The answer to whether you need an Egypt visa depends on where you are going. If you fly to Sharm el-Sheikh and stay only in the Sinai resort zone, no visa is needed for up to 14 days and a free stamp is put in at the border. If you are going to Cairo, Luxor or Hurghada, you need the 25-dollar visa, and you can get it both online and at the airport. Going to the embassy is not necessary in any case.
In this article we explain the three options, the trap in the Sinai stamp, the documents and the direct flight from Baku to Sharm el-Sheikh.
An Egypt visa: three options
| The Sinai stamp | Free, 14 days, only the Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba zone |
| Visa on arrival | 25 dollars cash, 30 days, the whole of Egypt |
| Online eVisa | 25 dollars by card, 30 days, before the flight |
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months |
| Direct flight | AZAL Baku–Sharm el-Sheikh, twice a week, around 4 hours |
The Sinai stamp: 14 days in Egypt without a visa
Tourists entering through Sharm el-Sheikh, Taba or Saint Catherine airport and staying only in the resort zone of the Sinai peninsula get a free «Sinai only» stamp in their passport, valid for 14 days. With this stamp you can stay in Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab and Nuweiba and go to Ras Muhammad national park and Mount Sinai. But an excursion to Cairo, Luxor or Hurghada is not possible with this stamp; if you go there, you are stopped at the checkpoints. If you want to stay longer than 14 days or leave Sinai, buy the ordinary visa for 25 dollars right at the airport.
A visa on arrival or an online eVisa?
Both are the same visa: single entry, 30 days, 25 dollars. The visa on arrival is bought with cash dollars at the bank kiosk in all international airports, so take an exact 25-dollar note. The online eVisa is obtained on the Egyptian government’s official portal before the flight and removes the queue. The official portal is the Egyptian government’s eVisa site; intermediary sites charge 60–80 dollars for the same visa. There is also a multiple-entry 30-day visa, for 60 dollars.
What do you need for an Egypt visa?
A bank statement, an employment letter and insurance are not required. In that respect Egypt is one of the simplest destinations for an Azerbaijani tourist.
Read next: A Jordan visa: at the border, online and how to get it free with the Jordan Pass
How do you fly from Baku to Egypt?
AZAL flies direct from Baku to Sharm el-Sheikh twice a week and the journey takes around 4 hours; in the winter season the flights increase. To Cairo and Hurghada people fly with Turkish Airlines and Pegasus via Istanbul and with the Gulf airlines via Doha and Dubai. Baku–Sharm el-Sheikh ticket prices rise at New Year, Novruz and in the summer holidays; October-November is both cheap and the sea is still warm.
Sharm el-Sheikh is the most chosen place from Azerbaijan for a winter beach holiday, and Egypt tour packages give you the flight together with all-inclusive hotels; for tours that stay only in Sinai no visa is needed either.
Things to know before the trip
- Money. The Egyptian pound. Dollars and euros are changed everywhere, cards work in the hotels, and in the markets and taxis you need cash. The tipping culture is widespread, so take small notes.
- Season. October–April is ideal for Cairo and Luxor, the Red Sea resorts work all year, and the summer is very hot.
- Safety. The resort zones and tourist routes are protected; do not go to northern Sinai and the regions on the Libyan border.
- Drones. Bringing a drone into Egypt is banned and it is confiscated at the airport.
Frequently asked questions about the Egypt visa
Can you go on a day trip to Cairo with the Sinai stamp?
No. For a Cairo excursion you need the ordinary visa; the agencies selling excursions sometimes do not say this and then a problem arises on the road. If you are going to Cairo from Sharm, buy the 25-dollar visa on entry.
Can the 30 days be extended?
Yes, it can be extended at the passport office inside the country, but the process is slow. If you are going to stay a long time, plan it in advance.
Is the visa fee paid for children too?
Yes, the visa is obtained separately for every passenger, children included. The Sinai stamp, though, is free for everyone.
In closing
An Egypt visa is simple: a free stamp if you are staying in Sinai, and in all other cases 25 dollars, online or at the border. The most common mistake is trying to go to Cairo on the Sinai stamp. The Viza.az team helps with obtaining the eVisa from the official portal, choosing the flight and the hotel and planning the Egypt route.
You can read more about Egypt as a destination and our service fees or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is as of the publication date. Fees and entry rules can change, so check the official portal once more before your trip.
