Egypt (no formal digital nomad visa): health insurance requirements

Tourist visa is 30 days, single or multiple entry, extendable at the local passport office (the Mogamma in Cairo or regional equivalents). Direct arrivals into the Sinai resorts (Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) staying within them up to 15 days can get a free entry stamp instead of a paid visa.

Government fee

Visa on arrival is US$30, cash. The e-visa fee and the in-country extension fee could not be confirmed against an official page.

Where to apply

No dedicated route. Tourist e-visa online before travel, or visa on arrival at approved Egyptian airports. Extensions are handled in person at Passports and Immigration offices before the current visa expires.

1. 1

   Understand there is no digital nomad or remote-work visa in Egypt. Remote workers enter and stay on an ordinary tourist visa, so plan around that.

2. 2

   Before travel, apply for the tourist e-visa on the official portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg), or if your nationality is eligible, buy a visa on arrival for US$30 (cash) at an approved airport.

3. 3

   Enter Egypt. A single-entry tourist visa or visa on arrival allows up to 30 days; the e-visa can be valid for up to three months.

4. 4

   To stay longer, go in person before your permitted stay ends to the Passports, Emigration and Nationality Administration (Abbassia in Cairo, or offices in Alexandria, Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh or Luxor) with your passport plus copies, photos and proof of accommodation, and request an extension.

5. 5

   Extensions are granted at the officers' discretion, typically for a further 30 to 90 days. There is no path from a tourist stay to a formal remote-work status.

Fees and processing times move, sometimes without announcement, and a consulate can add a document the published checklist does not mention. Treat the above as the shape of the process rather than a guarantee, and check the current requirement with the mission handling your application before you book anything.

A nomad visa is not the only door, and for a lot of people it is not the right one. If you do not clear the income bar, or you only want a few months, these are the routes the country actually runs.

• Tourist e-Visa / Visa on Arrival

  30 days per entry; single-entry e-visa valid 3 months from issue, multiple-entry e-visa valid 6 months with up to 30 days per visit. Extensions are applied for at an Egyptian Passport and Immigration Office (commonly granted in 30-day increments; verify).

  Leisure travellers and short-stay visitors from eligible nationalities (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and around 95 countries listed on the official portal).

  Passport valid 6+ months with a blank page, plus travel itinerary and accommodation or tour details. Apply through the official visa2egypt.gov.eg e-visa portal at least 7 days before departure, or take a visa on arrival at approved airports. Current fees: e-visa US$30 single entry and US$65 multiple entry (raised 27 April 2026); visa on arrival US$30, cash only. Port authorities can still refuse entry.

  Insurance: Not required for entry, and no proof is asked for at the border or on the e-visa application. Private medical cover is strongly advisable: there is no reciprocal public healthcare for visitors and private hospitals expect payment up front.

• Sinai-Only Free Entry Stamp

  Up to 15 days, South Sinai resort zone only. Not extendable; travel to Cairo, Luxor or the mainland is not permitted on this stamp.

  Visitors arriving by air at South Sinai resorts (Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) who stay only inside that zone.

  Free entry permission stamped (now usually issued electronically) at passport control for most nationalities, no advance application. A paid 30-day tourist visa is required to stay longer, to leave the resort zone, or for some excursions outside it, and sources disagree on whether St Catherine's Monastery is covered, so verify before travelling. Land and sea arrivals (Taba from Israel, ferry from Jordan) follow separate rules and usually need the paid visa for stays over 15 days or mainland travel.

  Insurance: Not required for entry. Recommended: medical cover that includes diving and other resort activities, which many standard policies exclude.

• Free 96-Hour Transit Visa

  8 to 96 hours in Egypt during the layover; the scheme has been extended by cabinet decision and now runs to April 2027.

  Passengers on long layovers in Egypt who want to leave the airport, from nationalities eligible for visa on arrival (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, most EU states).

  Both the inbound and outbound flights must be with EgyptAir, Air Cairo or Nile Air, and the transit must be through Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh or Borg El Arab. Passport valid 6+ months; the free entry visa is issued after completing a form at the airline's transit desk (EgyptAir transit office at Cairo Airport). Travellers who do not meet these conditions use the normal tourist visa instead.

  Insurance: Not required. Recommended: short-trip medical cover, since the stay is on Egyptian territory outside the airport.

• Five-Year Multiple-Entry Visa

  Unlimited entries over 5 years. Sources conflict on the stay per visit: the 2023 Interior Ministry decision announced 90 days per trip, while law-firm summaries of Minister of Interior Decision No. 1919 of 2025 state up to 180 days per visit. Verify the current terms before relying on either figure.

  Frequent visitors, business travellers, property owners and diaspora members who come to Egypt repeatedly and want long visits without reapplying. Closest thing Egypt offers to a long-stay visitor visa; it is not a residence or work permit.

  Fee US$700 in total. Introduced by Interior Ministry decision amending Resolution No. 31 of 1960 and updated by Minister of Interior Decision No. 1919 of 2025. Applications go through Egyptian embassies and consulates (availability differs by post, so confirm with your own embassy); documents typically include a valid passport, photos, purpose documentation, proof of funds, accommodation details, prior visa history and, where a host is involved, an invitation letter. Does not permit work or replace a residence permit.

  Insurance: Not stated as a requirement in the sources found. Recommended: international private medical cover, since long or repeated stays quickly outrun typical short-trip policies.

• Business Visa (tourist e-Visa with business documents, or embassy visa)

  Up to 30 days per entry; single-entry e-visa valid 3 months from issue, multiple-entry valid 6 months with up to 30 days per stay.

  Foreign nationals attending meetings, conferences, negotiations or short business visits, not local employment.

  The official portal issues e-visas as Tourism type only, and its own checklist asks for a business letter or invitation as supporting documentation. In practice you travel on the tourist e-visa or visa on arrival with an invitation letter from the Egyptian host company (often plus a letter from your own employer) stating purpose, dates and who covers costs, alongside passport, itinerary and accommodation proof. Longer or formal business assignments need an embassy visa, and any paid local work needs a work permit. Short task-based work is capped at 14 days under Resolution No. 279 of 2025 and needs prior approval.

  Insurance: Not required for entry. Recommended: business travel medical cover.

Rules are written primarily for non-Arab/non-GCC foreign nationals (e.g. US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia). GCC citizens enter visa-free, several nationalities must obtain a pre-approved embassy visa, and the official e-visa portal lists only around 95 eligible nationalities, so always verify by passport. Egypt has no digital nomad visa.

• InsuranceWhat cover actually costs in Egypt, and what care costs without it
• Country guideHealthcare, hospitals and the local reality in Egypt
• Compare visasInsurance rules for every nomad visa, side by side
• EligibilityNot sure you clear the bar? Check against every nomad visa