What documents do I need to enter Egypt?
Egypt needs a passport valid six months from arrival plus a tourist visa, bought online as an e-visa or on arrival. A free Sinai-only permit covers resort stays.
Updated
Entering Egypt - what you need
Egypt is one of the easier visa countries to prepare for, as long as you decide in advance which route you are taking. Your trip1 booking confirmation covers the accommodation details that both the e-visa form and arriving officers ask about.
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, with at least one blank page.
- A tourist visa, either an e-visa arranged in advance or one bought on arrival, unless you qualify for the free Sinai permit.
- US dollars in cash if you plan to buy the visa on arrival.
- A return or onward ticket.
- The name and address of your accommodation, which the e-visa application also asks for.
E-visa or visa on arrival?
Both work for most tourists. The e-visa is applied for on Egypt's official government portal before you fly, and tourist e-visas are issued with validity of up to three months.
The visa on arrival is bought at bank kiosks in the arrivals hall, before you reach passport control. A single-entry 30-day visa is 30 US dollars in cash, and multiple-entry visas cost more. Cairo airport has added a self-service digital option at roughly 36 US dollars.
Bring clean US dollar notes if you plan to buy on arrival, since the kiosks are cash desks and do not always have change.
Important: Use only Egypt's official government e-visa site. Copycat sites look convincing and commonly charge around double the real fee for the same document.
The Sinai-only entry stamp
If you fly into Sharm el-Sheikh and stay inside the Red Sea resort strip, you can be given a free entry permit instead of buying a visa. It covers stays of less than 15 days across the Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba area.
The permit is limited to that area. A day trip to Cairo, a Luxor tour or a Nile cruise is not covered, and neither is a stay of 15 days or more, so buy a full tourist visa if your plans include either.
You can also be given a Sinai permit when crossing overland at Taba, where a paid tourist visa is the option if you want to travel further into Egypt.
Hotel check-in in Egypt
Egyptian hotels ask for your passport at check-in and record the details for guest registration. Some hold it briefly while they copy it, then hand it straight back.
Keep your entry visa stamp intact and legible. Officials check it when you leave the country, and a missing or unclear stamp turns your departure into a slow conversation.
Your trip1 booking confirmation is your proof of accommodation. Both the e-visa form and arriving officers can ask where you are staying, so download it before you fly.
Entering Egypt - FAQ
Yes, most tourists, including British citizens, can. At approved airports, bank kiosks before immigration sell a single-entry 30-day visa for 30 US dollars, so bring clean dollar notes. Since 1 August 2026, Cairo airport also offers a digital visa for 36 US dollars. Your passport needs six months of validity from arrival and a blank page.
Both work. An e-visa from Egypt's official government portal is sorted before you fly, and tourist e-visas are valid for up to three months, so you skip the kiosk queue. A visa on arrival suits travellers happy to pay 30 US dollars in cash at the airport. Avoid copycat e-visa sites, which often charge about double the real fee.
Only on a short Sinai resort trip. British visitors arriving by air at Sharm el-Sheikh and staying less than 15 days in Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba get a free entry stamp instead of a visa. A trip to Cairo, Luxor or a Nile cruise, or a longer stay, needs a full tourist visa.
You need a passport valid for at least six months after you arrive with one blank page, a tourist visa or the free Sinai stamp where it applies, a return or onward ticket and your accommodation address. Bring US dollars in cash if you plan to buy the visa on arrival. Your trip1 booking confirmation gives the address the e-visa form asks for.