Egypt is a top tourist destination globally. Egypt has made touring the country simple with the Egypt eVisa system. An eVisa is the fastest and easiest way of obtaining a visa for Egypt because travelers can submit their application and supporting documents online. Once the application is approved, travelers receive their eVisa confirmation electronically.
The Egypt visa processing time will be important to you if you plan to apply for a visa anytime soon. It is known that visas are not issued on the same day applications are submitted, so applicants must wait a while to get their visas, but how long does the waiting period take? There are different types of Egypt visas, and they all have different processing times. The e visa is the quickest because it is done online and ready in about 3 days or less, but other visas take more time. If you are coming to Egypt as a tourist and plan to spend only a few days or weeks, we advise you to apply for an e visa instead.
Let’s explore what you need to know about the Egypt e-Visa processing time.
What is an Egypt e-Visa?
Egypt launched the electronic visa or e-visa system in November 2017 and formally implemented it on December 3, 2017. The e visa of Egypt is an electronic visa introduced in 2017 by the government to quicken the application process for tourists coming to the country. Rather than visit the embassy in their countries and wait in line to apply for a tourist visa, applicants can apply for their e visa online and get it approved in a few days. E visas have become very popular because they take less time to approve and don’t require the submission of physical documents. You can submit your application online from the comfort of your home using your smartphone.
Currently, citizens from 74 countries can apply for their e visa, so they can stay in Egypt for up to one month.
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Types of Egypt e-Visas
There are two types of tourist e-visas for visitors based on the duration, and they are as follows:
- Single Entry e-Visa: The single entry e visa allows the holder to visit Egypt only once for a period of 30 days, not later than 90 days after it is issued. Once you leave Egypt, you cannot use the same e-visa again.
- Multiple Entry e-Visa: The second type is the multiple entry e visa for tourists, which allows you to enter Egypt several times within 90 days after it is issued. This e-visa is useful for frequent visitors who plan to enter and exit the country at short intervals. While the single entry visa lasts only three months, this one has a validity of 3 months to 1 year. If you plan to visit Egypt multiple times within a calendar year, you should apply for a one-year visa.
Regardless of the number of entries, your stay duration must not exceed 30 days.
When applying for a visa, you must specify the intended date of arrival in the country. The Egyptian tourist eVisa does not permit work.
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How to Apply for an Egypt e-Visa
Before starting your Egypt e-visa application, familiarise yourself with the visa fees and requirements. The traveller must complete the Egypt eVisa Application Form online. You can easily submit the application from your laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet, whether at home or in the office. Enter the relevant details, such as your passport number, issue and expiration dates, full name, gender, occupation, and purpose of travel. Upload scans of all necessary documents as instructed.
A valid passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining upon arrival in Egypt is required.
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Egypt e-Visa Processing Time
There’s no guaranteed time for e-visa approval. This is the standard processing time for an Egypt e-visa. The average e visa processing time is 5 days, but we recommend submitting your application at least 7 days before your planned trip.
Most applications are approved within 5 days. Governments do not guarantee processing times, so be sure to submit your application as early as possible. You’ll receive your Egyptian Single Entry eVisa as soon as it’s been approved, and we’ll immediately contact you if there are any issues.
For those who need their Egypt e-visa more quickly, the rush processing option is available. When time is of the essence, the Super Rush processing option is the fastest way to obtain your Egypt e-visa.
Visa on Arrival
The e visa is not the only quick-fix visa for tourists and short term visitors; there is also the visa on arrival too. A visa on arrival is a special visa for visitors from selected countries who can visit Egypt and get a visa issued at the airport. Visa on arrivals is also for short term visitors and tourists who have no visas but qualify to hold one. Unlike the e visa, the only downside to visa on arrival is that visitors have to wait in line at the airport to get them, which may take longer. However, the paperwork doesn’t take too long, and there is only one stage to the process.
So how long does the process take? Depending on the population of visitors waiting in line for the visa, the process takes a few minutes to more than an hour.
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Nationals of United States of America travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts only, for a maximum of 15 days, do not require a visa prior to travelling as a free entry permission stamp will be granted upon arrival. If they intend to travel outside of the above mentioned areas they must obtain a Visa.
Fees for Egypt e-Visa
Before starting your Egypt e-visa application, familiarise yourself with the visa fees and requirements. For detailed information and to determine the exact fee, visit the Egypt visa Fee page.
Here is a summary of the fees for US citizens:
| Type of Visa | Validity | Processing Time | Embassy Fee | Service Fee | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Entry | Up to 90 days | 2-3 business days | $0.00 | $69.00 | $69.00 |
| Single Entry | Up to 90 days | 7 business days | $25.00 | $59.00 | $84.00 |
| Single entry (30 days stay) | Up to 180 days | 4-7 weeks | $62.00 | $179.00 | $241.00 |
| 30 days Multiple Entry | Up to 180 days | 7 business days | $60.00 | $59.00 | $119.00 |
Tips for a Smooth Application
These are factors that may affect your Egypt tourist visa processing time, so consider submitting your application several weeks before the day you intend to travel so the visa will be ready before then.
The best time to apply for a visa will depend on the type of visa you are applying for. For normal visas, we recommend you apply for it at least 3 weeks before the day you plan to travel, and if you can apply for it a month in advance, that is all well and good. For e visas, the best time to submit your application is at least 7 days in advance, while there is no fixed time for a visa on arrival.
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