Is it necessary to go to the embassy for an Egyptian visa?

How to obtain a visa for Egypt without going to the consulate :

It is of course always possible for a traveller wishing to visit Egypt to go to the Egyptian consulate in your country of residence. However, you can also use a specialised online agency that will take care of this process for you and save you an unnecessary trip to obtain your visa. This agency must be accredited by the Egyptian embassy, and the procedure is done entirely remotely.

The documents required for the visa application can be sent directly by post for simplicity.

However, the Egyptian Embassy may wish to conduct a personal interview with the visa applicant and request additional information or evidence to access the application and assess the case.

What documents should be sent to the embassy or consulate?

The online visa application for Egypt requires a few supporting documents including

• A valid passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you apply for your visa.
• The official application form of the Egyptian Embassy filled in and signed. You can of course download it online.
• 2 recent passport photos
• The dated and signed summary of your online visa order

All you have to do is pay the processing fee online by credit card.

Some additional documents may also be requested in particular cases, including

• For children: a full visa application for each child which must also be included on the parent(s)' invitation.
• For minors travelling alone: an exit permit from both parents and a copy of the family record book.

Documents to be provided for an e-visa application for Egypt:

The electronic visa application for Egypt is another 100% online formality that will allow you to obtain a residence permit in this country. Here are the documents you will need to provide to take advantage of this process which does not require you to visit an embassy.

• A copy of the page of your passport showing your identity.

You will be asked to fill in a form in which you will be asked to provide a number of details including

• Your home address
• Your profession
• The country from which you will be travelling to Egypt
• The departure date of your trip to Egypt
• The date you plan to leave Egypt
• The number of entries you wish to obtain: note here that one entry is valid for a maximum of one month per stay but you can also choose a multiple entry visa which will be valid for 3 months.
• Your previous visits to Egypt if you have been there before with the dates of your stays.
• Information about your possible deportation from Egypt or another country and the reason for it.
• The address where you plan to stay in Egypt with the name of your hotel, its address, a phone number and an email.

For the Egypt e-visa, the order is made online and the documents are downloaded directly from the e-visa website, without the need to send them by post. Payment of fees is also done online and in a completely secure manner. In most cases, confirmation of your e-visa is sent to you by email within 3 to 7 days.

Please note! Only certain countries can benefit from the e-visa service for Egypt and are therefore exempted from a classic visa application which is done at the Egyptian Consulate:

Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican.

Why use an online visa service rather than going to an embassy?

There are of course several major advantages to using e-visa or online visa services to travel to Egypt.

First of all, not everyone is lucky enough to live close to an Egyptian embassy or consulate or to be able to visit one.

With online visa services for Egypt, everything is done remotely so you don't have to worry about travel. This will save you both time and travel costs.

Furthermore, the online e-visa procedure for travelling to Egypt allows you to obtain your residence permit more quickly. The average delay is only 3 days and you receive your visa electronically, as it is automatically and electronically attached to your passport.

What other visas may be required to travel to Egypt?

If you wish to visit Egypt for business purposes, the e-visa cannot be granted as it is for tourist travel only. However, here are the other visas you can apply for:

• The business visa: in addition to a valid passport and the official application form from the Egyptian Embassy, the applicant must provide two recent passport photos, a dated, signed and stamped letter of assignment from his or her company indicating the reason for the stay and the assumption of additional expenses, a letter of invitation from a correspondent in Egypt, and a travel certificate or copy of the plane ticket.
• Work visa: If you wish to work in Egypt, you will need a resident visa and a work permit. Only officials of embassies, consulates, commercial representation services and international organisations and press correspondents, trainees residing in Egypt for less than one year are exempt from this visa. Here, the work permit is to be requested from the employer in Egypt by providing the tourist or residence visa, 7 passport photos, two copies of experience certificates and diplomas, two copies of the marriage contract if the foreigner has married an Egyptian woman, a certificate of non-contamination by AIDS.
• The expatriation visa: this involves applying for a business visa which will then be processed in Egypt.