Q. What is going on with changes to Egypt's visa rules? I've heard conflicting information about what we need.
A. Your confusion is understandable, because the government in Cairo has issued a series of contradictory edicts.
Let's deal with the easy case first, as it applies to the large majority of British holidaymakers going to Egypt. If you are travelling to the resorts of the south Sinai – Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba – and staying put in the area for a visit of 15 days or less, then you do not need to have any concerns. UK passport holders, as well as people from the rest of the EU and the US, get a free entry permission stamp upon arrival. (That assumes you have six months' validity remaining on your passport from the date you enter Egypt, which is a requirement.)
Suppose, though, you are heading for Cairo and the Nile Valley – whether as a trip on its own or an excursion from the Sinai resorts. In this case you need a visa. At present, getting a visa valid for up to 30 days is a simple matter of paying the equivalent of US$25 (£17) on arrival at the airport. That is standard practice at Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada airports, and anyone arriving at Sharm el‑Sheikh who plans to explore more widely can also buy a visa. The Foreign Office says: "There's no need to buy a visa from an agent. In many cases agents will charge more than US$25."
Last month the Egyptian authorities announced that independent travellers would need to obtain visas in advance. It did not affect people travelling under the auspices of an Egyptian tour operator – which, in effect, covers most people on packages organised from the UK, because their holiday companies have local partners.
But the move looked to jeopardise still further the nation's tourist industry. It has just been annulled, so all travellers can look forward to visiting without a tangle of red tape.
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