Is it better to get Egypt visa in embassy or on arrival?

Egypt is the birthplace of many ancient and mighty dynasties. There dwelt first civilizations, which left us monuments rich in history. They created buildings so majestic and immense that most scientists still can not explain how they were built, as the technological advances for the people of that age were not sufficient to be used to establish such pieces of art. From pyramids to sphinx monuments, Egypt proves itself to be a well-preserved open-air museum. Indicating Egypt only rich in history would not be fair to the tourism sector of Egypt. There are cities in Egypt with golden beaches like Hurghada, El-Gouna, Dahab, Ras Sudr. To sum up, the country is bustling with activity for tourists, and it welcomes more than 10 million tourists every year. However, what should people consider after deciding to visit Egypt? First of all, they should look for which visa type they are fitted into. Should they apply for an Egypt arrival visa or Egypt online visa? Maybe they do not even need a visa for Egypt. How to get an Egypt visa? To answer such questions, we will focus on issues regarding Egypt visa policy. 

Egypt visa policy

Egypt visa policy differs depending on the nationality of the person. That is, foreigners should check whether they need a visa for Egypt. We can divide countries into groups according to Egypt visa policy:

• Visa-exempt countries
• Nationals of countries that can apply for Egypt online visa
• Egypt visa on arrival countries
• Egypt visa in embassy countries

Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China, Hong Kong, Macao can take advantage of the visa-free entrance. Citizens of European countries.

Nationals of Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Republic of Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America can benefit Egypt online visa. 

Followings are Egypt visa on arrival countries: Andorra, Antigua, and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Laos, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

Pretty much the rest of world countries are gathered in this group. 

Egypt visa types and requirements

We have learned that depending on your nationality, conditions as to visa can differ. After identifying the visa policy, you might want to think about Egypt visa types. Similar to others, Egypt visa types are categorized as short-term visa, long-term visa, and transit visa. Short-term Egypt visa types include the followings:

Egypt Tourist Visa, Egypt Business/Congress/Trade Fair Visit Visa, Egypt Cultural/Scientific/Sports Events Visa, Egypt Visiting Family and Friends Visa, Egypt Study (Short-term) Visa, Egypt Work (Short-term) Visa.

Generally, these types of visas are much easier to get compared to long-term visas. Besides, it takes fewer days to acquire one. Long-term visas, on the other hand, are comprised of the followings: Egypt employment visa, Egypt student visa, Egypt family reunion visa. Depending on the visa type, you may be required to present additional documents aside from the following documents: 

1. Application form for Egypt visa

• Note that it should be filled in and signed in English

2. Copy of ID

• It should remain valid at least two months after you leave Egypt

3. Passport

• That should be valid for at least 6 months after leaving Kyrgyzstan
• Should bear the signature of the holder
• Should not be valid more than 10 years 
• Should possess a minimum of one or two visa pages that are not used
• Undamaged photos that are attached to the passport

4. Photo

• Should be new! (not to be taken 6 or more months before)
• Facial features should be clear, fully covering the face, front view, eyes should be open, and glasses should be taken off
• The background preferably be white or at least plain-light colored and a uniform
• There should be shadows neither on the face of the applicant nor in the background
• The size should be 3 cm wide and 4 cm long

5. Photocopies

• Duplicates of former visas (if any)
• Copy of the major page of the passport of the applicant

6. Proof that the applicant can sustain himself during the days in Egypt

• Applicant can do it using several ways (Bank statement, cash, credit card, etc.)

It takes 1 to 10 days for short-term visas to be processed by a consulate. If the applicant applies for long-term visas then processing time will be between 3-20 days. In both cases, it is advised to start Egypt visa application 2 months before your planned departure. To answer, "how much is a visa for Egypt?" applicants should consider visa type as the fees range depending on the visa type.

Egypt visa in embassy vs visa on arrival

Supposedly you are entitled to apply for a visa in Egypt embassy. You might be wondering about Egypt visa application and asking how much is a visa for Egypt and how to get an Egypt visa? First of all, you will need to find a local or nearest Egyptian embassy. Most of the time, they are within the capital cities of the countries. After that, the applicant needs to set an official date with the embassy regarding the visa. To apply, the applicant is needed to fill in an application form for Egypt visa and present the required documents and pay the fees. Fees are 25 and 60 USD for single and multiple entrances, respectively. After time-consuming processing, you will be informed about the results. You will need to go to the embassy and take the visa. For Egypt arrival visa, the procedure is slightly different and risky for some people. That is, the applicant, upon entering Egypt, should visit a border control (they are present in airports as well) and queue up and wait for his/her turn to come to apply for the visa on arrival. This way, you can take advantage of an Egypt tourist visa on arrival and save time by not waiting for a long embassy processing time. The cost of Egypt visa on arrival is 25 USD, and it should be paid in only cash. Depending on the place, there will be some currency exchange desks. However, bear in mind that currency rates can and most likely be not favorable to you. Nationals of several European countries, namely Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, can present national ID in place of a passport. If you think presenting the required documents will guarantee the visa, then you are unfortunately wrong. Authorities can deny visas depending on different factors. Now let's point out some of the pros and cons of two visas.

Pros and cons of Egypt visa in embassy

Starting with pros, for an Egypt visa in the embassy, you will not need to wait in line. For this type of visas, you make your appointment well ahead of the meeting. You can benefit from a multiple-entry visa, but you will be asked to pay the fee worth 60 USD. All the costs will be paid once at the embassy.

Now let's look at the cons. You will need to make an appointment with the embassy well ahead of your travel. Various fees will be asked, depending on your visa type. You will need to visit the Egypt embassy several times and go through infuriating procedures. 

Pros and cons of Egypt visa on arrival

As we mentioned earlier Egypt visa on arrival is the type of visa that can be acquired upon entrance of Egypt. There the applicant waits in line for the application, and then he/she presents the documents and the fees. You might be wondering about the cost of Egypt visa on arrival. The fee for a visa on arrival is 25 USD for single-entry as no multiple-entry is allowed for a visa on arrival. The same amount is requested for Egypt tourist visa on arrival.

Pros: 

It is viable for the people who enter the country with a plane. Processing takes less time. Requires fewer documents in comparison with others.

Cons:

The applicant should wait in line. Service is available in limited places.