- Egypt
The Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh have long become one of the most preferred vacation destinations for Russian citizens; tour operators offer many inexpensive tours to the Egyptian seas. Most of Egypt's income comes from tourists, so the authorities are interested in increasing the influx of travelers as much as possible.
Requirement for a visa
Different areas of the country are subject to different immigration rules. For example, when asked whether a visa is needed for Hurghada, Alexandria or Cairo, you can say that you do. For years there have been rumors about the abolition of the visa regime between the Russian Federation and Egypt, but the old rules are still in force, according to which every Russian citizen is given a visa stamp at the border control.
Territory with visa-free regime
If a traveler goes to the Sinai Peninsula, for example, a flight to Taba, Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh, then here we can talk about traveling to Egypt without a visa, since the so-called “Sinai stamp” is simply immediately placed at the border. Such a permit imposes some restrictions on movement and is not always convenient for independent travelers: for example, it does not allow you to go to the Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve or diving in Thistelgorm.
Such features of the visit are associated with the history of the military conflict between Egypt and Israel. Until a certain time, the entire Sinai Peninsula belonged to Egypt. After Israel started the war and captured part of this territory, motivating its aggression by the fact that there are places holy for all Jews in Sinai, Egypt was forced to come to terms with this state of affairs.
In order to limit the mass entry of Israeli citizens into their country, as well as foreign tourists arriving from Israel on excursions, the Egyptian authorities introduced a special visa regime for this territory.
Sinai stamp for Russian citizens
Russian citizens flying to Sharm El Sheikh
, can receive a free “Sinai stamp”, which gives the right
to free entry into the Sinai Peninsula
for 15 days.
Conditions of stay according to the Sinai stamp
: accommodation on the territory of the Sinai Peninsula, as well as visiting excursions around the Sinai in the direction of the Gulf of Aqaba (Israel, Jordan, Dahab, safari excursions, St. Catherine's Monastery).
If tourists plan to attend all excursions towards the Gulf of Suez (Cairo, Luxor, Bath of Moses), a visa is required (stamp upon arrival).
Visa regime for Hurghada
The required visa to Hurghada for Russians in 2021 is obtained upon arrival at the airport. This is a full-fledged stamp, which is also called a “visa stamp”. There is no need to obtain this document in advance if the purpose of the trip is limited only to tourism .
Similar rules apply in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and all other territories that are not located in Sinai. The required visa in Hurghada is issued upon presentation of documents at the control.
Documents for tourist visa
To come to the country for tourism purposes, no additional proof of income, employment or strong ties with Russia will be required.
To obtain a visa in Egypt upon arrival in Hurghada and other resorts, you must have the following documents with you:
- International passport;
- Return ticket;
- Confirmed hotel reservation.
Some seasoned travelers don't even book a hotel in advance because officers rarely ask for proof of accommodation. They simply fill out the migration card for a visa to Egypt with the details of the hotel, which they immediately found on the Internet.
Egypt: important information for Russian citizens planning a stay in the country
Dear Colleagues! We are pleased to announce great news - we are opening Egypt! Tours with group and individual transfers to Red Sea resorts are already available for booking!
Start of the program with direct flights of Nord Wind airline to Cairo:
- from St. Petersburg 04.05.21-01.06.21 weekly on Tuesdays, then 10.06.21-28.10.21 weekly on Thursdays;
- from Kaliningrad 05/23/21-10/30/21 weekly on Sundays;
- from Nizhny Novgorod 05/25/21-06/15/21 on Tuesdays, then 06/23/21-10/20/21 weekly on Wednesdays;
- from Grozny 06/03/21, then from 06/10/21 -10/30/21 weekly on Saturdays.
Guaranteed blocks of places:
- from Perm 05/30/21-08/29/21 weekly on Sundays;
- from Chelyabinsk 05.29.21-08.28.21 weekly on Saturdays;
- from Samara 05/28/2021-08/27/2021 weekly on Fridays;
- from Yekaterinburg 06/01/21-08/24/21 weekly on Tuesdays;
- from Novosibirsk 06/02/21-08/25/21 weekly on Wednesdays;
- from Ufa 05/31/21-08/30/21 weekly on Mondays;
- from Kazan 06/03/21-08/26/21 weekly on Thursdays.
