Traveling to Egypt or any other sub-Saharan country should certainly be a memorable and exciting experience. However, before boarding your plane, you should figure out several things, especially your Visa situation. Permits for persons traveling into the country became mandatory after the 2015 incident, except for a few transit travelers and exempted nationalities. Below is a guide on how to decide the best type of traveling permit that suits your traveling situation and how to apply for one.
Who Should Apply for Egypt Visa?
Except for a few countries, all foreign nationals should apply for an Egyptian travel permit regardless of the period or purpose. This includes citizens from nations exempted from visas in most countries, such as the U.K., US., Australia, and Europe. However, despite such stringent measures, there is a specific exception to this rule.
The exception to the mandatory traveling permit requirement can only be enjoyed in the popular resort area along the Aqaba coast. This is the only area in the country that exempts these travel permit requirements. That said, if you intend to enter the country through the Sinai Peninsula airport or through Taba and have no plans of going beyond Sharm El Sheikh or Taba, you won’t need a tourist permit. You can also enjoy the free entry for a maximum of 15 days.
In such scenarios, you will be given a Sinai-only entrance permit stamped on arrival at Taba or Sharm El Sheikh airport. This means that you should get a permit if you intend to stay more than 15 days in the country or plan to travel beyond this area.
Which Visa Do You Need to Visit Egypt?
There are two main types of permits to choose from before traveling to this country. You should choose one depending on the length of your visit and personal itinerary. They include;
- Tourist Permit
Most foreign citizens must apply for a tourist travel permit, especially if they are visiting the country for tourism purposes. For this type, your duration of the visit shouldn’t exceed 30 days, and your itinerary shouldn’t include visiting attractions in neighboring countries. This travel permit cost approximately $25, regardless of where you apply for it, and your passport should have at least a 6-months validity.
- Transit Travelers’ Permit
Whether you require or don’t need a transit permit depends on your nationality and the length of your transit period. While some nationalities require a transit permit regardless of their transit period, others can transit through the country without applying for the permit.
Those with an onward ticket from their airports of departure can transit for a maximum of 48 hours without applying for this permit. Traveling passengers can leave the airport if their expected transit time is between 6 and 48 hours.
Those with less than 6hours transit time can leave the transit area in the airport but should remain within the airport. On the other hand, citizens of Lebanon, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Palestine cannot leave the transit area when changing flights in the country.
How to Get a Tourist Visa in Egypt?
You can get a traveling permit to this country with ease, especially after the enactment of 2015 legislation. You can apply for an Egypt visa online, obtain one from the Egyptian consulate or embassy, or immediately on arrival.
- Obtaining from the Embassy/Consulate
This option requires that you book an appointment in the Egyptian embassy or send your application through email. The process takes between 10 and 15 days, and you should provide the following;
- Two passport size photos
- Two copies of the front page of your passport
- A completed application form
- Application fee
- Online Application
Foreign citizens from approximately 46 nations, including the U.K., U.S., and Australia, can apply for their visa for Egypt through the eVisa system. This option is comparably the most convenient and a better way of getting the permit in advance. The process takes between 5 and 7 days before approval and costs $25 for single-entry and $60 for multi-entry permits.
Besides meeting all the requirements for a permit, you should provide your dates of planned entry into the country, make sure that you are a citizen of one of the eligible countries, and complete the application form correctly.
- Applying on Arrival
Before choosing this option, you should verify that you hail from one of the eligible countries. The following countries can apply for the permit on arrival;
- Australia
- Georgia
- New Zealand
- United States
- Canada
- Russia
- Japan
- Serbia
- North Macedonia
- South Korea
- European Union Citizens
Turkish citizens above 45 years and Sudan citizens with residence permits in Canada, U.S, Australia, U.K. countries also fall in this category.
Conclusion
With the guide above, traveling to Egypt shouldn’t be an issue anymore. Take advantage of this guide when planning to explore, and enjoy this vast country.
