Beginning on 1 August, arriving in Egypt will become faster and smarter.
In a step towards transforming the visitor experience, Egypt is introducing a new digital visa-on-arrival system for nationalities eligible for a visa upon arrival to replace the traditional visa sticker with a secure QR code that makes entry procedures smoother and reinforces the country’s commitment to becoming a digitally connected tourism destination.
For decades, obtaining a visa on arrival in Egypt meant joining queues to purchase a paper sticker before proceeding through immigration. On Saturday, that experience will start to change.
The new system will be introduced through a pilot programme across all arrival terminals at Cairo International Airport, before being expanded in phases to airports across the country.
Unlike the traditional paper sticker, the new system generates a secure visa QR code, allowing travellers to complete the process digitally before departure from their countries, during their flight, or immediately upon arrival. The QR code can be presented electronically or in printed form and scanned together with the traveller’s passport at immigration, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining the highest security standards.
Travellers will be able to obtain their digital visa through multiple official channels, including a dedicated online portal, a mobile application, and self-service kiosks installed in the arrival halls of Cairo International Airport. The system enables travellers to generate a QR code for their visa up to 48 hours before arriving in Egypt. It also offers an additional feature for accredited travel agencies, allowing them to generate QR codes on behalf of organised tour groups.
The total cost of the service will be $36.
During the transition, the digital visa-on-arrival system will operate alongside the existing paper visa system during the pilot phase, allowing travellers to choose either option. Following the successful completion of the pilot programme, the paper visa sticker will be gradually phased out.
The Ministry of Tourism has called upon airlines, tour operators, travel agencies, and online travel platforms to help raise awareness of the new system ahead of its nationwide rollout.
“This is a major milestone, one that the tourism sector has been calling for over the past 15 years,” said Hossam Al-Shaer, chair of the Egyptian Tourism Federation. He noted that the new digital system will make the entry process faster and more convenient for visitors. He also expressed the hope that the government will expand the scheme in the future to include all nationalities. Currently only countries whose nationals are allowed to obtain a visa upon arrival will be able to apply for the digital visa.
Al-Shaer hopes the price of the visa will also eventually be lower, pointing out that many of Egypt’s key competitors, including Turkey, the UAE, Tunisia, and Morocco, either offer visa-free entry or waive visa fees for their principal source markets.
“That undoubtedly gives them a competitive advantage,” he said.
While expressing the hope that the visa fee could eventually be reviewed and potentially return to the 2014 level of $15, Al-Shaer acknowledged that the introduction of the digital visa system itself represents a significant achievement. He added, however, that maintaining Egypt’s competitiveness depends not only on visa fees, but on continuously enhancing every aspect of the visitor experience.
Nader Al-Biblawi, chair of the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies, stressed the importance of expanding the list of nationalities eligible for visas on arrival or through Egypt’s e-visa system beyond the existing 180 as a significant step towards enhancing the country’s competitiveness as a global tourism destination and boosting inbound visitor numbers.
He said the government’s strategy extends well beyond visa reform, encompassing incentives to expand air connectivity, increase hotel capacity, and diversify target source markets. Together, these initiatives form an integrated approach to supporting the sector’s long-term growth, Al-Biblawi said.
With international demand for visiting Egypt continuing to rise, Al-Biblawi said it is essential to keep improving the quality and efficiency of visitor services. The new visa procedures would strengthen the programmes offered by Egyptian tour operators while making the destination more accessible and attractive to travellers from a broader range of international markets, he added.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 30 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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