To boost tourism to the country, the Egyptian government has added 78 countries to the e-visa system. The total number of countries from which citizens can apply for an Egypt e-visa now extends to 180 countries.
Tourism sector in Egypt still recovering
Prior to the corona pandemic, tourism in Egypt accounted for about 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2019, Egypt welcomed more than 13 million tourists for a total revenue of more than $13 billion dollars, which is a record. The global coronavirus outbreak hit Egypt hard, with only 3.5 million tourists registering in 2020. In July 2020, Egypt was one of the first countries to reopen its borders.
Since 2021, the tourism sector in Egypt has been recovering rapidly. In the first six months of 2021, the country had already received as many tourists as in the whole of 2020. In 2022, the Egyptian government hopes to be back on the same level as before the corona pandemic. However, the conflict in Ukraine threatens to ruin it; every year many Ukrainian and Russian tourists travel to Egypt, but that has virtually come to a stop, due to the war. Recently, Egypt announced that Ukrainians and Russians who are still in Egypt can extend their visas free of charge..
More nationalities for e-visa
In order to further stimulate tourism to the country, the government of Egypt has decided to add 78 countries to the e-visa system. Among others, travellers from South Africa, Azerbaijan, and Georgia can now also apply for an e-visa. There are many advantages to the Egypt e-visa. As the application procedure for the e-visa can be done entirely online, this type of visa can be applied for much faster than the paper visa. Usually, the e-visa will be approved within 11 days. Egypt also offers a visa that can be obtained upon arrival at the airport in Egypt, the “visa on arrival”. This visa is cheaper than the e-visa, but in order to obtain it, one has to stand in a long queue at the visa counter at the airport. As most people want certainty before they leave and do not want to wait at the airport, the e-visa is by far the most popular visa type for Egypt. Moreover, as the Egyptian government adds more countries to the e-visa system, the popularity of this type of visa and the country will only continue to grow.
More services for visa on arrival
Egypt is also providing more services to obtain visas on arrival in Egypt. Visa on arrival will soon be available at more arrival locations in Egypt. In addition, more nationalities will be eligible for the visa on arrival. The validity of the visa on arrival is identical to that of the e-visa: both are valid for a maximum stay of 30 days. The visa on arrival is a so-called single-entry visa. If one wants to travel to Egypt again in the future, a new visa must be applied for. The e-visa, on the other hand, is a multiple-entry visa. With a multiple-entry visa, one may travel to Egypt several times with the same visa.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Egypt is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Egypt.