FAQs

If you hold a residence permit in the country you live in you can apply to the Egyptian Embassy/Consulate General in that country, otherwise you have to apply to the country that issued your passport.

Though many nationalities are exempted from requiring a visa for the many Sinai resorts, a full tourist visa is required if you come to any place in Egypt that lies to the west of the Red Sea/Suez Canal.

Though many nationalities are exempted from requiring a visa for staying in Hurghada, once you leave the confines of the town a full tourist visa is required.

Though many nationalities are exempted from requiring a visa for staying in Hurghada, once you leave the confines of the town a full tourist visa is required.

Yes, as soon as you leave Egypt your visa will be stamped and so you will require another one. If you are from a country that can get their visa upon arrival in Egypt, you can get the new one when you re-enter the country, but if you require a pre-entry visa you should apply for 2 of these, using the second one when you re-enter Egypt.

A tourist visa can be extended if required. To do this you have to apply to Mogamma, El Tahrir Square, or to the equivalent offices in Alexandria, Luxor or Sharm El-Sheikh

The star ratings get higher as the facilities and overall standard of the accommodation gets better and so it is easier to imagine 5 star deluxe (or any suffix added to 5 star) as being 6 star; something that those who fix the star ratings seem feared to utilize.

If you are only in Cairo for a few days, it is a lot easier for you to see the sites starting from a base in Giza. The traffic from downtown to the pyramids can cause the journey to take over an hour, which means an early start if you want a full day’s experience, especially if you require to enter the Great Pyramid, when you have to be at the plateau before 0800. If you are in Cairo for a while, the hotels at the Pyramids are all on a resort basis, built in acres of land with outdoor swimming pools and relaxing areas, something which Downtown hotels cannot really provide. This is why you tend to find that the Downtown hotels are built like towers. Very tall and narrow, while Giza Pyramid hotels are limited in height, but cover more ground.

Bed and breakfast means that only breakfast is supplied. Half board means that breakfast and dinner are supplied. Full board has all meals supplied (breakfast, lunch and dinner) All inclusive, means that all meals and drinks are supplied; some hotels also supply alcohol. This last point should be checked when making the booking.