Egypt Entry and Travel Requirements
Egypt Entry Requirements are the set of rules determining the procedures to enter Egypt without any issues. These rules also include the necessary documents that travelers must prepare for the planned trip.
Some of the most important documents required for Egypt are a valid visa and passport. Visa requirements may vary depending on the traveler's nationality.
The Egyptian Government has facilitated entry to Egypt for travelers from most countries around the world introducing the electronic visa system. Currently, the list of eVisa eligible countries includes over 180 nationalities. Travelers whose nationality is not included on the list as well as those who need to visit Egypt for non-tourist purposes or for a longer period of time will need to obtain an embassy visa. Moreover, a few visa-exempt countries' citizens, mostly members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, can enter Egypt visa-free for short-term stays.
Egypt welcomes all international tourists, as well as Egyptian citizens and residents, wishing to stay in Egypt. Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the country introduced some protective measures aiming at controlling the spread of the new Covid-19 cases. Before your trip, make sure to check the recent entry rules to access Egypt smoothly.
The Egyptian health authorities may perform random health and temperature checks and require all travelers to wear face coverings while at the airport.
Important Update: In June 2022, the Egyptian authorities decided to lift all Covid-19 restrictions for travelers arriving in Egypt, regardless of their vaccination status.
Documents check-list for entering Egypt
- valid passport/ID
- valid visa or eVisa (depending on eligibility)
- valid travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage
Egypt Travel Requirements
Egypt welcomes back all foreign travelers and Egyptian citizens and residents coming back to Egypt, with minimal entry and travel requirements remaining in place.
Not fully vaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR test certificate in paper form with the traveler's unique QR code. Children under the age of six, as well as all fully vaccinated travelers, can skip the testing requirement.
Another requirement that all travelers must meet, despite their vaccination status is to have a completed Egypt Health Declaration and travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage for the whole duration of the stay.
Travelers arriving from high-risk countries and those who develop Covid-19 symptoms during their stay may be subject to a quarantine while in Egypt (depending on their vaccination status).
Besides the remaining Covid-19 entry requirements in place, Egypt requires certain travelers to have a travel authorization in the form of a regular visa, eVisa, or a Visa on Arrival. Moreover, travelers arriving from 10 specified countries need State Security approval in addition to their visas.
Egypt restaurants, cafes, and tourist attractions operate as usual and masks are required in all closed public spaces.
Testing, vaccination, and quarantine requirements
Testing requirements
Non-vaccinated travelers, including Egyptian citizens and residents, must take a PCR Covid-19 test within 72 hours of the planned arrival in Egypt.
Children under the age of 6 are exempt from the testing requirement.
Please note! Travelers arriving from the following countries can present PCR tests taken within 96 hours of their arrival considering the long travel and transit periods:
- Japan,
- China,
- Thailand,
- North America,
- South America,
- Canada,
- London Heathrow,
- Paris,
- and Frankfurt
The Egyptian Government has stipulated that only paper forms of the taken PCR tests will be accepted upon arrival. Make sure to print out the result of your test and take the printed copy with your unique QR code with you to the airport.
Vaccination requirements
The Egyptian Government does not require incoming travelers to be fully vaccinated to enter. However, fully vaccinated visitors can skip all testing and quarantine requirements currently in place.
To be considered fully vaccinated by the Egyptian authorities you must have taken the last vaccination dose no earlier than 14 days of the planned arrival. The vaccination should be taken via one of the accepted vaccines:
- AstraZeneca,
- Johnson and Johnson,
- Moderna, Pfizer,
- Sinopharm,
- Sinovac or Sputnik V
Quarantine requirements
Travelers arriving in Egypt from high-risk areas or areas of variants of concern may need to take a PCR test on arrival. If the test comes back positive, such travelers will need to undergo a quarantine period in Egypt.
Vaccinated travelers arriving in Egypt from high-risk countries may skip the additional quarantine and testing requirements in place.
Traveling from Egypt
Egyptian citizens and residents traveling abroad from Egypt to other countries should adhere to the entry rules applied by foreign governments.
Make sure to check what are the entry requirements of the country you plan on visiting and prepare all the required documents to cross the border without any issues.
The applicable entry rules may include the need to complete a Health Declaration, get tested for Covid-19, have a vaccination certificate, and more.
