Four things you need to know about Egypt's visa laws

Brought to you by Emmanuel Davis

Egypt has always been a hot tourist destination but the pandemic severely impacted the country's tourism industry.

However, in 2023, things have been looking up for the country, with more than 10 million visitors in the first eight months - Ahmed Issa, Tourism and Antiquities Minister, is confident that 2023 will become a "record year for the tourism industry."

If you are one of the many millions interested in visiting the historical country filled with one of the greatest wonders of the world, here are four things you should know about their e-Visa application requirements.

First, you will have to check whether you are from a country that is eligible to apply for an Egyptian online visa as not all countries support this option.

Canada was recently taken off the list for e-Visas and would now have to acquire a visa through their local embassy.

For citizens from countries that are eligible for e-Visas from Egypt, they can use a third party agency to handle the process or process it themselves through official forums.

When you have received your visa, you should find out what other documents you have to prepare for immigration.

Often, travelers are asked to show their proof of income, accommodation bookings, or intent to leave the country by showing the return ticket.

Many travelers are often confused by the "six months validity" clause when applying for visas or when visiting a country.

While it does vary from country to country, a good rule of thumb is to have a passport that expires six months from the date of your departure from the country you are intending to visit.

For example, if you are visiting Egypt in April and leaving on April 30, your passport should expire in October of the same date.

If either one of your parents is an Egyptian citizen, you will be exempt from requiring a visa to enter Egypt as you would be considered Egyptian by birth.

Those married to an Egyptian spouse will still have to apply for a visa until naturalisation occurs.

There are only about 18 countries that have a reciprocal agreement with the country of Egypt whereby their nationals do not require a visa to enter the country.

For Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, their nationals may stay visa-free in Egypt for six months.

For Hong Kong, Jordan, and Macao, the allowed duration of stay is three months.

For Malaysian citizens, it is two weeks.

For female Palestinians or males above 40 years old, they may stay in Egypt indefinitely.

Libya, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, may enter the country if they meet the age or gender requirements for up to three months.