The introduction of the Egypt e-Visa (online visa) has made it much easier for eligible nationalities to obtain a tourist visa for the country. The application process is incredibly simple, but many travlers remain unsure whether or not it is necessary to print an e-Visa for Egypt.
This post aims to clarfiy this common question for users of the e-Visa application for Egypt so that they can avoid problems boarding a flight and on arrival at Egyptian border checkpoints.
Do tourists to Egypt really need to print off electronic visas?
Egypt visa requirements strongly advise that holders of an approved e-Visa should print out copies once the document has been processed.
While this may not seem necessary in the digital age, you cannot simply show a screenshot of the e-Visa on your phone.
It is important to carry a printout because airline staff and Egyptian border control officers ask to see the document. They may not recognise a digital image of the visa. In this way, a printed copy of the e-Visa is an essential entry document for Egypt.
Carrying printouts of the Egypt e-Visa also has some benefits over relying on a digital image. For one, it is sometimes difficult to scan the visa code on a digital image. And with a paper copy, you do not need to worry that your mobile device will run out of battery.
How to download an approved Egyptian e-Visa
After completing the Egyptian e-Visa application, paying the visa fee, and submitting the form for processing, you usually receive your approved document within 72 hours. The approved e-Visa for Egypt is sent via email to an address provided during the application.
You can then simply:
- Check the approval email and open the PDF attachment to access your approved e-Visa
- Easily print a copy of the e-Visa in PDF format
If you do not see the e-Visa approval email in your main inbox within 72 hours, you should check the ‘junk’ or ‘spam’ to see if the notification has ended up in these folders. If it has not, you can also access and print the approved document by logging into the e-Visa system.
How do I print my Egyptian eVisa?
Applicants are strongly advised to print the eVisa for Egypt at home or at another location before travelling to Egypt.
You shouldn't wait until the last minute to print the Egypt e-Visa at the airport. Some airports may not have printing facilities available, and the air crew will ask to see the visa before they permit you to board.
Printing an e-Visa in advance takes the stress away from having to quickly find a way to print the document before boarding your flight.
As for the format of the printout, the size of the document does not matter. However, all of the details on the e-Visa must be legible. This includes the machine-readable code in the upper left corner of the document, and the identifying information of the passenger.
For this reason, it is advisable to print the e-Visa for Egypt in colour. This ensures the highest print quality for readability. However, black and white copies will also be accepted as long as they are clearly printed.
How do I get a copy of my Egypt eVisa?
To get a copy of the Egypt tourist e-Visa, you can simply access the confirmation email you receive and make another print out. There is no limit to the number of copies you can print.
Additionally, you can also access your approved Egypt visa by logging back into the e-Visa system. Additional copies can also be printed using this method.
How many copies of the Egypt eVisa do I need to print out?
It is advisable to carry multiple printouts of the e-Visa for Egypt, or at least 2 copies. This way, you can have a backup if you lose or damge the original copy. It will also save you the time from having to find a printer in Egypt to make a new one.
Carrying multiple copies of the e-Visa is an especially good idea if you have a multiple-entry visa and are planning to leave and re-enter the country. If you use the Taba border crossing to Israel or travel to the Sinai resorts you will have to show your visa to come back to Egypt.
What travel documents do I need to print?
A copy of the Egypt electronic visa is usually the only printout that a traveler will need to enter the country. However, immigration officers at the border may also ask to see:
- Proof of hotel/accomodation bookings in Egypt
- Proof of a return/onward flight ticket
Additionally, e-Visa holders are usually required to present the same passport they used to apply alongside the printout to gain entry to the country. However, some European nationals are able to both apply for the e-Visa and enter with a valid ID card.