Hurghada Visa and Entry Requirements Guide

Obtaining a tourist visa upon landing at Hurghada International Airport is straightforward, rapid and available twenty-four hours a day. When you exit your aircraft into the terminal building, look for the official bank kiosks located directly before the passport immigration control booths.

Official currency exchange desks operated by national banks like Banque Misr and National Bank of Egypt sell the official adhesive visa stamp. You pay the current fee in US dollar cash at the counter, and the bank clerk hands you the visa sticker. You affix this sticker to a blank page in your passport and walk to the passport control desks, where the immigration officer stamps your passport with your entry date.

Travellers who prefer securing travel documentation before departure can apply through Egypt's official government e-visa portal. The government service allows eligible passport holders to submit passport scans and complete payment online before travelling.

Apply exclusively through the official Egyptian government portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) at least seven days before your departure. The e-visa fee is paid online by card; the portal shows the current amount. Once approved, download and print at least two paper copies of your electronic visa confirmation to present at airport check-in and Egyptian passport control.

Your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your planned date of departure from Egypt. Egyptian immigration authorities enforce this rule strictly, and airline gate staff will deny boarding if your passport expires sooner.

In addition to your passport validity, ensure your passport contains at least one completely blank page for the visa sticker and entry-exit ink stamps. Immigration officers may occasionally ask to see your confirmed hotel reservation voucher and your return flight ticket back to your home destination. Having digital or printed copies of your accommodation booking accessible on arrival ensures a seamless entry process.

The free fifteen-day Sinai resort stamp issued at Sharm El Sheikh airport is strictly invalid for Hurghada and the Red Sea mainland coast. Some travellers mistakenly assume that all Egyptian Red Sea resort destinations share the same visa exemptions, but Hurghada is located on the African mainland across the Gulf of Suez.

The free Sinai exemption applies exclusively to specific coastal resort towns in the southern Sinai peninsula, such as Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and Nuweiba. Because Hurghada sits within the Red Sea Governorate on mainland Egyptian soil, every international visitor landing at Hurghada must possess a full Egyptian tourist visa. This full visa also allows you to join inland excursions, such as our Luxor day trip, without needing supplementary travel permits.

Clearing customs at Hurghada International Airport follows standard international passenger inspection protocols. After passport control, collect your checked baggage from the luggage carousels and proceed through customs screening where bags pass through X-ray scanners.

Travellers should note strict national regulations regarding photographic and electronic equipment:

• Unmanned aerial drones of any size or weight are strictly prohibited in Egypt without prior military defence permits. Do not bring drones, as customs will confiscate them at the airport.
• Duty-free allowances permit up to one litre of alcoholic spirits and two hundred cigarettes per adult traveller.
• Professional telephoto lenses or satellite communication equipment may require customs documentation.

The table below summarizes essential visa rules, passport criteria and administrative requirements for travellers visiting Hurghada.