Every way into Egypt.

Egypt's official online tourist visa, issued through the government e-Visa portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Ministry of Interior. The single-entry e-Visa is valid for 90 days (3 months) from the date of approval and permits a single stay of up to 30 days. As of 2026 the single-entry fee is USD 30 (raised from USD 25). Applicants must apply at least 7 days before departure, create an account, upload a passport copy and pay by card; the approved e-Visa is downloaded and presented on arrival. It is a visitor visa only: it does not authorise work, study or residence and is not extendable into a residence permit, though a 30-day extension can be requested in-country from the passport authority. Available to eligible nationalities (broadly the same list of roughly 70+ countries that may also obtain a visa on arrival).

Government fee

$30

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

The multiple-entry version of Egypt's official tourist e-Visa, issued through visa2egypt.gov.eg. It is valid for 180 days (6 months) from approval and allows the holder to enter and exit Egypt multiple times, with each individual stay limited to 30 days. As of 2026 the fee is USD 65 (raised from USD 60). It is intended for repeat tourism and short visits, not for work, study or residence. The same application process applies: register at least 7 days before departure, upload the passport, pay online and download the approved visa for presentation at the border.

Government fee

$65

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

180 days

Nationals of roughly 70+ eligible countries (including all EU states, the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Russia and others) may buy a single-entry tourist visa sticker on arrival at Egyptian international airports from the visa bank counters in the arrivals hall, before passport control. The fee is USD 30 (effective 2026) and the visa permits a stay of up to 30 days. Payment is accepted in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling. Indian and some other nationals must additionally hold a valid/used US, UK, Schengen or Japan visa, or travel with an organised tour, to qualify. The e-Visa is the recommended alternative to avoid airport queues. This is a visitor entry only and does not permit work, study or residence. Travellers visiting only South Sinai resorts (Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) for up to 15 days may instead receive a free entry permission stamp.

Government fee

$30

Processing time

1 day

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

For travellers entering Egypt for business purposes such as meetings, negotiations, conferences, seminars and short training courses. Business travel can be undertaken on the standard tourist e-Visa (single or multiple entry) for short visits, or via a consular business visa where an invitation and additional documentation are required. The e-Visa single-entry fee is USD 30, valid 90 days with a 30-day stay; the multiple-entry option (USD 65, valid 180 days) suits repeat business trips. A business visa does not authorise taking up local employment in Egypt; foreigners who will be employed by an Egyptian entity require a separate work permit and work visa. Consular business visas typically require a letter of invitation from the Egyptian host company.

Government fee

$30

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

For international students accepted by an Egyptian university, college or recognised institute under the Ministry of Higher Education. Applicants first obtain a student entry visa from an Egyptian consulate using an official acceptance letter, then within 30 days of arrival register with the local passport authority (Gawazat) to obtain a Study Residence Permit (Iqama) allowing them to reside and study for the academic period. Enrolment minimums are typically 12 credit hours (9 for graduate students). Applicants must show financial capacity (bank statements or a sponsorship/scholarship letter) covering tuition and living costs. The residence permit is renewable annually while studies continue; consular processing typically takes 4-8 weeks. Students may later transition to a work permit, and lawful study counts toward longer-term residence.

• Study: Full enrolment at the sponsoring institution.
• Residency after 15 years

Processing time

42 days

Validity

365 days

The standard route for non-Egyptians taking up employment with an Egyptian employer, governed by Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 and Ministry of Labour (Manpower) Resolution No. 279 of 2025. The employer applies to the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration; the process is two-stage. First the applicant obtains a single-entry work-entry visa (valid one month, non-renewable) to enter Egypt; then, after a mandatory HIV/AIDS test at the Ministry of Health Central Laboratory, the work permit itself is filed. Foreign staff may not exceed 10% of a company's workforce unless exempted, and the employer must justify that the role cannot be filled by an Egyptian and provide for knowledge transfer. The work permit is valid for one year and is renewed annually while employment continues; it is the basis for a matching one-year work residence permit. Government fees are set in Egyptian pounds and vary by nationality and role.

• Work: Authorises employment with the sponsoring employer only.
• Residency: Annual work residence; long residence/naturalisation possible after many years (typically 10+).
• Family: Spouse and dependants may obtain residence tied to the permit holder.