View tours
Holiday package options:
Cairo (2 nights with excursion) + holiday on the Red Sea Cairo + holiday on the Red Sea
In the future, tours with departures from other regions will be available, stay tuned!
Visa
Citizens of the Russian Federation can travel to Egypt without a pre-issued visa. Details
Arrival airport
During the flight, passengers must have personal protective equipment - masks and gloves. Passengers must complete a Health Declaration in English, provided by airline staff on board the aircraft. Here you can see the translation of the declaration into Russian. All health screening procedures will be fully implemented at the entrance for all passengers (arrival/departure).
Certificate with a negative coronavirus test result
- From August 15, 2021, all foreign citizens arriving in Egypt are required to present negative PCR test results for the presence of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Children under 6 years of age are exempt from providing a certificate.
- The test must be taken no later than 72 hours before entering Egypt. The period of 72 hours is counted from the time and date of collection of the biomaterial in the laboratory (must be indicated in the certificate), and not from the date of receipt of the certificate.
- A certificate with the results of the analysis must be issued by an official laboratory and have the laboratory's seal.
- The certificate must also contain information about the type of test performed; it must be indicated that the person has undergone RT-PCR testing (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method, so-called RT-PCR).
- The test result certificate must be issued in Arabic or English (translations are not accepted).
- The original certificate or electronic form with a QR code (you must make sure in advance that the code can be read) with a negative PCR test must be available upon check-in for the flight.
- PCR tests are not carried out at Cairo airport.
- For Russians arriving through third countries to Egyptian airports in resort cities (Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Taba), a certificate with test results from Russia is not required. But in case of her absence, they will need to be tested immediately upon arrival. The cost of a PCR test at the resort airport will be $30. You can only pay for the test in cash (payment by bank card through the terminal is not yet available). The results of the test done at the resort airport will be reported in 12-24 hours; during this time (until the results are received), tourists must self-isolate in the hotel and receive room service; they will be provided with a separate transfer to the hotel. We strongly recommend that you have a certificate ready upon arrival in Egypt!
- Nordwind airline requirements for a certificate (certificate) with PCR test results for those flying abroad https://nordwindairlines.ru/ru/notifications/pcr-test
On a rest
The country has restrictions on hotel capacity, restrictions on movement at night and a mask requirement in public places. At the same time, tourists can move around safely in resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Payment for medical services
If during a vacation the Insured suddenly discovers similar symptoms of illness (high temperature, cough, runny nose, etc.), he must contact the Service Center at the phone number specified in the insurance policy and follow the operator’s instructions. All treatment costs will be covered by the ERV policy.
Based on the results of treatment, if the period of stay exceeds the number of days of rest on the paid voucher, the flight to Russia is paid for by the insurance company ERV or the tour operator PEGAS Touristik. Tourists who test positive for Covid-19 and do not require hospitalization will be isolated in a hotel for 14 days or until a negative PCR test is received. Upon returning home, all expenses incurred will be reimbursed under the ERV health insurance policy, incl. for medications, necessary tests as prescribed by the doctor, hotel accommodation (300 USD) and return tickets. Therefore, you must be prepared for additional expenses and keep all receipts and receipts for payment for services provided. If a tourist finds himself in a difficult situation, including related to coronavirus infection, the tour operator PEGAS Touristik will provide assistance in resolving issues and the necessary support.
Upon arrival in the Russian Federation
Citizens of the Russian Federation arriving on the territory of the Russian Federation by air must ensure that the Arrival Questionnaire is completed on board and the form is filled out on the Unified Portal of State and Municipal Services in electronic form before departure to the Russian Federation (when purchasing a ticket, but no later than check-in for the flight). Within three calendar days from the date of arrival on the territory of the Russian Federation, Russian citizens must undergo a laboratory test for COVID-19 using the PCR method and post information about the result of the test in a special form on the Unified Portal of State Services. Important! Starting from April 21, 2021 until May 1 inclusive, citizens of the Russian Federation returning from Turkey (including in transit) and Tanzania are required to take a repeat PCR test within five days from the date of entry into Russia. After May 1, the new rule applies to all Russians arriving from any country. The interval between tests should be at least 24 hours. Both results must be uploaded to the unified government services portal. Until the results of laboratory tests for COVID-19 are obtained, it is necessary to comply with the isolation regime at the place of residence (registration). If any deterioration in health occurs within fourteen calendar days from the date of arrival on the territory of the Russian Federation, citizens must immediately seek medical help without visiting medical organizations. More details: https://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru/about/info/news/news_details.php?ELEMENT_ID=15064 Resolution of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation dated April 16, 2021 https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/ View/0001202104200067
(.pdf, 612Kb)
Conditions will be updated as official information becomes available.
