Obtaining Visas for Egypt
 

Will be traveling to Egypt from the U.S.. I hear that obtaining your Visa at the Cairo airport is the preferred method. As opposed completing a Visa application and sending it and your passport to their consulate here in the U.S.

Would like to hear comments from those who have obtained their visa at the Cairo airport. Was it easy? What can I expect? Would you do it again?

Thank you!

Easy, easy. No reason to give thought to send to Embassy in Wash DC or the consular office in NYC>

It's easy process. When it comes to USA citizen visa process purpose it becomes easier. I hope you'll have great time studying visa processing experience out there. Thanks.

Sending your passport off for a visa in advance is a complete waste of time and money. I got my visa at the airport in less than 10 minutes. At the time I did it the cost was $15 US but please check to see if that is still true. Take the correct change if possible.

BTW, in the months before my trip I received many solicitations in the mail from visa companies claiming that I must get the visa in advance. Do not believe it if you also get this crap in the mail.

I am going to have the same issue. I have given my passport and paperwork to a friend to bring to the Egyptian consulate in NYC but he has put it off twice and our departure date is the middle of February. Sounds like it is a snap at the airport is this the case 7 days a week? Or are there times and days when the plane arrives and there is no one available for the process? I would hate to spend forever traveling there only to get stuck in the airport waiting for hours for the process to complete.
Anyone else have any feedback?

I arrived around 9 pm and it was no problem. I can't imagine that nobody will be working when they know planes are arriving.

Visa desk is open whenever flights are arriving.
No worry. Get Passport back from friend and purchase your Visa on arrival. Believe price same as when we visited USD$15 so have exact amount as agent won't provide change, certainly not in USD.

As I recall Visa purchase desk is to the right where you obtain, then walk over to the Immigration officers for them to do whatever they do (stamp), then you can collect your bags* and meet your driver or head outside for a taxis. And no, have no idea what a taxi would cost.

*You can obtain some local currency before meeting driver or taxi.

I have read that you have to buy stamps for the visa--is that the "visa purchase desk"? Can this done with local currency or does it have to be USD, or other currencies? Do you need to bring extra passport photos with you for the visa?

We are going in October. I'll be in Ottawa over the summer, so I could get our visas done there at the embassy, without mailing off our passports. But I have done 'visa on arrival' at several places in Asia in the past and it's been a piece of cake.

I just read that Egypt has started requiring independent travellers to obtain a visa at home before going to Egypt. At least for Canadians. I believe this is to deter protesters. Here's the link:

http://globalnews.ca/news/1887954/tr...before-you-go/

I have no idea if this would affect Americans as well.

We are going with an organized group, so I think we're alright, but I am going to phone the embassy anyways just to make sure--it might be less stressful just to do this in advance.

That news is from back in March. It's since been rescinded.

They now plan to move to an electronic system like Turkey's.

http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/0...ptian-tourism/

That's great to hear. And in fact I emailed the embassy in Ottawa and they confirmed that, i.e.:

"Kindly take note that with a Canadian passport you can get a tourist visa upon arrival at the airports in Egypt. The cost is approximately 25 USD and you will need to show them a return ticket."

Still at Cairo airport

Hope it worked out, Maria.

Can someone confirm that you do NOT need to bring extra passport photos for the visa-on-arrival at Cairo Airport?

I really think you are stressing yourself out. You are traveling in a group and there will be someone who takes care of all this for you. Believe all of us, it's very simple. Essentially it is an arrival tax. You give them 25USD and they give you a visa stuck into your passport. As several people have confirmed it only takes a few minutes.

We always travel with extra passport photos but we didn't need them at Cairo when we were there in December.

Have a great time, we LOVED Egypt and found it was a wonderful time to visit without the crowds.

www.somuchmoretosee.com/search/label/Egypt

I will be transiting Cairo airport in February arriving 8:30pm on 3/7 and departing at 1:30pm the following day. Plan is to stay overnight at airport hotel.

My question is visa still required, and if so, can this be done at airport as previously indicated above or has the process changed in 2016/17?? What is current fee and can this be paid in USD ??

Suggest you check the Egyptian embassy website for your country of citizenship.

I have and it is unclear....at least to me. I will try to email thier consulate to get an answer. Thanks !!

Its easy to obtain visa from Cairo airport 25$ each if you have USA passport