Applying for an Egypt eVisa with an ID card

Travellers from most countries need to apply for an Egyptian visa using their valid passport.

If you’re national of a select few European countries, however, you can use your identification card instead of their passport.

This page explains who can request an Egyptian visa with an ID card and how to upload the ID card image to your application.

Can I travel to Egypt with an ID card?

Whether or not you can get an online visa for Egypt with an ID card depends on your nationality. In most cases, you need a valid passport to apply for the visa.

However, nationals of the following countries can apply for an Egyptian visa without a passport image, by using their ID card instead:

Only travellers from these 5 countries will be issued an Egypt visa with an ID card. All other nationalities eligible for the eVisa need to use their valid passport.

Requirements to apply for an Egypt visa with an ID card

To use an ID card to apply for an Egyptian tourist visa, it must meet the following requirements:

Issuing country

The ID card must have been issued by Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, or Portugal to be eligible.

Type of ID card

You must have an ICAO compliant identity card to apply for the Egypt visa. This means that it must be machine-readable.

You can tell if your ID card is machine-readable if it has an MRZ. This is the code on an ID card that encloses the holder’s personal details. Passports also have an MRZ.

The image you provide of your ID card must show the MRZ.

ID card validity

Your identity card must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of arrival in Egypt. The expiry date is printed on an ID card, so you can check its validity before applying.

How to attach ID card information to apply for an Egypt visa

Applying for an Egypt visa online with an ID card is as simple as applying with a passport. The eVisa application process is 100% online. You do not need to present your ID card in person at an embassy or consulate. All documents are submitted digitally.

After submitting the eVisa form, you will receive an email asking you to provide documentation. By following the link, you will be taken to your application where you can upload your ID card image.

The steps to uploading the ID card image are explained clearly. You must upload copies of the front and back of your ID card in one image.

Egypt eVisa ID card specifications

The image of your ID card must be high quality and all the information must be fully legible. Images with flashes that cover part of the information or the photograph will not be accepted.

Here are some other common questions to help ensure your ID card image meets the requirements.

What format does the ID card image need to be?

You need to make a digital copy of your ID card, for example a scan, and save it in JPG or PNG format.

What size does the ID card image need to be?

It's possible to upload an ID image that is up to 500 KB. An alert will appear if the image you attempt to upload is too large.

Note that cropped images that do not show all your information are not acceptable.

Does the ID card image need to be in colour?

The image of your Identification card does not need to be in colour. Black and white images are also accepted.

The image must, however, be good quality. It should show all the required details and the photograph clearly.

Entering Egypt with an ID card

If you apply for the visa with an ID card, you need to present the following documents on arrival in Egypt:

Note that an ID card and visa do not guarantee entry to Egypt. The decision to grant access lies with the Egyptian border authorities.