Processing time

30 days

Validity

365 days

The business / investment-project route of Egypt's GAFI citizenship-by-investment programme. The applicant invests at least USD 350,000 in a new or existing Egyptian business (establishing an investment project), combined with a non-refundable USD 100,000 donation to the state Treasury, with all funds transferred from abroad in US dollars. A non-refundable USD 10,000 administrative fee is also transferred to the Central Bank of Egypt. On security approval the investor receives six months' temporary residence to execute the project; Egyptian citizenship is then granted by Prime Minister's decision to the investor and minor children up to age 21, generally within 3-6 months. (Coded as golden_visa within this taxonomy as the investment-project variant of the citizenship-by-investment programme; it is a direct citizenship route, not residence-only.)

• Work: Full work rights as a naturalised citizen.
• Study: Full study rights as a national.
• Residency: Direct grant of citizenship.
• Family: Investor and minor children up to age 21 naturalised.

Government fee

$10,000

Processing time

180 days

Min. investment

$350,000

Introduced by Minister of Interior Decree No. 977 of 2023, this grants foreigners renewable non-touristic residence based on Egyptian real-estate ownership, with the duration scaled to the value purchased (paid in foreign currency transferred from abroad): one or more properties worth at least USD 50,000 gives a 1-year renewable permit; at least USD 100,000 gives 3 years; and at least USD 200,000 gives 5 years. The property must be genuinely owned by the applicant and registered; foreign individuals are generally limited under Law 230/1996 to two properties not exceeding 4,000 m2 each. The permit is renewable while ownership is maintained and covers the owner; family members can obtain dependent residence. This is a residence (not citizenship) route — the citizenship-by-investment programme has a higher USD 300,000 government-project real-estate threshold. The minimum-investment figure recorded here is the USD 50,000 entry tier.

• Study: Holder and dependants may study.
• Residency after 15 years
• Family: Family members obtain dependent residence on the owner's sponsorship.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

1,825 days

Min. investment

$50,000

Under Egypt's citizenship-by-investment programme, administered by the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) through its Citizenship Unit, a foreigner may acquire Egyptian nationality by purchasing real estate worth at least USD 300,000 from government-owned/approved projects, paid in US dollars transferred from abroad. The property must be retained for a minimum of five years before it may be sold. In addition to the investment, applicants pay a non-refundable USD 10,000 administrative fee transferred from abroad to the Central Bank of Egypt. On security approval the investor first receives temporary residence for six months to complete the investment; citizenship is then granted by Prime Minister's decision to the investor and minor children up to age 21. Processing takes about 3-6 months. Egypt permits dual nationality.

• Work: As a citizen, full work rights once naturalised.
• Study: Full study rights as a national.
• Residency: Direct grant of citizenship, not merely residence.
• Family: Investor and minor children up to age 21 are naturalised.

Government fee

$10,000

Processing time

180 days

Min. investment

$300,000

The bank-deposit route of Egypt's GAFI-administered citizenship-by-investment programme. The applicant deposits USD 500,000 in a special account at the Central Bank of Egypt, transferred from abroad in foreign currency; the deposit is refundable in Egyptian pounds (local currency), without interest, after three years. A separate non-refundable USD 10,000 administrative fee is also transferred to the Central Bank. After security clearance the investor receives six months' temporary residence, and citizenship is granted by Prime Minister's decision to the investor and minor children up to age 21, typically within 3-6 months. Other routes under the same programme are a USD 250,000 non-refundable Treasury donation and a USD 350,000 business investment combined with a USD 100,000 Treasury donation.

• Work: Full work rights as a naturalised citizen.
• Study: Full study rights as a national.
• Residency: Direct grant of citizenship.
• Family: Investor and minor children up to age 21 naturalised.

Government fee

$10,000

Processing time

180 days

Min. investment

$500,000

A residence-by-investment option created by Minister of Interior Decree No. 977 of 2023 for foreigners who place a foreign-currency bank deposit in Egypt. A deposit of at least USD 50,000 (or equivalent) gives a 1-year renewable residence permit; a deposit of at least USD 100,000 gives a 3-year renewable permit. The funds must be transferred from abroad in foreign currency and held in an Egyptian bank for the residence period; the permit is renewable while the deposit is maintained. It is a residence pathway only and does not itself confer citizenship — that is a separate GAFI programme requiring a refundable USD 500,000 Central Bank deposit. The minimum-investment value recorded here is the USD 50,000 entry tier; validity reflects the 3-year (USD 100,000) tier.

