Most UK and EU travellers can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Hurghada Airport for 30 US dollars, in cash, at the bank counters in the arrivals hall before passport control. It allows a single entry and a stay of up to 30 days. The fee went up from 25 to 30 dollars on 1 March 2026. You can also buy an e-Visa online before you fly, at the official site visa2egypt.gov.eg.
For most holidaymakers, the visa is the first thing that happens in Egypt, and the part people worry about most. It is simple once you know the order: visa counter first, then the passport queue. This guide covers the 2026 fees, who can use the airport visa, the e-Visa alternative and what to have in your hand when you get off the plane.
Visa rules can change at short notice. We checked everything here against the UK government’s and the German Foreign Office’s Egypt entry pages on 13 October 2026. Always check the official advice for your own passport before you travel.
On this page
What the visa costs in 2026
| Visa | Fee | Where and how long |
|---|---|---|
| Visa on arrival | $30 | Bank counter at HRG, before passport control. Up to 30 days, single entry |
| e-Visa, single entry | $30 | Online at visa2egypt.gov.eg. Up to 30 days, use within 3 months |
| e-Visa, multiple entry | $65 | Online at visa2egypt.gov.eg. Up to 30 days per visit, valid 6 months |
Many websites and some tour operator pages still say 25 dollars. That was the price until the end of February 2026. Plan for 30.
Who can get a visa on arrival
Egypt offers a tourist visa on arrival to more than 100 nationalities, including citizens of the United Kingdom and all EU countries such as Germany and Poland. It is for tourism only. If you are travelling to work, study or live in Egypt, you need a different visa before you travel.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive
- Your passport must have a free page for the visa sticker
- Have your hotel name and address ready, as officers may ask where you are staying. German citizens can also enter with a valid Personalausweis (ID card), but need two biometric passport photos for it
Step by step at Hurghada Airport
This is the order things happen in when you land at Hurghada with a visa on arrival:
- 1
Into the arrivals hall
Walk or take the apron bus into the terminal. Keep your passport and cash in a pocket, not in your hand luggage.
- 2
Find the bank counters
The visa counters are in the hall before the passport control desks. Do not join the passport queue first: without a visa you will be sent back.
- 3
Pay $30 in cash
You receive a visa sticker or stamp. Bring clean, undamaged US dollar notes. Some travellers report that euros or pounds are accepted, but the rate is not always clear, so dollars are the safe choice.
- 4
Fill in the entry card if you are given one
Egypt is replacing paper entry cards with digital checks, and Cairo stopped using them in April 2026. If a card is handed out at Hurghada, fill it in while you queue.
- 5
Passport control
An officer checks your passport and visa. Queues can be long when several charter flights land together.
Baggage and the arrivals hall
Collect your bags, pass customs and walk out into the arrivals hall, where drivers and tour reps wait.
Met as early as the airport allows
With iNeed’s Arrival Concierge, your concierge messages you on WhatsApp before you fly with a checklist for the visa and your meeting point, then waits for you at the earliest point the airport allows, carries your bags and drives you to your hotel.
e-Visa or visa on arrival: which is better?
Visa on arrival
Most common- Fee
- $30 cash
- Before you fly
- Nothing to do
- At the airport
- One extra stop at the bank counter
- Best for
- UK and EU holidaymakers
e-Visa
- Fee
- $30 single, $65 multiple
- Before you fly
- Apply online, pay by card
- At the airport
- Show the printout at passport control
- Best for
- No cash, several trips, peace of mind
The e-Visa saves you the counter and the cash, but you need to apply well before you fly, and the portal does not promise a processing time. Use only the official site, visa2egypt.gov.eg. Many lookalike sites charge a large extra fee for the same visa.
German travellers: entering with an ID card
German citizens can enter Egypt with a valid Personalausweis instead of a passport. The German Foreign Office still recommends a passport. If you travel with your ID card, bring two biometric passport photos. The visa is then issued on a separate sheet with your photo, which you must keep with you for your whole stay and show again when you leave. A temporary ID card (vorläufiger Personalausweis) is not accepted.
Our German visa guide explains this in more detail.
Tips that save time at HRG
Bring exact dollars
Carry $30 per person in clean notes, plus a little extra in small notes for tips and the trolley.
Pay for the group together
One person can pay for the whole family at the counter while the others keep their place in line.
Keep your visa sheet
If you entered with an ID card, the visa sheet is checked again on departure. Keep it with your passport photos.
Leave the drone at home
Drones need prior permission from Egypt’s civil aviation authority. Without it, they are taken at customs.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Egypt visa on arrival at Hurghada in 2026?
Can I pay for the Egypt visa on arrival by card?
Where do I buy the visa at Hurghada Airport?
Is an e-Visa better than a visa on arrival for Hurghada?
Can I use the new QR visa at Hurghada?
How long must my passport be valid for Egypt?
Written by the iNeed concierge team in Hurghada. Last updated .