Traveling to Egypt
Traveling to Egypt requires having the following documents:
- a valid passport or ID*
- valid health insurance with Covid-19 coverage for the whole duration of the stay
- a negative PCR test result or a vaccination certificate
- a completed Egypt health declaration
*depending on the nationality of the traveler
Entry rules for Children
Children under the age of six entering Egypt can skip the current testing requirements in place. However, unvaccinated underage travelers aged six and older must comply with the testing requirements of Egypt and take a PCR test within 72 hours of their arrival in Egypt.
Entry rules for arriving to Red Sea (Hurghada and Marsa Alam), South Sinai (Sharm El Sheikh), and Marsa Matrouh
Travelers arriving directly to the Red Sea (Hurghada and Marsa Alam), South Sinai (Sharm El Sheikh), and Marsa Matrouh have the option to choose after arrival testing for a fee of 30 USD.
After taking the PCR test, travelers are requested to self-isolate at their hotel and wait for test results, which should arrive up to 24 hours.
Egypt visa policy
Visa-free
10 countries can enter Egypt for up to three months on a visa-free basis without the need to meet any special conditions.
Citizens of the following countries may enter Egypt visa-free:
- Bahrain
- Hong Kong
- Israel*
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Macao
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- The United Arab Emirates
- Malaysia*
*Travelers from these countries are allowed to enter Egypt visa-free for 14 days.
Travelers from the following countries can enter Egypt on a visa-free basis, as long as they meet a few additional requirements, such as being of a specified by the Egyptian Government age or providing additional supporting documents, such as a return ticket or proof of hotel booking for the stay:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- China
- Libya
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Morocco
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Tunisia
- Yemen
Regular visa
Travelers from the following countries must apply for a regular visa at the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate:
- Afghanistan,
- Algeria,
- Bangladesh,
- Burundi,
- Chad,
- Comoros,
- Djibouti,
- Eritrea,
- Ethiopia,
- Ghana,
- Indonesia,
- Iran,
- Iraq,
- Israel,
- Kosovo,
- Lebanon,
- Liberia,
- Mali,
- Mauritania,
- Moldova,
- Morocco,
- Myanmar,
- Niger,
- Nigeria,
- Tunisia,
- Pakistan,
- Palestine,
- The Philippines,
- Rwanda,
- Sierra Leone,
- Somalia.
eVisa
47 countries are eligible to visit the contry with an Egypt eVisa obtained online that comes in two types:
- single-entry for a 30-day stay with a three-month validity period
- multiple-entry for numerous 30-day visits in Egypt; valid for six months
Two main requirements to meet to apply for the Egypt eVisa are as follows:
- a valid passport that won't expire for the next six months
- a face photo of the applicant
VoA
Visa on Arrival is available to citizens of most countries, except 84 specified ones. A Visa on Arrival is a travel authorization that's issued upon completing the process of applying at one of the border crossing points in Egypt.
State Security Approval
Travelers planning to visit Egypt from the following countries need to get special approval from the Egyptian State Security Authorities before departure (in addition to having a valid visa for entry):
- Iran
- Iraq
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Lebanon
- Mauritania
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Yemen
Please note that this requirement may apply to more travelers depending on their specific situation, e.g., female citizens of Moldova aged between 15 and 35 also need to get approval from the Egyptian State Security Authorities prior to their visit to Egypt.
Egypt Passenger Locator Form
The Egyptian Government requires all incoming travelers, including Egyptian nationals and residents, to fill out a health declaration answering questions relating to their health status, personal details, contact details, flight information, and travel to Egypt information.
The form can be easily accessed online here and can be either completed using a laptop/phone or on paper. However, the completed with the required data form must be printed out and signed to be presented at the border in paper form.
Underage travelers also need to present a completed Health Declaration. If underage travelers are not able to complete the form on their own, their parents or legal guardians should do it on their behalf.
Travel Insurance
The Egyptian Government has made it mandatory for all arriving travelers to have travel insurance.
The requirement of having a valid health insurance has been implemented because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to make sure all travelers visiting Egypt will have the possible Covid-19 costs, such as quarantine or testing, covered.
Your travel insurance must cover the entire period of your stay in Egypt and must cover Covid-19-related costs.
