Egypt visa on arrival questions
Jun 4, 2018, 10:08 am
#76
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 804
Curiosity and your sunny experience led me to bite the bullet and try the visa online business. It took me significantly longer than 15 minutes: perhaps I'm not so bright, but i took time to figure out that my address had to be written in a specific way and then work out how to answer the "host" questions. Then there was scanning my passport and resizing the image to come in under the limit allowed. Payment was speedy, but I got thrown out of the site before I got formal conformation from Egypt. So now there's a wait...
But I guess now I'm registered on the site, understand the requirements better, have the passport jpg up and ready it should be a faster experience next time.....
But I guess now I'm registered on the site, understand the requirements better, have the passport jpg up and ready it should be a faster experience next time.....
I suppose I had my passport already scanned on my computer for other things before and only took me about a minute or so to resize. The wording is very funnyon the website and once you understand what the website is asking, it is fine. Next time will take you only 5 mins
Jun 5, 2018, 7:56 am
#77
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
I have a question somewhat related to this topic: I am looking at flying on Egyptair out of JFK to Africa. We would have a 21 hour layover in Cairo on the outbound flight, and a 12 hour layover on the return. This is not a voluntary layover; it is taking the next available flight to the destination.
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
Jun 5, 2018, 8:34 am
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
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Posts: 17,008
I have a question somewhat related to this topic: I am looking at flying on Egyptair out of JFK to Africa. We would have a 21 hour layover in Cairo on the outbound flight, and a 12 hour layover on the return. This is not a voluntary layover; it is taking the next available flight to the destination.
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
Jun 23, 2018, 11:39 pm
#79
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
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I think it is the wording on the website IAN-UK, not you. Let us know how it goes.
I suppose I had my passport already scanned on my computer for other things before and only took me about a minute or so to resize. The wording is very funnyon the website and once you understand what the website is asking, it is fine. Next time will take you only 5 mins
I suppose I had my passport already scanned on my computer for other things before and only took me about a minute or so to resize. The wording is very funnyon the website and once you understand what the website is asking, it is fine. Next time will take you only 5 mins
On the other hand I have to report a less than happy VOA experience.
The first one in many years of frequent visits to Cairo. Only one of the (half dozen) visa counters in T3 was open, the Emirates NBD bank, and it was very busy.
I was attended to by a super-courteous employee, who sadly miscounted my change, keeping back a single EGP100 note: as he did exactly the same to my companion, behind me in the queue, it looks like a nasty little scam.
Easy to correct the transaction if the "error" is noticed at the counter by the customer, but sub-$5 is likely to go undetected if not caught at the counter.
So a nice little earner for a dishonest bank employee, Le 100 from every few customers over a long and busy day.
So advice is: You'll get a printed receipt for any transaction. Verify the transaction and the balance shown with the notes you are given. Sounds obvious, but I notice many visitors just shoving the bundle of unfamiliar currency into their pockets - i guess thinking "it's a bank: i can trust it".
Jul 14, 2018, 10:58 am
#80
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
Transfer from t2 to t3
Hi all, I am arriving at t2 with checked luggage at 11pm and departing from t3 four hours later on a different airline (international, separate alliances, separate tickets). Any quick feedback about how to get from one terminal to the other the easiest way? I assume buying visa on arrival.
Edit: life is too short to transit in CAI, I will take TATL in cattle class next time, 10 hours in coach is way less hassle than transiting CAI for 2 hours.
Edit: life is too short to transit in CAI, I will take TATL in cattle class next time, 10 hours in coach is way less hassle than transiting CAI for 2 hours.
Last edited by nk15; Jul 14, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Jul 15, 2018, 2:25 am
#81
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
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Hi all, I am arriving at t2 with checked luggage at 11pm and departing from t3 four hours later on a different airline (international, separate alliances, separate tickets). Any quick feedback about how to get from one terminal to the other the easiest way? I assume buying visa on arrival.
Edit: life is too short to transit in CAI, I will take TATL in cattle class next time, 10 hours in coach is way less hassle than transiting CAI for 2 hours.
Edit: life is too short to transit in CAI, I will take TATL in cattle class next time, 10 hours in coach is way less hassle than transiting CAI for 2 hours.
Do check-in online for your second flight. They will not give you a boarding card, but should acknowledge that you have checked in.
