Egypt e-Visa: Cost, Processing Time, Validity & Visa on Arrival (2026)

Checked 2026-06.

Checked 2026-06: Egypt offers most travelers a single-entry tourist e-visa for roughly USD 30, valid 90 days for a stay of up to 30 days, with processing usually taking 3-7 business days. You can apply yourself on the official government portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg, or have a service like iVisa handle it for a fee.

The official cost of an Egyptian tourist e-visa is the government fee paid on the state portal. As of 2026, the single-entry e-visa is approximately USD 30 and the multiple-entry e-visa is approximately USD 65. These reflect a roughly USD 5 increase that Egypt phased in during early-to-mid 2026 (the visa-on-arrival fee rose from about USD 25 to USD 30 on 1 March 2026, with the e-visa fees following). Treat these as approximate, dated figures rather than fixed guarantees: always confirm the exact fee shown on the official portal at the moment you pay, since governments adjust fees without much notice.

Processing time is typically 3 to 7 business days, and many approvals arrive within 3 to 5 days. Egypt's guidance is to submit your application at least 7 working days before you travel, and longer during peak seasons. The approved e-visa is emailed to you as a PDF that you print and carry; an approval does not guarantee entry, as Egyptian immigration officers make the final decision at the border. Validity differs from length of stay: the single-entry e-visa is generally valid for about 90 days from issue, and the multiple-entry version for about 180 days. Either way, the permitted tourist stay is usually up to 30 days per entry.

You can apply for the e-visa yourself, directly, at the official Egyptian government site: visa2egypt.gov.eg. There you create an account, upload a passport-style photo and your passport bio page, fill in your travel details, and pay by card. Applying directly means you pay only the government fee with no markup. The official portal is the only place to obtain a genuine government e-visa; many lookalike sites and agencies exist, so check the URL carefully.

Third-party services such as iVisa offer a more hands-off route: they review your details, validate your photo, and provide customer support, which some travelers find worth it for peace of mind. The important honesty point is that iVisa (and any agency) adds its own service fee on top of the government visa fee. You are paying for convenience and support, not a cheaper or faster government decision. If budget is your priority, applying yourself on visa2egypt.gov.eg is the lowest-cost option; if you value done-for-you handling, the agency route can be worth the extra cost.

A visa on arrival is an alternative for eligible nationalities (citizens of many countries including the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and others). You buy a visa sticker at a bank kiosk in the airport arrivals hall before passport control, for roughly USD 30 in 2026 (also raised from about USD 25 on 1 March 2026), giving a single-entry stay of up to 30 days. It is paid in USD, EUR, or GBP. Visa on arrival saves you applying in advance, but it carries queue risk and depends on your nationality and the entry point, so the pre-approved e-visa is often the calmer choice. Note that some travelers visiting only the Sharm El Sheikh / Sinai resort area may qualify for a free entry stamp under the Sinai-only rules instead.

Check your specific case with the visa-on-arrival eligibility checker.