Short answer: before Egypt, check six things in this order: a passport valid at least 6 months after you arrive, your visa route, vaccines (none required on a direct trip), medicines (tramadol and CBD are banned), travel insurance, and a phone that works when you land. Then pack for the dress code and the season. The entry rules below are the UK Foreign Office's for British passport holders, read on 26 October 2026; other nationalities should check their own government's page.
The checklist
| When | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months before | Passport: at least 6 months left after arrival, one blank page | Renew now if not |
| 2 months before | Travel health appointment | Egypt vaccinations |
| 1 month before | Check your medicines; get a doctor's letter | Medications in Egypt |
| 1 month before | Travel insurance with medical evacuation | Travel insurance for Egypt |
| 2 weeks before | e-visa, or plan to buy it on arrival | Egypt e-visa guide |
| 2 weeks before | Book the GEM entry slot | 3 days in Cairo |
| 1 week before | Pack for the dress code and the season | What to wear in Egypt |
| A few days before | Install your eSIM on Wi-Fi at home | How to install an eSIM |
| Day of travel | Dollars in cash for a visa on arrival; copies of documents | See below |
Passport
The Foreign Office says your passport must have an expiry date "at least 6 months after the date you arrive" and at least one blank page. You will be refused entry without a valid travel document. Make photocopies of your passport, visa and flight ticket and keep them apart from the originals: the Foreign Office suggests this, and police check ID regularly and may detain you if you cannot show your passport and visa, or a digital or paper copy.
Visa: three ways
- e-visa online before you travel: "can help to prevent delays"; tourist e-visas are valid for up to 3 months. Use the official Egyptian portal only.
- Visa on arrival, at a kiosk before immigration at approved airports: 30 US dollars, cash only, valid up to 30 days. You do not need an agent; agents often charge more.
- Digital visa on arrival at Cairo airport, since 1 August 2026: self-service machines or the Visa on Arrival portal, 36 US dollars including a 6-dollar service fee, card payment only.
Sharm el-Sheikh exception: if you fly into Sharm and stay less than 15 days at the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, you get a free entry stamp and need no visa. Leaving those resorts, or staying longer, needs a visa. Staying longer than your visa allows? Apply for an extension at the Egyptian Passport and Immigration Offices before it runs out: the Foreign Office warns that leaving on an expired visa can cause difficulties at departure, including a fine if it expired more than 14 days earlier. Arriving overland from Israel at Taba follows different rules and fees, listed on the same Foreign Office page.
Health and medicines
No vaccine is required on a direct trip from the UK, Europe or the US; yellow fever is required only if you arrive from a risk country. Hepatitis A and tetanus are recommended for most travellers, and there is no malaria risk (details in Egypt vaccinations). Medicines need more care: tramadol and CBD products are banned, and some prescribed medicines may need permission from Egypt's Ministry of Health (see medications in Egypt). The emergency number for an ambulance is 123; tourist police 126.
Insurance
Not required at the border, but the Foreign Office asks you to be covered for local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation, and warns that rescues start only once payment is guaranteed. Your GHIC does not work in Egypt. See travel insurance for Egypt.
Money
- Bring US dollars in cash if you plan to buy the visa at a kiosk on arrival.
- You can bring up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds into or out of Egypt; foreign currency over 10,000 US dollars must be declared on arrival (Foreign Office).
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and keep your home SIM in the phone to receive its security texts.
More in money in Egypt and tipping in Egypt.
Local laws worth knowing before you land
- Drones are banned without prior Ministry of Defence permission: can you bring a drone to Egypt?
- Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, for men and women: what to wear in Egypt.
- Alcohol only in licensed restaurants, bars, private homes or certain resorts; drugs carry penalties up to life imprisonment or death (Foreign Office).
- Photos: never of military sites or the Suez Canal, never of children, and ask adults first.
- Ramadan: no eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight: Ramadan in Egypt.
- Areas to avoid: the Foreign Office advises against all travel to North Sinai and near the Libyan border; see safety in Egypt.
Your phone
Egypt is outside your home plan's usual allowance, so sort the phone before you leave:
- Check that your phone is eSIM compatible and not locked to your operator.
- Buy an Egypt eSIM: ours costs €33.00 for 7 days, €36.00 for 10 days or €46.00 for 15 days, with about 1 GB a day at full 4G speed and then 512 Kbps until the next day, on Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt or e& Egypt.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi, a few days before the flight.
- When you land: turn the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data, and turn data roaming on for the eSIM line (it is required). Turn data roaming off on your usual line.
Download offline maps of Cairo and your other stops as a backup. If anything does not connect, our eSIM not working in Egypt page lists the fixes in order.
Pack
Covering, light clothes and a warm layer from November to February; closed shoes for the sites; a scarf; sun protection; your medicines in their boxes; a plug adapter if your devices need one (see power plugs in Egypt). The full list: what to pack for Egypt.