You don't need to enter Egypt, so you don't require a visa - IF you have hand-baggage only, or if you are successful in having bags through-checked. If there are bag complications then Cairo is no different to anywhere else - you need to collect the bags and shift them over to the new check-in. I have heard tales of this being accomplished without the need for a visa, but i would certainly not bank on it.
If you have no bag complications, head for "transfers" before you get to the immigration lanes. If you don't see the sign to the transfer desk, ask. Egyptians are generally a helpful bunch. You probably will not have a boarding card for the next flight, so you should have with you your printed itinerary or (better) the online check-in acknowledgement you receive in lieu of a boarding card.
The transfer system between terminals generally means waiting for a car/bus to take you across the apron. You'll most probably be then kept in limbo until the authorities contact your second airline and arrange for your boarding card to be delivered. You'll then be released into T3 airside.
It sounds complicated. But remember hundreds of folk do such transfers every day. It works - but like much in Egypt, there's an underlying seeming chaos which unsettles many westerners.
If you are on separate tickets with checked-in bags you could have saved a lot of anxiety and hassle by spending some of the ticket-money you are saving by overnighting at an airport hotel. These run from $50/60 for the shuttle-bus Novotel to the T3-connected Meridien at $200 or so. The visa is $25. As it is, with 4 hours you should make the connection: but given reports of visa queues after BA's late night arrival, you might be best going for the online option - same price, but more hassle and it can take time to come through....
Jul 24, 2018, 8:46 am
#82
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
The experience was less than sunny. Although the application was acknowledged and the payment showed as "pending" on my credit card, cash was never actually taken, and the whole process lapsed, collapsed without explanation. Maybe a one-off, but the only one I have to report.
I would agree that it was less than sunny, but it was due to my mistake. My payment went right through though. The problem I ran into was that my middle name was not included on the application. I don't know if I missed it or if it was removed somehow. Either way, it wasn't there.
One day after submitting the application, I received an email saying that they payment was confirmed. Two days after that, I received an email saying that the visa was declined "due to the wrong demographic data in your application". However, I was able to log in to the website and update it. I did that, adding my middle name. The next day I received an email notifying me that the visa was approved. So, it was four days from start to finish. A day was added because of the mistake I made in applying.
Here is the timeline:
July 17: applied for e-visa
July 18: payment confirmed
July 20: visa declined (due to missing middle name)
July 21: visa approved
Jul 24, 2018, 10:11 am
#83
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Join Date: Aug 2000
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I just got an e-visa. The reason was that my passport is getting full, and I wanted to preserve the pages I have left.
I would agree that it was less than sunny, but it was due to my mistake. My payment went right through though. The problem I ran into was that my middle name was not included on the application. I don't know if I missed it or if it was removed somehow. Either way, it wasn't there.
I would agree that it was less than sunny, but it was due to my mistake. My payment went right through though. The problem I ran into was that my middle name was not included on the application. I don't know if I missed it or if it was removed somehow. Either way, it wasn't there.
Jul 30, 2018, 6:07 pm
#84
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Note that the quoted website is only an agent based in Florida. The real website is: https://www.visa2egypt.gov.eg which is the Egyptian interior ministy website and it accepts credit cards and only charges 25$ for a single entry and 60$ for a multiple entry visa.
Aug 20, 2018, 7:33 am
#85
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
I have a question somewhat related to this topic: I am looking at flying on Egyptair out of JFK to Africa. We would have a 21 hour layover in Cairo on the outbound flight, and a 12 hour layover on the return. This is not a voluntary layover; it is taking the next available flight to the destination.
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
I have read that Egyptair offers a free visa and hotel in this case, but I have not been able to verify. Is it true?
When we returned the next morning, we were directed to an Egyptair Customer Service window directly outside immigration. They had their passports and boarding passes right there, and in a minute we had them in hand. I of course went through immigration normally as I was in the country on a visa, and the others also went through immigration. They said they were there on transit, and the immigration officer scarcely glanced at their passports and they were through. It was all very simple.
Three of us returned together, with the other four coming a few days later. On our return flight, we had a 12 hour layover, from about 9:30 PM to 9:30 AM. This time I did not have a visa, and we left our passports with them. It was actually very convenient. I can understand how someone would have reservations about leaving your passport, but in reality it was very smooth and I would not hesitate to do it again.
