To enter the Arab Republic of Egypt, U.S. citizens must have a valid passport with at leat six months of validity remaining and at least one blank page.
Egypt also requires U.S. travelers to have an appropriate visa. Renewable 30-day visas are available for USD $25 (single entry) or $60 (multiple entry) at the airport upon arrival. If you plan to arrive overland or have an official or diplomatic passport, you should secure your visa ahead of time.
E-visas are available at https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home. This is also recommended for anyone who has had previous difficulty securing an Egypt visa.
In a hurry? Apply online for expedited visa service
Other documentation requirements include:
- A travel itinerary which includes hotel bookings, details about places visit (if traveling as a tourist), and departure information
- A supporting letter (e.g. letter from company or invitation letter for business/family visits)
Special Circumstances
- Travelers crossing the border from Israel at Taba should have a visa prior to arriving. Those who do not already have a visa will be given either a no-fee, fourteen-day visa valid for travel within Sinai only, or a thirty-day tourist visa for $25 if they have a letter of support from a travel agency. Travel agents at the border will provide these letters, but their fees are variable. Passport and visa requirements for Egypt apply to U.S. military personnel, as well as Diplomatic and Official U.S. passport holders.
- Travelers requiring a Egyptian visa quickly need to be aware that the Egyptian Embassy in Washington typically processes visas within 7-10 business days, even with an expedite letter from the State Department. Heightened travel advisories can further delay this processing time. As such, travelers are advised to submit their visa applications to the Egyptian Embassy well in advance of their trip. You can, however, apply for rush Egypt visa through a private expediter and obtain the visa in as quickly as 4-5 days.
- Business travel in Egypt requires a work permit that must be obtained through the employer. Foreigners can acquire a work permit from the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration offices in the district of the employer. This also authorizes residency in the country for the duration of the work permit period. Foreigners who arrive as tourists but would want to change their status are given a 3-month tourist/non-working visas during which time they can apply for work permits. Foreigners in Egypt on tourist visas are not permitted to work.
- Proof of yellow fever immunization is required if arriving from an infected area. Evidence of an HIV test is required for everyone staying over thirty days, for the purpose of studying or working in Egypt.
For all other circumstances and the most current Egyptian visa information, visit the U.S. Department of State's Egeptian International Travel Information page.
in CairoIn a hurry? Apply online for expedited visa service
