Excellent question. For a British citizen visiting Egypt as a tourist, the standard rule is:
You can stay for up to 30 days with a visa obtained on arrival.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the rules and important considerations:
1. Visa on Arrival (Most Common for Tourists)
- Who is eligible: British passport holders arriving at major Egyptian airports (like Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor).
- Process & Cost: Upon arrival, before passport control, go to a bank kiosk (e.g., Banque Misr, National Bank of Egypt) to purchase a visa sticker. The current fee is $25 USD (cash is most reliable, though some kiosks may accept GBP or Euros). Stick the visa in your passport and proceed to immigration.
- Validity: This visa is typically valid for a 30-day stay from the date of entry and is single-entry.
2. If You Want to Stay Longer than 30 Days
You have two main options:
- Apply for a Visa in Advance: Before traveling, you can apply for a longer-term single or multiple-entry visa from the Egyptian Embassy in London. This can be valid for longer periods (e.g., 6 months), but the permitted stay per entry is still usually capped at 30 days unless otherwise specified.
- Extend Your Stay Inside Egypt: You can apply for an extension at the Passport and Immigration Administration (Mogamma) in Cairo or its branches in major cities like Alexandria.
- You must apply before your initial 30-day visa expires.