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Home › Visas and permits › Egypt e-Visa: who can get it online, who has to go to the consulate no matter what, and how much it costs
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Egypt e-Visa: who can get it online, who has to go to the consulate no matter what, and how much it costs

The Egypt e-Visa is the tourist visa you apply for online on the Egyptian Ministry of Interior's portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg. The portal itself defines it like this: «An e-Visa is an official document permitting entry into and travel from Egypt. The e-Visa is granted to citizens of the countries shown on the site. Applicants obtain their visas electronically after entering required information and making payments by a credit or debit card». It is not a stamp they put in your passport on arrival, nor an automatic permit: it is a PDF you have to download and PRINT, because the paper copy is what you show at the immigration counter («The e-Visa printout must be presented at the port of entry»). And it is not the final word: «The possession of an e-Visa is not the final authority to enter The Arab Republic of Egypt», meaning the border officer can still turn you away without giving you a reason. It is not valid for working either: «Engaging in any form of business or employment without a requisite permit or pass is an offence». There are two versions: single entry and multiple entry.

⚠️ Sensitive information — always check the official source
Visa requirements, quotas, amounts and dates change often. Every fact in this guide was checked against the official source on 2026-09-23 and we re-check it periodically, but before starting any procedure confirm the details on the official links (embassy, consulate or ministry) shown on this page. viajacongus.com does not process visas and does not replace official information.
💵 How much it costs
Official fees published in the «Types of visa and fees» table on the Ministry of Interior portal, read on 23/09/2026: SINGLE-ENTRY TOURIST e-Visa, 30 dollars (30$). MULTIPLE-ENTRY TOURIST e-Visa, 65 dollars (65$). You pay by credit or debit card inside the portal itself and it is never refunded: «Visa processing fee is non refundable». For comparison, and because there is money at stake here: Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities publishes that the tourist visa obtained the traditional way (consulate or on arrival) costs «One-time entry visa, valid for one month for $25» and «Multiple-entry visa for 6 months for $60». So the convenience of the e-Visa costs you 5 dollars more for the single entry and 5 more for the multiple. And if you go through a consulate, each mission sets its own fee: the Egyptian Consulate in Washington, for example, publishes «Fees: $32 (Single Entry) or $67 (Multiple Entry)», in cash with exact change if you go in person, or a cashier's check from a US bank if you apply by post (they accept neither money orders nor personal checks). Confirm the fee with YOUR consulate before going: it is not the same at every mission.
⏳ How long it takes
The Ministry of Interior portal does NOT publish a processing time: it does not say how many days it takes to reply. The only thing it sets is a minimum, and it is on the home page, verbatim: «You have to create an e-Visa application at least 7 days before your departure». Seven days before you leave, at the very least. After payment, «your application will be processed. As soon as your visa application has been processed, you will receive an email informing you, with the current application status». Official e-Visa processing time: NOT PUBLISHED. For the consular route there is a number: the Egyptian Consulate in Washington publishes «Tourist visa — At least 10 business days», and for nationalities that need pre-approval from Cairo, «Minimum 6-8 Weeks». Since the portal publishes no timeframe, the practical rule is not to buy a flight leaving in less than two weeks if you are counting on having the e-Visa in time.
📅 How long it's valid
And here is the biggest gap in this process, so we'll tell you straight: the official e-Visa portal does NOT publish how many days of stay it gives you or how long you have to use the e-Visa once issued. We looked in the FAQ, in How to Apply and in the Disclaimer on 23/09/2026 and it is written nowhere. The only thing an official Egyptian source publishes about duration comes from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which describes the tourist visa like this: «One-time entry visa, valid for one month» and «Multiple-entry visa for 6 months». In other words: one month for single entry, six months for multiple entry. Take it as a reference, not a guarantee, because it is not the body that issues the e-Visa. The rule that IS official and worth being clear on: holding the e-Visa is not the same as having the right to enter («The possession of an e-Visa is not the final authority to enter The Arab Republic of Egypt»), and the exact number of days you are allowed is set by the immigration officer when they stamp you in. If your trip stretches beyond a month, ask at the consulate BEFORE buying your internal legs.

