Egypt Launches Online E-Visa Portal for Tourists

Egypt has launched an online e-visa portal for tourists through which they can get their tourist visas to visit Egypt. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the service is available to tourists from 74 countries and in eight languages.

The portal will allow citizens of the listed countries on the website the ability to easily apply for a tourist visa. The e-visa can be downloaded by applicants and will be checked by authorities upon arrival in Egypt.

This portal also enables tourists to pay online using their debit or credit card and provides thorough instructions on how to start applying for an e-visa here. One common complaint for incoming travellers in the past has been the inability to pay for a visa using their credit or debit cards at the airport, with payment in USD or EGP being required.

According to instructions on the portal website, a traveller applying online through the portal will need to ensure they arrive in Egypt with the following: a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, a print-out of their e-visa, a copy of their travel itinerary, a supporting letter (for business-related travel or family visits), details of their hotel bookings and places they intend to visit. According to the website, Egyptian passport authorities still have the right to decline any person from entering Egypt without explanation as is the case for any other standard-issue visas.

There are other important disclaimers before going through the process that travellers can check here.

After dropping by 70 per cent due to COVID-19, tourism has witnessed a steady recovery since the pandemic. According to Reuters, since the start of 2021, Egypt has welcomed nearly 500,000 tourists a month.

With the vaccination campaign aimed at vaccinating tourism industry workers underway, Egypt is preparing and hoping for a full recovery of the tourism sector by the end of this year.