The only issue we had was with the service in getting the hotels. We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited... It took them two hours to get it done. On our return, it was very late. We landed a bit late at 10:00 PM, and it was midnight until they had the hotel reservations made and were ready to escort us out. There were probably 200 other passengers doing the same thing, and we all just sat around doing nothing. It was 1:00 AM by the time we got to our hotel room, and we had to be ready for the 7:00 AM shuttle to the airport.
If someone isn't too concerned about cost, it would be much better to get a visa and your own hotel. Although going through Egyptair doesn't cost anything, it takes a long time. It wasn't too bad on our outbound trip as it was in the middle of the day, but to wait around for two hours late at night is not fun! We were so tired.
Aug 24, 2018, 1:31 pm
#86
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Programs: DL 1MM Platinum, UA 1k, HH Silver, BonVoy Platinum
Posts: 1,146
I will probably give an update on a few threads but some comments on above.
It was my first time arrival in Cairo. Arrived Terminal 3 at 4am in Biz Class from Bangkok.
1. I planned ahead and got an evisa ... at first I thought I applied correctly but my application was rejected as my first name and middle name didn’t appear (man, I guarantee you I checked that 3 times but maybe it was an auto fill on a “go back” click” that erased it. Anyway I started the evisa 6 days before departure, got that rejection after 3 days, they allow you to “fix it” and then it auto-resubmits and finally I got the email and evisa 1 day before departure.
2. Smugly off biz class to almost head of the line at immigration feeling quite smart, but 20 minutes of computer searching later they could not locate my evisa on their system. So I had to go back to an exchange counter and buy a “visa on arrival” for another $25. So, there was no line, it took 3 minutes, I would highly discourage evisas given the comments and the absolute inefficiency of that process. It comes with an ER code but they don’t scan anything, they just type in and search for your name, after having to boot up the computer, change immigration booths, go find a mouse to plug into the system so they can scroll through names, then just tell you that they can’t find it so go get another visa, they won’t let you in on that. Don’t do the evisa unless you just want to have something to show at check-in and then just pay for a new visa when you arrive. Total waste of time, the immigration literally rolled her eyes and wanted to spit when I gave her my evisa print out. The lady behind me said, those never work.
3. The comments that you need $25 exactly, that wasn’t my experience. It’s a change booth, I changed $100 for Egyptian currency, they just deducted the $25 and changed $75. I think this would be the same with any currency (but I didn’t try). Same at the Sim Card booths, they accept probably at least $ which I saw and other currencies, change in Egyptian. The cost of Sim=unlimited calls and 20gb data 165 Egyptian, or $10 USD.
4. I arrived Terminal 3 at 4am, stayed and the Meridien and then transited to my real hotel (Marriott Mena). Lines weren’t very long anywhere EXCEPT for the line to transit which was very long! I found the Meridien great value *also as SPG Platinum, but it was so easy to get to, get some sleep and chart the course, as a first time arrival. Next time I might just Uber directly to another hotel but then dealing with early morning check in is sometimes an issue (I had paid for previous night with “late” check in and requested late checkout”)
5. duty free - you get 4 liters, they write in your passport how many you buy and you have 48 hours to buy 4 liters wherever they have shops, some in town apparently.
6. Again, waste of time for evisa but I did have $25 in comfort leaving Thailand know that as USA citizen i could show a doc that said I had a visa. Turned out to be a waste of money and time, given how easy buying one on arrival was.
7. After all, when I finally got done with the visa fiasco and made my way down the stairs to the baggage, I saw the lady who was directly behind me in the line for “green” customs to scan her bags, mine were on the carroussel already so I was just a few minutes behind (but lost the time to do the SIM card/duty free shopping).
8. LOL, lots of touts, just give me a chance sir, lol.
Cheers! Powers
It was my first time arrival in Cairo. Arrived Terminal 3 at 4am in Biz Class from Bangkok.
1. I planned ahead and got an evisa ... at first I thought I applied correctly but my application was rejected as my first name and middle name didn’t appear (man, I guarantee you I checked that 3 times but maybe it was an auto fill on a “go back” click” that erased it. Anyway I started the evisa 6 days before departure, got that rejection after 3 days, they allow you to “fix it” and then it auto-resubmits and finally I got the email and evisa 1 day before departure.
