New Regulations Require Prior Permission for Minors Under 18 Traveling Alone from Egypt

Effective from 1 January, 2024, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior’s General Administration of Passports, Immigration, and Nationality has implemented new regulations mandating that minors under the age of 18 obtain prior permission from authorities before traveling alone outside Egypt. 

EgyptAir, the country’s official airline, has also announced its compliance with these regulations, prohibiting unaccompanied minors from traveling without their guardians. In this article, we will explore the details of these regulations and provide guidelines for booking flights for unaccompanied minors.

According to the new regulations, minors under the age of 18 are required to fill out an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) form before registering for travel. This form can be obtained from airline offices or through travel agents. If booking a flight online, unaccompanied minors need to contact the airline office to complete the UM form. 

For unaccompanied minors between 2 and 6 years of age, specific conditions must be met. The UM form must be completed and signed by the guardian and/or parent(s). An authorized guardian must deliver the child at the departure airport, and upon arrival, the parents/guardians mentioned in the UM form must meet the child at the arrival airport. 

During the flight, unaccompanied minors are escorted by an additional cabin attendant, and they are not seated on emergency exit seats.

The fare for unaccompanied minors includes 100 percent of the applicable adult fare, in addition to the applicable one-way full adult fare for the air hosts. The minor’s guardian is responsible for paying the host ticket according to the class of service in which the minor is accompanied.

For unaccompanied minors between 6 and 12 years of age, similar criteria apply. The UM form must be completed and signed, an authorized guardian must hand over the child at the departure airport, and parents/guardians named on the UM form must meet the child at the arrival airport. 

Additional flight attendants accompany the child during the flight, and unaccompanied minors are not seated on emergency exit seats.

Lastly, young travelers between 12 and 16 years old may be given unaccompanied minors treatment upon the request of their parents or guardians. 

Sports teams holding a decree from the Ministry of Youth and Sports endorsed with the ARE stamp (seal of the Arab Republic of Egypt) are exempt from the new regulations and do not require prior permission for travel. However, sports teams with letters from sports federations are still required to obtain prior permission.