👤 Who needs it?

WATCH OUT HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WASTES THE MOST TIME: the e-Visa is NOT available to every nationality, and eleven of the twenty-eight we cover are left out. We read the official list on the portal on 23/09/2026 (FAQ tab, «Nationals of the countries listed below may be issued with an e-Visa upon application on the Egypt e-Visa Portal») name by name. Of our twenty-eight, these CAN apply for the e-Visa: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Denmark, the United States and Australia. That is 17. These are NOT ON THE LIST, and therefore CANNOT use the portal: GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, PANAMA, CUBA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, GUYANA, SURINAME and ANDORRA. That is 11. If you hold one of those eleven passports, don't waste your afternoon filling in the form: the system won't let you through, and your application goes to the Egyptian consulate or embassy that covers your place of residence. The pattern is crystal clear and almost nobody mentions it: all of Central America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean and the Guianas are outside the Egyptian e-Visa, while Mexico, the United States, Australia and all of Western Europe are inside. Andorra is the oddest case of all: Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican DO appear on the official list, Andorra does not. Beyond nationality, there is another filter that leaves people out: the e-Visa is only issued for ordinary passports. Straight from the Disclaimer: «Requesting an eVisa with Diplomatic, Service, Special, Official, Temporary, Nansen, Refugees, Mission, Alien's, or July 51 Agreement Passport is not allowed at this stage. Please visit your nearest embassy/consulate». Children also need their own visa, even if a parent handles the application from their own account: «Each visitor to the Arab Republic of Egypt is required to submit e-Visa applications in their personal account. Parents can apply for their children from the parents account».

