The Egyptian authorities have made known their plan to create an urgent e-visa that travellers can request upon arrival at the airport. This will speed up border formalities. However, the best option is still to apply for the Egypt visa well in advance of the trip.
An initiative of the Egyptian Prime Minister
On May 5th, 2025, Mostafa Madbouly, the Egyptian Prime Minister, held a meeting with several ministers and senior officials to discuss the initiative to relax border procedures for tourists. During this meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized how important it is that foreign travelers have a good experience. According to Madbouly, the country must be more welcoming to international tourists. Not only during their stay in Egypt, but also during the whole process, from the visa application to the moment they leave the country. By doing so, Egypt will improve its image, and travelers will return to the country sooner for a second visit.
This new project is in line with the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism 2030, which aims to have doubled the number of tourists visiting in the country by 2030. They aim to achieve this objective, for instance, by modernizing airport infrastructure and streamlining visa policies.
E-visa and visa on arrival
Since 2028, the Egyptian authorities have been offering an e-visa that can be applied for entirely online. 78 different nationalities, including the UK and the rest of EU countries can apply for it. Once approved, travellers will receive their e-visa Egypt by email, afther which they will need to print it and carry it with them throughout their trip. Tourists who apply for their visa online don't need to go to the Egyptian embassy, and can go through passport control immediately upon arrival in Egypt without having to queue at the visa desk.
Travelers who have not applied for their visa in advance to their trip need to queue and apply for a Visa on Arrival at the airport. Many travelers must take their tour operator's shuttle bus. To avoid delays, or even missing the bus, it is recommended to apply for the visa online before traveling. The e-visa allows travelers to start their holiday smoothly and hassle-free.
Urgent visa on arrival
The Egyptian authorities have recently announced their intention to introduce an electronic variant of the Visa on Arrival. In the future, travellers sould be able to apply for this type of visa upon arrival at the Egypt airport via a self-service terminal or an app. It should be emphasized that the prime minister is explicitly talking about an emergency visa that can be applied for on the spot in emergency situations. The intention is not that all travelers apply for their visas online upon arrival in Egypt. That would likely cause further delays. Through e-Visa.ie you can also submit an urgent e-visa request. This type of request is usually approved in an average time of 5 days.
Submit your urgent Egypt visa application now!
The new express visa will be introduced in phases. Initially, the visa will be available at Cairo International Airport. If the results during the test period are positive, the offer could be extended to 7 other airports. The visa will probably become available on a later stage at all 14 international airports in the country.