VisaEgypt tourist visas: online and airport options have different prices and limits
This current guide checks Egypt’s official electronic tourist-visa fees, the airport digital option and the restricted Sinai entry permission, while distinguishing nationality and route conditions.
Official source date: 2026-10-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Check the current official tourist e-visa tariff
Egypt’s official Interior Ministry e-visa FAQ lists USD30 for a single-entry tourist visa and USD65 for multiple-entry tourism. Travellers should use those current published figures rather than an older price copied into a booking guide. This is a current practical guide to visa options and airport changes, not a claim that a new nationwide tariff began on 29 October.
The FAQ limits online eligibility to the nationalities it lists, including British citizens, United States citizens, Canadians, Indians and Chinese citizens. It does not establish online access for every passport. The Egyptian embassy in Washington separately stresses that the electronic service is for tourism and directs applicants to the portal’s eligibility list. Someone travelling for a different purpose or using a passport not listed should identify the relevant consular route.
Complete the application and wait for the issued document
The portal’s application instructions require creating and confirming an account, selecting the visa type, completing the form and paying with an accepted card. Approval follows by email, after which the applicant downloads and prints the e-visa. Use that sequence to distinguish a registered account or payment receipt from the visa actually issued.
The official arrival checklist requests a passport valid for at least six months after arrival, the printed e-visa, a travel itinerary and accommodation or visit details. Depending on the purpose, it also identifies supporting company or invitation letters. The portal expressly reserves the border authority’s ability to refuse admission even where an e-visa exists. Retain the issued document and check the authorised dates instead of assuming the application itself settles every entry condition.
Airport digital visas are a separate arrival option
UK government guidance for British passport holders describes a physical airport visa at USD30, paid in cash, and a digital arrival option at Cairo International Airport from 1 August 2026. It gives the latter price as USD36, including a USD6 digital service charge, with card payment through self-service machines or the arrival portal.
The Egyptian embassy in Washington carries a later notice saying airports moved from traditional arrival stickers to electronic QR codes from 1 September 2026. Those descriptions are not fully aligned on the format now available at every airport. Confirm the actual arrival service for the intended airport and nationality before relying on cash-only or card-only arrangements. The extra digital-service charge should not be confused with the separate online tourist e-visa tariff.
Sinai-only permission does not cover a wider Egyptian itinerary
For British visitors arriving by air at Sharm El-Sheikh, UK guidance describes free entry permission for stays under 15 days at the specified resorts of Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba. Travelling beyond those resorts or staying longer requires a visa. That geographically limited permission should not be presented as a general Egyptian visa exemption.
For illustration, someone planning a resort holiday followed by Cairo needs to resolve the visa for the wider itinerary, rather than assume the initial stamp covers the additional destination. Land entry through Taba and ferry arrival have their own border arrangements. Check the guidance for the actual crossing instead of transferring the Sharm airport example to another route. The resources reviewed do not establish that every traveller can obtain the same permission at every border.
Use consular procedures when online tourism is not the right route
The Washington embassy’s tourist checklist for American passport holders requests the completed form, photograph, original passport and copies, travel and accommodation evidence, and proof of residence within its consular jurisdiction. It lists USD32 single entry and USD67 multiple entry for that consular service. Those charges concern a particular mission’s procedure; they should not replace the Interior Ministry portal’s USD30 and USD65 online figures.
The embassy also identifies cases requiring advance approval and warns affected applicants against making travel plans before a decision. Use the embassy resource for consular eligibility and documents, the portal FAQ for online nationality and tariff checks, and the application instructions to obtain the issued e-visa. No universal processing deadline is established by those instructions, so an imminent flight should not be treated as a guarantee of timely approval.
