Egypt Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens
Africa · EG
Egypt visa requirements for U.S. citizens
Visa on arrival or e-Visa; 30 days
- U.S. passport status
- Visa on arrival
- Visa-free days
- 30 days
- Document route
- Embassy legalisation
- Translation
- Required
- Short-stay fee
- $25
- Schengen area
- No
Entering Egypt
U.S. citizens can buy a visa on arrival at Egyptian airports for around 25 dollars in cash, or apply for an e-Visa in advance through the official government portal. Either works; the e-Visa avoids a queue. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond arrival.
Passport requirements
Valid for at least six months beyond your intended departure, with at least two blank pages.
What is specific to Egypt
Egypt is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so U.S. documents require the full legalisation chain ending at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, followed by attestation by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arrival. This matters for anyone marrying in Egypt, working there, or dealing with property or inheritance. Note also the many unofficial e-Visa websites; the only official portal is visa2egypt.gov.eg.
Visa categories for Egypt
Each has its own page combining the universal process for that category with what Egypt specifically requires.
Tourist and Visitor Visa
Visa on arrival or e-Visa, 30 days.
Business Visitor Visa
Same categories, with a company letter.
Student and Study Visa
Study visa through the institution.
Work and Employment Visa
Employer-sponsored, with a work permit from the Ministry of Manpower and a labour market test.
Family, Spouse and Partner Visa
Residence through marriage to an Egyptian national, requiring extensively legalised documents.
Retirement and Passive Income Visa
Egypt introduced longer-term residence options tied to property purchase and bank deposits.
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
The destination rather than the journey. Permanent residence gives an indefinite right to live somewhere without renewing a visa; citizenship gives a passport, political…
Where and how to apply
- Authority
- Egyptian Ministry of Interior
- Official portal
- Egypt e-Visa (official)
- Where to file
- At the consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence.
- Biometrics
- Fingerprints and a facial image are collected for most visa categories.
- Fees
- The visa on arrival and the e-Visa are both around 25 dollars for a single entry.
- Short-stay processing
- Immediate on arrival, or around a week for the e-Visa
- Long-stay processing
- Several weeks to months for residence permits
Documents and authentication for Egypt
Egypt is NOT a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille alone will be rejected. U.S. documents must be authenticated domestically and then legalised by that country’s embassy or consulate, which is slower and more expensive.
Translation. Required into Arabic by a certified translator, with the translation attested.
- 1 Obtain a certified original From the issuing authority. Photocopies, scans and souvenir certificates cannot be authenticated.
- 2 Notarise, if it is a private document Letters, affidavits, powers of attorney and diploma copies need a notary acknowledgement first. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk, in some states A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate at the right level State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the ISSUING state. Federal documents, including the FBI Identity History Summary, go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or embassy legalisation Hague Convention destination: the apostille ends the chain. Non-member destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate. For Egypt, an apostille alone will be rejected. The document must go on to that country’s embassy or consulate.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille or legalisation certificate. Doing this first means paying twice. Required into Arabic by a certified translator, with the translation attested.
- 7 File with the right consulate Jurisdiction is by your U.S. state of residence. Bring originals plus a full copy set.
The two expensive mistakes. Sending a federal document such as an FBI Identity History Summary to a Secretary of State, which cannot authenticate it. And translating before authentication, so the apostille certificate is not inside the translation and the whole set has to be paid for twice.
Official sources
- Egypt official e-Visa portal The only legitimate e-Visa site.
- Egyptian Embassy in Washington Document legalisation, required because Egypt is not a Hague member.
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: www.moi.gov.eg, visa2egypt.gov.eg
This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal or immigration advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Visa rules, fees, processing times and entry requirements change frequently and often without notice, and individual circumstances change the answer. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence before you book travel or file an application. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
