This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Egypt set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Consulate General for Egypt in the UK.
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must be valid for 6 months from the date you arrive. Check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Visa requirements
British passport holders travelling to Egypt normally need a visa. Visa processing fees are non-refundable.
We advise you to get a visa before you travel, particularly if travelling for work or business. You can apply for a visa from the official Visa2Egypt portal or at your nearest Egyptian Consulate. Tourist visas granted using the e-visa system are valid for a maximum of 3 months.
The online e-visa portal (Visa2Egypt) does not currently accept applications from variant British passport holders (those from British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies).
All British passport holders can get a visa in advance by submitting an application in person or by post to the Egyptian Consulate in London. The specific requirements for the visa are listed on the website.
Alternatively, if you wish to get a visa on arrival, you can do so at approved bank kiosks within airport arrival halls, before reaching immigration counters. The visa fee is 25 US dollars, payable in dollars as the preferred currency, although you may also be able to pay in pounds sterling or euros. Visas granted on arrival are valid for a maximum of 30 days. There’s no need to buy a visa from an agent. In many cases agents will charge more than US$25 for a visa. If you’re harassed by an agent, report the incident to the tourist police in the airport terminal.
If you’re travelling to Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts for up to 15 days, you will receive a free entry permission stamp on arrival. If you intend to travel out of these areas or stay longer than 15 days, you must get a visa.
If you have travelled to one of the South Sinai Red Sea resorts, entered without a visa and your plans have changed, you can normally purchase a visa at Sharm el Sheikh airport to allow you to travel elsewhere.
Applications for visa extensions should be made at Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices. You may have difficulties leaving Egypt with an out of date visa. You will normally have to pay a fine if your visa is out of date by more than 14 days.
For further information and enquiries, contact the Egyptian Consulate in London.
Visa extensions
Apply for visa extensions at the Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices. You may face difficulties if you try to leave Egypt on an expired visa. You may be fined if your visa has expired by more than 14 days.
Contact the Egyptian Consulate in London for more information.
Visas at the Egypt-Sudan Border Crossing
If you’re crossing the border from Sudan, the Egyptian authorities have advised it is still possible to get a visa on arrival for the regular cost of 25 US dollars.
HIV test for work permits
You will need to show your result from a HIV test to apply for a work permit.
Vaccination requirements
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need on TravelHealthPro’s Egypt guide. Depending on the country you’re arriving from, this may include a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Egypt. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
You’re allowed to bring in or take out up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds. There is no limit to the amount of hard currency that you can bring in, but you must declare it when you arrive if it’s worth more than 10,000 US dollars.
You must also declare certain valuables, including electrical equipment or video cameras, when you arrive. These will be noted in your passport. You may be asked to show these items again when you leave the country. If you do not have them on you, you may have to pay a high rate of customs duty.
Officials are likely to confiscate satellite phones or radio communications equipment unless you have prior clearance from the Ministry of Telecommunications.
Contact the Egyptian embassy in your country of residence for further information on customs requirements
