian institutions.
Non-diplomatic personnel of diplomatic and consular missions affected in Egypt.
Parents, siblings and adult children of members of the diplomatic and consular corps affected in Egypt.
Nationals of Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Russia and the United States are partially exempt from Egyptian visa fees and will, therefore, pay a reduced fee.

Visa Exemptions

The following are exempt from visa requirement when visiting Egypt:

Nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

Holders of diplomatic passports of Argentina, Bosnia Herzegovina, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore, the Slovak Republic and Turkey.

Special Services

Foreigners arriving in Egypt on board ships are granted permission to visit the port of arrival for 24 hours and catch their ship at the same port. They can also be granted permission to enter the country for a visit not exceeding a period of 3 days before catching their ship at the port of arrival or at any other port.

Air passengers transiting in Egyptian airports are allowed entry for a quick trip not exceeding the period of 24 hours.

In the event of emergency landing, passengers are entitled to enter Egypt for a period of:

24 hours in case of poor weather conditions.

48 hours in case of technical faults to the aircraft.

For even more information:
http://www.touregypt.net/visa.htm