Option 2: the visa on arrival at the airport
The UK government says approved airports have kiosks before the immigration counters where you buy a paper visa for USD 30, cash only. Since 1 August 2026, Cairo airport also has a digital visa on arrival for USD 36 (USD 30 plus a USD 6 service fee), paid by card.
The Egyptian consulate in Washington says that from 1 September 2026 all Egyptian airports moved from visa stickers to an electronic QR code, while the UK government still describes the cash visa at approved airports. The two official sources do not agree, so bring USD 30 in cash and a bank card, and look at visaonarrival.gov.eg, the government site for the QR code, before you fly.
A visa on arrival lets you stay up to 30 days.
e-Visa or visa on arrival: which is better?
It is the same tourist visa. The e-Visa is settled before the trip, by card, so you land with the visa printed and need no cash at the kiosk. The visa on arrival needs no planning, which helps when you book late: if you fly in less than 7 days, it is too late to apply for the e-Visa, and the visa on arrival is the way, if your nationality can get it.
The free Sinai stamp: Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba
If you travel directly to Sharm el-Sheikh, Nuweiba or Taba and stay up to 15 days, you get a free entry permit stamp on arrival that covers the South Sinai resorts, including Dahab, according to Egypt's tourism ministry.
Leaving this area, or staying longer than 15 days, needs a full visa. That includes a day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh to Cairo or Luxor, even when you are back the same evening, so our Cairo day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh needs a full visa. Canada's government and the US Embassy give 14 days for the stamp, so if your stay is close to two weeks, get the visa. Hurghada is not in Sinai: arrivals there need a visa. Our guide to the Sinai stamp and day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh covers what the stamp includes and how to plan a Cairo day.
Leaving Cairo airport on a layover
To leave the airport between flights you go through immigration, so you need a visa: the visa on arrival, or an e-Visa if your nationality can apply online. EgyptAir announced in June 2023 a free transit visa for 8 to 96 hours, given on arrival at Cairo airport at the EgyptAir Transit Office, for nationalities that can get a visa on arrival. Nothing official confirms that it still runs, so ask EgyptAir before you count on it.
Our guide to what fits in a Cairo layover works out the hours, and on our Cairo layover tour the guide meets you in the terminal.
How long you can stay, and single or multiple entry
A consular single-entry visa is valid for 6 months with a stay of up to 30 days, and a multiple-entry visa is valid for 6 months with 90 days of stays in total, says the Egyptian consulate in London.
Take the multiple-entry e-Visa (USD 65) if you will leave Egypt and come back during the trip, for example for a side trip to Jordan. For one trip in and out, the single entry is enough.
Extending your visa, and overstaying
Extensions are handled by the Passport and Immigration Office in Abbassia, Cairo, or by the passport offices listed by the immigration authority, says UK government guidance.
The UK government says you are fined if your visa expired more than 14 days before you leave. Egypt's tourism ministry says a few days over may bring a fine, and more than a month over means paying the fine before you board. No official page gives the amount, so extend before the visa ends rather than counting on a grace period.
Passport and documents
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date and have one blank page. If you use the e-Visa, keep the printout with your passport: the officer at the airport asks for it.
Visa questions we hear before a day tour
Is the visa included in your day tours?
No. The Egypt entry visa is not part of the price of our day tours: you get it yourself, online or at the airport, before the tour.
How much is the Egypt visa in 2026?
The e-Visa is USD 30 for a single entry and USD 65 for multiple entries. On arrival it is USD 30 in cash, or USD 36 by card on the digital system at Cairo airport.
Why do some websites say USD 25?
Older pages, including the FAQ page of Egypt's own tourism ministry site, still show USD 25. The official e-Visa portal shows the current fee.
Can I visit Cairo from Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai stamp?
No. The free stamp covers South Sinai only. A trip to Cairo, even for one day, needs a full tourist visa.
Is visa2egypt.gov.eg the only official site?
It is the official e-Visa portal. Egypt also runs visaonarrival.gov.eg for the QR code of the digital visa on arrival. Other visa websites are private agents with their own fees.
With the visa sorted, our private day tours pick you up from your hotel: see the tours in Cairo and Giza.
