How entry works when you fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam — and why we send you to the government portal for the numbers.
We deliberately do not print the visa fee here.
Eligibility and fees are nationality-specific and have changed more than once recently; published figures around the web currently disagree with each other. The only sources worth acting on are the official Egyptian e-Visa portal and your own government’s travel advice — both linked below. Anything else, including this page, can be out of date on the day you fly.
- Do I need a visa to visit Hurghada or Marsa Alam?
- Most visitors do. Egypt issues a tourist visa either on arrival at the airport or in advance online through the official e-Visa portal, and many nationalities are eligible for both routes. Eligibility, fees and conditions are nationality-specific and change, so check the official portal at visa2egypt.gov.eg and your own government’s travel-advice page before you fly — those are the only two sources worth trusting on this.
- Should I get the visa on arrival or the e-Visa?
- Visa on arrival is bought at a bank desk in the terminal before passport control and needs no advance planning — the usual advice is to carry the fee in cash US dollars, in clean notes. The e-Visa is applied for online several days ahead and means you walk straight to immigration. If you dislike queues or are arriving late at night, apply in advance; if you are booking last-minute, on arrival is normally fine. Apply only through the official government portal — search results are full of resellers charging a markup for the same document.
- How long is my passport required to be valid?
- Plan on at least six months of validity beyond your arrival date, plus a blank page or two for stamps. Airlines check this at the departure gate, and a passport inside six months is the most common reason people are refused boarding for Egypt.
- How long can I stay in Egypt on a tourist visa?
- A standard single-entry tourist visa is issued for a stay of up to 30 days. Extensions are handled by the passport and immigration offices inside Egypt, and longer or residence-based stays are a different process — if you are moving here rather than visiting, confirm the current rules with an Egyptian immigration office or a lawyer rather than a travel blog.
- Is there a separate rule for Sinai?
- Yes, and it does not apply to the Red Sea coast. There is a long-standing free entry-stamp arrangement covering short stays around Sharm El Sheikh and the South Sinai resorts, which is separate from the visa system used for arrivals at Hurghada (HRG) and Marsa Alam (RMF). If you are flying into the Red Sea coast, assume you need a normal tourist visa.
Checked 24 July 2026. Rules and prices change — we link official sources so you can confirm on the day. Something out of date? Tell us.