Egypt Entry Guide: E-Visa, Visa on Arrival and Security-Review Visas

A Turkish travel agency's Chinese-language guide explains Egypt's entry routes: e-visa or visa on arrival for Gulf, Turkish, European, North American, Australian and Japanese travelers, while nationals of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, the Palestinian territories and Somalia need a consular visa with a security review that can take weeks. It lists required documents and says standard tourist visas allow a single entry with a stay of up to 30 days. No rule change or effective date is stated.

A Chinese-language guide from a Turkish travel agency sets out Egypt's three main entry routes. Travelers from Gulf countries, Türkiye, the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and Japan can generally use an e-visa or get a visa on arrival, with online approvals typically taking three to seven days. Citizens of Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria may qualify for an e-visa or a consular visa depending on their circumstances.

Nationals of Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, the Palestinian territories and Somalia are listed as needing a consular visa that involves a security review. The agency says this can take anywhere from two weeks to two months, and warns applicants not to buy tickets until the visa is issued. Standard tourist visas are described as single-entry with a stay of up to 30 days.

What this means for travelers

• Check which route applies to your nationality before booking flights, since consular and security-review cases take far longer than e-visa or visa-on-arrival applications.
• If a security review applies to you, book refundable or changeable travel and wait for the visa to be issued.
• Expect to show a passport valid for at least six months, a photo, return flights and hotel booking, plus a Turkish residence permit if applying from Türkiye.
• Rules and nationality lists change, so confirm your eligibility before you travel.