🧭 The step by step

1
Step 0: check whether your citizenship is on the list, before touching anything
Go to the FAQ tab on the official portal and scroll down to «Who requires a visa to enter The Arab Republic of Egypt?». There you'll find the full list of eligible nationalities, in alphabetical order and in English. Look for your country as it is spelled in English (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Australia, United States of America). If it's there, go on to step 1. If it is NOT there (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Andorra), skip straight to step 2, which is the consulate one.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The list changes without notice and with no update date. Check it yourself on the same day you apply, even if someone told you your country is on it. And don't trust lists copied onto blogs or agency websites: the only one that counts is the one at visa2egypt.gov.eg.
2
If you're from one of the eleven excluded countries: get ready for the consulate, not the portal
Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname and Andorra apply for the tourist visa at the Egyptian embassy or consulate that covers their place of residence. The process is in person or by post, and the standard package Egyptian missions ask for is: the form, completed and signed, with a photo stapled to it, a copy of the form with photo, one recent 2x2 inch photo (no more than 6 months old) on a white background, the original passport plus TWO copies of the data page (valid for at least 6 months from arrival and with a free visa page), a copy of the round-trip ticket and a copy of the hotel booking or the details of the relative hosting you. The fee and payment method are set by each consulate.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The requirements and the fee are NOT the same at every Egyptian consulate, and many missions only serve residents of their jurisdiction. Call or write before travelling to the consulate's city. The processing time published by the consulate in Washington is «At least 10 business days» for a tourist visa: don't leave it for the week before.
3
Go ONLY to visa2egypt.gov.eg and create your account
The only official site is visa2egypt.gov.eg, and at the very bottom it says who runs it: «Ministry of Interior - Arab Republic of Egypt - All Rights Reserved». The first step of the official procedure is, verbatim: «Create an account on the Egypt e-Visa Portal via the registration page». You need an email address you actually use, because everything arrives there: the account confirmation, the application status notice and the link to download the visa. The portal is available in Spanish, among eight other languages, via the selector at the top right.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: There are dozens of websites with similar names («egypt-visa», «evisa-egypt», «egyptvisaonline» and variants) that charge between 60 and 130 dollars to fill in the same form you can complete yourself for 30. They are not illegal scams, they are intermediaries: they charge you the official fee plus their commission, and if the application goes wrong they refund nothing. Make sure the browser bar says exactly visa2egypt.gov.eg and ends in .gov.eg.
4
Confirm your account from the email and log back in
Steps 2 and 3 of the official procedure: «Confirm your account registration» and «Logon Egypt e-Visa Portal». You receive an email with a confirmation link; until you click it, the account doesn't work. Then you log in with your username and password, and only then does the «Apply Now» button become available.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Check your spam and promotions folders: the confirmation email from a .gov.eg domain lands there very often, especially in Gmail. If it doesn't arrive, don't create a second account with another email: that duplicates your applications and complicates tracking.
5
Choose the visa type: single entry or multiple entry
Steps 4 and 5 of the official procedure: «Select Apply Now» and «Select the type of Visa and read the instructions carefully». It is 30 dollars for single entry and 65 for multiple entry. For a classic Cairo–Luxor–Aswan–Hurghada or Sharm trip, a single entry is enough: moving around inside Egypt does not use up entries. The multiple-entry one makes sense if you are going to leave and come back, typically if you combine Egypt with Jordan (Petra), with Israel or with a cruise that calls at another country in between.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you pick the wrong type, there is no change or refund: the fee is non-refundable and you would have to pay again for the right one. Think it over for two minutes before clicking the button. And if you're torn between single and multiple because of a crossing into Jordan, get the multiple: the difference is 35 dollars, far less than redoing the whole process from the other side of the border.
6
Count the days: you have to apply at least 7 days in advance
It is on the portal's home page, in the «Apply and pay online» card, and it is a rule, not a suggestion: «You have to create an e-Visa application at least 7 days before your departure». Seven days counted up to your flight's departure date. Since the portal doesn't publish how long it takes to decide, the honest recommendation is to apply two to four weeks ahead, with your passport already in hand and your flight already chosen.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you submit the application with fewer than seven days to go, the system may still take your payment and then not come through in time. And the payment is not refunded. That combination (fee charged, visa undecided, flight in three days) is the most expensive scenario in this whole process.
7
Fill in the form copying your passport letter by letter
Step 6 of the official procedure: «Fill in the application form». The details must match the biometric page of your passport exactly: full given names in the same order, surnames as they appear there (including both surnames if your passport carries them), passport number, date and place of issue, expiry date, nationality. Keep your passport open next to the screen and copy character by character, without accents and without the ñ if the document uses the international spelling. Also enter your itinerary and accommodation, because they are part of the entry requirements.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: A single letter that differs between the e-Visa and the passport is grounds for trouble at the counter. The Disclaimer also warns that «Incomplete applications will be rejected»: if you leave a mandatory field half done, they reject it and you lose what you paid.
8
Check that your passport meets the 6-month rule and has a free page
The entry requirements published by the portal start with this: «Passport valid for at least 6 months from arrival date». Six months counted from the day you ARRIVE in Egypt, not from the day you apply for the visa. In addition, Egyptian missions require the passport to have at least one free visa page, because the traditional visa is affixed as a sticker. If your passport expires within the next eight or nine months, renew it before starting the process.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The e-Visa is tied to the passport number you entered. If you renew your passport after it has been issued, the number no longer matches. There is no published procedure for transferring it: you have to get another one and pay again.