• Study: Holder and dependants may study.
• Residency after 15 years
• Family: Dependants may obtain residence on the holder's sponsorship.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

1,095 days

Min. investment

$50,000

Residence granted to foreigners investing in an Egyptian company or project, distinct from (and far cheaper than) the citizenship-by-investment programme. Investors establishing or holding a stake in a company registered through GAFI under Investment Law No. 72 of 2017 can obtain investor residence for the duration of the project, with multi-year renewable permits issued by the passport authority. There is no fixed statutory minimum capital for the residence itself, though substantive economic activity and company registration are required; investors with stronger economic ties receive longer permits. The permit allows the investor to manage the business in Egypt; it does not by itself authorise salaried employment outside the company, and it counts as lawful residence toward longer-term residence and, after many years, possible naturalisation.

• Work: May manage and work in the owned company; outside employment needs a work permit.
• Study: Holder and dependants may study.
• Residency after 15 years
• Family: Dependants obtain residence on the investor's sponsorship.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

1,825 days

Dependent residence for the spouse and minor children of a foreigner who holds a valid Egyptian residence permit (for example a work, investor, property or deposit residence holder), under Law No. 89 of 1960. The dependants' residence is tied to and runs for the same period as the sponsoring resident's permit, and is renewed alongside it. The sponsor must show a lawful basis of stay and means to support the family. Dependants may reside and study in Egypt; they cannot take salaried employment without obtaining their own work permit. The residence counts as lawful stay toward longer-term residence and eventual naturalisation timelines.

• Study: Dependants may study.
• Residency after 15 years
• Family: Spouse and minor children included as dependants of the resident sponsor.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Residence granted to a foreign spouse of an Egyptian citizen on the basis of a valid marriage contract, under Law No. 89 of 1960. The permit is first issued for one year, then renewed for three years, and then for five years, provided the marriage continues. First- and second-degree relatives of the foreign spouse may obtain an annual residence permit under the Egyptian spouse's sponsorship. After a period of marriage and continuous residence (the foreign wife of an Egyptian man may apply for nationality after two years of marriage; other cases require longer residence), the spouse may seek permanent residence or naturalisation under the nationality law. The permit allows the holder to live in Egypt; salaried employment still requires a work permit.

• Study: Holder may study.
• Residency after 5 years
• Family: Children and certain relatives of the spouse may obtain dependent residence.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

The general residence permit (iqama) for foreigners staying in Egypt beyond a tourist visa, governed by Law No. 89 of 1960 on the entry and residence of foreigners and Minister of Interior Decree No. 977 of 2023. Temporary residence is granted for renewable periods of up to one year to those who do not qualify for special or longer-tier residence, and is the status most employees, students and family members initially hold. It is issued by the General Administration for Passports, Immigration and Nationality. After 15 continuous years of residence a foreigner may apply for 'regular' (5-year) residence; 'special' (10-year) residence exists for long-established categories. Time on lawful residence counts toward eligibility for naturalisation, which generally requires around 10 years of continuous legal residence plus further conditions.

• Study: Permitted where the residence is study-based.
• Residency after 15 years
• Family: Dependants may obtain matching residence.

Processing time

30 days

Validity

365 days

The longest-tier ordinary residence category under Law No. 89 of 1960, granted for ten years and renewable on application. It is reserved for long-established categories of foreigners, principally those born in Egypt before the publication of Decree-Law No. 74 of 1952 whose residence has not been interrupted, and foreigners who had resided in Egypt for 20 years before that decree. A parallel 'regular' residence of five years is available to foreigners who have lawfully resided in Egypt for 15 years. These categories provide stable long-term status short of citizenship; naturalisation generally requires around ten years of continuous lawful residence plus further conditions and is granted at the Minister of Interior's/Prime Minister's discretion.

• Study: Holder may study.
• Residency after 10 years
• Family: Dependants may obtain matching residence.

Processing time

90 days

Validity

3,650 days