In an attempt to attract more tourists, Egypt has decided to introduce a new multiple-entry visa. The new visa has a validity of five years, costs 700 US dollars and is available for travellers from 180 countries. For some time now, travellers from European countries can easily apply for an Egypt e-visa online.

Commitment to increasing tourism in Egypt

After a bad period for tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities hopes for a renewed increase in the number of tourists travelling to the country and expects an annual increase of about 28–30%. It is hoped that the number of tourists travelling to Egypt each year will reach at least 30 million by 2028. This number is well above the annual average of 11.4 million visitors in the years 2010–2019. Because of Covid-19, Egypt received very few visitors in 2020 and 2021—about 3.7 million and 8 million, respectively. Despite the fact that the last COVID-19-related measures for travellers were in effect until 17 June 2022, more people travelled to Egypt in 2022 than before the Covid-19 pandemic (about 11.7 million).

The visa as part of the economic strategy

The new visa regulation is part of the Egyptian economic strategy. The aim is to attract more tourists to make up for the sharp decline in the number of Ukrainian and Russian tourists and the consequent loss of revenue, among other things. The number of visitors to Egypt from the Netherlands, Italy, the USA, and Kazakhstan is slowly increasing. If the trend in tourism growth continues as the Egyptian government expects, the country may have about 30 million visitors per year before 2027.

The new visa can sometimes be obtained after arrival

Travellers with select nationalities can apply for the new visa after they arrive in Egypt. This applies to tourists from the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, among others. These travellers can apply for the new multiple-entry variant of the travel authorisation directly after they arrive at the airport in Egypt. Travellers who choose to do so have to pay the cost of this new visa of 21,000 Egyptian pounds (700 US dollars) upon their first arrival in the country.

Applying for the Egypt visa online

Travellers from most European countries have been able to apply online for the Egypt visa for some time now. They need a valid passport for the online visa application. The online visa comes in a single-entry variant (for a single trip) and a multiple-entry variant (for multiple trips within the validity period of the visa). The single-entry visa is valid for up to 90 days and the multiple-entry visa has a total maximum validity period of 180 days. Regardless of the chosen variant, each stay in Egypt may last up to 30 days.

E-visa for multiple trips to Egypt

If you are planning to travel to Egypt again within 180 days after your first arrival, or if you take a cruise where you will dock in Egypt twice or more within 180 days, it is recommended that you apply for a multiple-entry visa. This is because it is cheaper than applying for two or more separate single-entry visas.

Travellers eligible for the e-visa will find that applying for this visa is, in most cases, more economical than applying for the new multiple-entry visa with a validity of five years. Even if they need to apply for the e-visa online more often because they make multiple trips to Egypt. In addition, keep in mind that different requirements apply to the new multiple-entry visa than to the e-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.