9
Pay with Visa, Mastercard or another debit card
Step 7 of the official procedure, verbatim: «Pay using a Visa card, MasterCard or other debit cards». The charge is made inside the portal. Let your bank know you are going to make an international purchase in Egypt, because anti-fraud rejections are common with rarely seen .gov.eg domains.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The first point of the Disclaimer leaves no room for argument: «Visa processing fee is non refundable». The fee is NOT refunded: not if your visa is rejected, not if you chose the wrong type, not if you cancel the trip, not if your flight falls through. Before hitting «pay», review the whole form one more time.
10
Wait for the approval email and download the e-Visa from your account
Step 8 of the official procedure: «Await approval via email, then download and print the e-Visa from your account». The notice arrives at the email you registered with, and the file is downloaded from your account on the portal, not from the email. Save the PDF on your phone, in the cloud and in your email, as well as printing it.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Once you have it, compare the PDF against your passport: first name, surname, passport number, nationality and dates. If there is an error, contact the portal BEFORE travelling, not at the airport.
11
PRINT the e-Visa on paper. It is not optional
It is point 6 of the Disclaimer and step 9 of the procedure, and it is written twice for a reason: «The e-Visa printout must be presented at the port of entry» and «Present your printed e-Visa to the immigration officer at the port of entry». On top of that, the e-Visa printout heads the official list of entry requirements («e-Visa printout»). Print it on A4 paper, in colour if you can, and carry two copies.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Showing the PDF on your phone screen is NOT what the rule asks for. An officer might accept it or might not, and the immigration queue in Cairo at three in the morning is not the moment to argue about it. Print it before you leave home.
12
Put together the folder with the rest of the entry requirements
The portal publishes the full list of what they can ask you for on arrival, and it is not just the visa: «Passport valid for at least 6 months from arrival date», «e-Visa printout», «Travel itinerary», «Supporting letter e.g. letter from company or invitation letter for business/family visits», «Hotel bookings/details about places to visit if going as tourist». If you are travelling as a tourist, the itinerary and printed hotel bookings, or the details of the places you will visit, are enough. If you are going on business or to visit family, add the company letter or the invitation letter.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you travel without a hotel booking because you plan to sort it out as you go, have at least the first two or three nights booked and printed. It is the written requirement and the first thing they ask for when the officer wants to ask questions.
13
At the airport: show up with everything and don't take entry for granted
The officer checks the e-Visa in their system: «Passport authorities at ports of arrival can check the validity of your e-Visa on their system». Have your passport, printed e-Visa, itinerary and bookings to hand. Answer with concrete details: where you are sleeping the first nights, how many days you are staying, which flight you are leaving on.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The portal itself says it, twice and in so many words: «As is the case with other visas, Egyptian port authorities have the right to refuse entry to Egypt for an e-visa holder without any explanation». Having the e-Visa is not having guaranteed entry, and they owe you no explanation.
14
Visa on arrival still exists, but it has changed: it is now a QR code
Egypt still offers visa on arrival at its airports, and it recently stopped being a sticker. The Egyptian consular mission publishes it like this: «Effective September 1, 2026, all Egyptian airports have transitioned from traditional Visa on Arrival stickers to an electronic QR code». You apply on the official portal visaonarrival.gov.eg (or its app), pay by card and receive a QR code by email, which you show to the officer. The four steps that portal publishes are: go to the website, the app or the counter; pay; generate the QR code with your details; show it to the officer. The official prices for that route are published by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: 25 dollars for single entry for one month and 60 for multiple entry for six months.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Three real warnings about visa on arrival. One: Egypt does NOT publish a closed list of nationalities that can use it, so nobody, us included, can guarantee you from an official source that they will give it to you at the counter. Two: the airline can deny you boarding at your departure point if it doesn't see a visa obtained in advance; the Egyptian consulate itself recommends «Confirm with the airlines that a visa is not required to be boarded on the plane». Three: those on the pre-approval list (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, Mali, Niger, Palestine, Sudan, Syria and holders of travel documents) cannot use it. If you can get the e-Visa, get it: it is the documented route.
15
If you are travelling from a country with polio, the Salk vaccine is a separate requirement
It is the only health requirement published by an official Egyptian source, and it depends on where you are coming from, not on your nationality: «If you are traveling from a country where polio is present, you need to get a polio shot called the 'Salk' vaccine. You must take this shot at least 4 weeks before you enter any port in Egypt. The shot will be valid for only 12 months, so make sure it's still within that time frame when you travel». Four weeks before, and the certificate is valid for twelve months.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: On YELLOW FEVER we declare the gap: we did NOT find it published in any official Egyptian source that they require the international certificate from those arriving from endemic countries in South America, although in practice it is often enforced. If you are departing from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname or Venezuela, or have a long layover there, check with the Egyptian consulate and carry your yellow card anyway: it weighs nothing and can save your trip.
Go to the official site →
Egypt e-Visa Portal — Ministry of Interior, Arab Republic of Egypt

📋 What you need at hand

⚠️ The mistakes that cost you

🔎 Where this comes from

← See the full entry requirements
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