Egypt to Launch New 5-Year Tourist Visa and Expands Visa on Arrival for Chinese and Turks

The Egyptian government has announced new measures to grant tourist visas to foreign visitors. The most significant of these measures is the introduction of a multiple-entry tourist visa, which will be valid for five years. The government will also expand the scope of visas upon arrival to include more nationalities. Chinese and Turks will be granted visas upon arrival without conditions, while citizens of Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, India, and Iran will be granted visas upon arrival under specific conditions.

The announcement was made by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, during a press conference on Monday, March 27, 2023. Issa also discussed several strategies and procedures the government has adopted to develop tourism in Egypt. These include improving the tourism investment climate, increasing the number of hotel rooms, and facilitating procedures for investors to obtain licenses to work in the tourism sector.

The government will grant Chinese tourists visas upon arrival at Egyptian airports. Turkish tourists will also be granted visas upon arrival without requiring age restrictions. Indian tourists residing in the GCC countries will be allowed to obtain visas upon arrival at Egyptian airports. Moroccan and Algerian tourists will be granted visas upon arrival if they are coming in tourist groups, while Iranian tourists will be granted visas upon arrival in South Sinai, sponsored by tourism companies.

Iraqi tourists will be granted visas upon arrival at Egyptian airports if they have a visa issued by a Schengen member state, the United States, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, or New Zealand, and provided that the visa they hold is valid and has been used before. Iraqi citizens under the age of 16 or over the age of 60 can also obtain a visa to Egypt online through the Egyptian e-visa platform.

The government will also introduce a multiple-entry tourist visa, which will be valid for five years, for a fee of $700. The Egyptian Minister of Tourism confirmed that all measures, including the launch of the new visa and the application of all new entry facilities, will come into effect as soon as possible. The government aims to further boost incoming tourism to Egypt through these new procedures and facilities granted to foreign tourists of various nationalities.