Best regards, PEGAS Touristik
Published:
21.10.2020
Updated:
Migration card
A migration card is a special form that is best filled out on the plane: as a rule, flight attendants hand it out to passengers in advance. You can also fill out a form for a visa to Egypt in Hurghada if for some reason this was not possible on board.
If the traveler comes with minor children, then a separate card for the child is not required. It will be enough to add their data to the form for obtaining a visa in Hurghada (or another city) and submit it along with your passport.
Filling out the migration form is done only in Latin letters . It must be written legibly so that officers can read the information without having to redo everything. You need to enter your full name, purpose of arrival, flight number, place where you plan to stay, as well as your passport details. A corresponding sample of filling out a visa to Egypt in 2021 can be seen below.
Registration process
There are established entry rules for foreigners that must be followed. Every Russian goes through a simple procedure before receiving a visa to Hurghada, as well as to other Egyptian cities. It consists of three steps:
- Filling out a migration card;
- Present the card along with your passport to the visa officer;
- Pasting a visa stamp into a passport.
There are no particularly complex or strict inspection procedures at the border; the process of obtaining the required visa to Hurghada is very quick.
Registration at the embassy
To save a little money, you can do the paperwork before your trip. To do this, you need a questionnaire from the official website of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Moscow or ask for it on the spot, provide it along with your international passport and two color photographs. You will be asked to pay a fee on the spot, and after three weeks (often within a few days) you can pick up your completed visa.
At the time of writing, the embassy’s website was closed, and I was unable to clarify information on the amount of payment. Previously, the amount was 750 rubles - significantly less than what you have to pay upon entry, and this was one of the main arguments in favor of this method. However, it is still easier to get a visa at the border - you still have to stand in the same line, and traveling around Moscow twice during business hours also takes a lot of time.
Price
The current cost of a visa to Egypt in 2021 is presented below.
| Type | Price |
| Adult visa | 25$ |
| Visa for children | For free |
| Sinai visa | For free |
From January 2015 to May 2015, the price of a visa to Egypt was zero. That is, all this time, tourists from Russia entered the state without charging additional payment. Later the benefits were cancelled.
Cost of a visa to Egypt
In 2021, the visa cost is 25USD for each adult (12+). Children under 12 years of age are not charged for a visa, and the Sinai visa is also free.
In 2015, there was a grace period during which visas were free, but six months later the benefits were removed.
All of the above applies only to tourist visas; non-tourist visas are much more expensive.
- Work visa – minimum 150USD .
- Resident – up to 50USD .
- Student - depends on the length of study in Egypt.
- Fiancé visa – from 100 Egyptian pounds .
Unfortunately, prices change in different directions every year. Therefore, it is best to find out directly from the Embassy the current price for a visa. Sometimes you need to speed up the process of obtaining a visa, and its cost will be more expensive than for the usual procedure (this applies to those who apply for a visa directly in Egypt).
Visa for a child
There are no special rules for entry into the state for a child.
Parents only need to have two documents on hand:
- Birth certificate, a copy is sufficient;
- Appropriate travel permit if the minor is traveling with one of the parents or guardians.
It is worth noting that it is rather recommended to have these documents with you, since there is no official requirement to demonstrate them at the border. Filling out a visa in Egypt upon arrival in Hurghada in 2019 is carried out by parents, or rather, they enter their child into the migration card.
Good news for the travel industry
Tour operators were eagerly awaiting the decision of the Russian authorities to open direct flights to resort towns in Egypt. There is no official data yet on permitted flights – their number, airports and host cities. As soon as specific numbers and dates are announced, the carriers will be ready, and some participants in the tourism sector will come up with an already “worked out” program. Hotels in Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh are also awaiting the tourist flow from the Russian Federation, the price list is ready - while experts from the Egyptian side claim that cheap prices will not last long.