2. Smugly off biz class to almost head of the line at immigration feeling quite smart, but 20 minutes of computer searching later they could not locate my evisa on their system. So I had to go back to an exchange counter and buy a “visa on arrival” for another $25. So, there was no line, it took 3 minutes, I would highly discourage evisas given the comments and the absolute inefficiency of that process. It comes with an ER code but they don’t scan anything, they just type in and search for your name, after having to boot up the computer, change immigration booths, go find a mouse to plug into the system so they can scroll through names, then just tell you that they can’t find it so go get another visa, they won’t let you in on that. Don’t do the evisa unless you just want to have something to show at check-in and then just pay for a new visa when you arrive. Total waste of time, the immigration literally rolled her eyes and wanted to spit when I gave her my evisa print out. The lady behind me said, those never work.
3. The comments that you need $25 exactly, that wasn’t my experience. It’s a change booth, I changed $100 for Egyptian currency, they just deducted the $25 and changed $75. I think this would be the same with any currency (but I didn’t try). Same at the Sim Card booths, they accept probably at least $ which I saw and other currencies, change in Egyptian. The cost of Sim=unlimited calls and 20gb data 165 Egyptian, or $10 USD.
4. I arrived Terminal 3 at 4am, stayed and the Meridien and then transited to my real hotel (Marriott Mena). Lines weren’t very long anywhere EXCEPT for the line to transit which was very long! I found the Meridien great value *also as SPG Platinum, but it was so easy to get to, get some sleep and chart the course, as a first time arrival. Next time I might just Uber directly to another hotel but then dealing with early morning check in is sometimes an issue (I had paid for previous night with “late” check in and requested late checkout”)
5. duty free - you get 4 liters, they write in your passport how many you buy and you have 48 hours to buy 4 liters wherever they have shops, some in town apparently.
6. Again, waste of time for evisa but I did have $25 in comfort leaving Thailand know that as USA citizen i could show a doc that said I had a visa. Turned out to be a waste of money and time, given how easy buying one on arrival was.
7. After all, when I finally got done with the visa fiasco and made my way down the stairs to the baggage, I saw the lady who was directly behind me in the line for “green” customs to scan her bags, mine were on the carroussel already so I was just a few minutes behind (but lost the time to do the SIM card/duty free shopping).
8. LOL, lots of touts, just give me a chance sir, lol.
Cheers! Powers
Aug 26, 2018, 8:39 am
#87
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,168
Took the family to Egypt this month and wanted to do the evisa to save pages in my passport. Didn't do it in the end because i forgot about it... anyway, had 100$ in hand, and upon landing in HRG I lined up infront of the bank counters. The touts of tour operators were yelling their lungs out to get us to come to them. One had my name on his board, obviously skimmed from the hotel driver. The bank guy took my 100$, and our passports and stuck the visa into them himself. The immigration guy just stamped the kids passports and only scanned in the adult passports, not even waiting for a response. While leaving in Cairo immigration was more particular, and noted the kids were never entered into the country. But even he was not very particular and forgot to stamp my younger sons passport. The guy checking everyones passport after immigration also missed that. Egypt doesn't seem to care much about the entire immigration process for tourists, the data is also not collected from the airlines. Refreshing in todays world.
Feb 26, 2019, 1:19 pm
#89
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 198
Not an eVisa experience, but another visa on arrival experience less than two weeks ago. It was super easy. Just walked up to one of two bank windows in terminal 3 prior to passport control, handed over a crisp US$100 bill and got four visa stickers. The whole thing was done in a few minutes.
There were no touts trying to get us to get a visa through them or anything like that.
There were no touts trying to get us to get a visa through them or anything like that.
Aug 7, 2019, 7:43 am
#90
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 701
Please help me understand the concern about having enough pages in your US passport. How many pages does the Egyptian sticker take up? How many blank pages do you need before/after receiving the Egyptian stamp?
We will be traveling from US to Zurich, then flying to Cairo from Zurich via Rome, then on the way home Cairo - Amman - Doha - home to BOS. Will we get stamps in every country so I should plan for how many empty pages?
Thank you - this is our first trip to the Middle East.
We will be traveling from US to Zurich, then flying to Cairo from Zurich via Rome, then on the way home Cairo - Amman - Doha - home to BOS. Will we get stamps in every country so I should plan for how many empty pages?
Thank you - this is our first trip to the Middle East.