Egypt Replaces Visa Stamp with QR Code e-Visa in August
EGYPT · TRAVEL
Key Facts
—The switch: The tourism ministry says the new electronic visa system will replace the visa-on-arrival stamp with a QR code, launching in August.
—Why now: The government wants a more competitive tourism offer and has set a target of 30 million visitors a year by 2030.
—A new departure fee: A charge of 100 Egyptian pounds now applies to people leaving the country.
—How it was done: Through amendments to the financial resource development law, published in the official gazette on 28 July by presidential decree and effective the next day.
—Who does not pay: Egyptian and foreign drivers of public passenger and freight vehicles, and workers on cross-border truck routes.
—The scale of the rise: The departure fee it replaces was set at five Egyptian pounds in 1984.
—Not only travellers: The same amendments add a charge of 35 Egyptian pounds for every tonne of cement produced.
The Egypt e-visa replaces the old visa-on-arrival stamp with a QR code from August, the tourism minister has said. A separate departure fee of 100 Egyptian pounds took effect on 29 July, twenty times the charge it supersedes.
What the Egypt e-visa changes for travellers
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy has said the new electronic system will use a QR code in place of the traditional visa-on-arrival stamp. He put the launch in August, once technical preparations are finished.
In practice that means arranging the visa before departure and arriving with a code rather than queueing for a sticker. Travel-trade reporting has described the change taking effect at Cairo airport first, for travellers from the countries already eligible for a visa on arrival.
Egypt has not published a full list of participating nationalities alongside the announcement. Anyone booking should treat the detail as provisional until the official portal reflects it.
The new departure fee, and who does not pay it
Separately, Egypt has introduced a fee of 100 Egyptian pounds on departures from the country. It arrived through amendments to the state’s financial resource development law.
The amendments were published in the official gazette on 28 July 2026 by presidential decree, taking effect the following day. There is no phase-in period.
Two groups are exempt. Egyptian and foreign drivers of public passenger and freight vehicles are excluded, as are workers on cross-border truck routes.
A fee from 1984 finally catches up
The charge being replaced dates to 1984 and stood at five Egyptian pounds. Four decades of inflation had reduced it to a rounding error on any ticket.
Setting it at 100 pounds is a twentyfold nominal increase, and in real terms still a modest sum for most international travellers. The point is less the amount than the fact that the state is now collecting at the border again.
The same law also charges producers 35 Egyptian pounds for every tonne of cement, payable to the tax authority. Read together, the two measures are a revenue package rather than a tourism policy.
The 30-million target behind it
Egypt has set itself a goal of 30 million visitors a year by 2030, and the ministry presents the electronic visa as part of making the sector more competitive. Tourism is one of the country’s principal sources of foreign currency.
The logic is straightforward. Friction at the border costs arrivals, and a queue at passport control is the first impression a visitor forms of a destination.
Whether a QR code moves the number is another matter. Most competitors in the region already offer electronic entry, so this is Egypt catching up rather than pulling ahead.
What is not yet clear
The government has not confirmed a precise start date within August, nor published the fee schedule for the new system in an official announcement alongside the launch. Travel-trade outlets have reported figures, but those are not the same as a gazette notice.
Nor is it clear how the departure charge will be collected in practice, whether folded into airline ticketing or levied separately at the airport. For most travellers the sum is small enough that the mechanism matters more than the money.
Rules of this kind also change quickly. A fee introduced by decree can be amended the same way.
What to check before you fly
Confirm your own nationality’s entry route on Egypt’s official visa portal rather than relying on a summary, including this one. Fees, eligibility and processing times are all set by the government and all move.
If you are travelling in August, check whether the visa-on-arrival counter is still operating for your route on the day you land. Transitions between systems are exactly when travellers get caught out.
This is general information rather than personal advice, and the figures quoted here are those reported at the end of July 2026. The official portal is the only authoritative source: Egypt’s e-visa portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is changing with the Egypt e-visa?
The tourism ministry says a new electronic visa system will replace the traditional visa-on-arrival stamp with a QR code. The minister has said it is scheduled to launch in August once technical preparations are complete.
How much is Egypt’s new departure fee?
One hundred Egyptian pounds, charged on departures from the country. The previous fee, set in 1984, was five pounds.
Who is exempt from the departure fee?
Egyptian and foreign drivers of public passenger and freight vehicles, and workers on cross-border truck routes. The exemptions are written into the amended law.
When did the new fee take effect?
The amendments were published in the official gazette on 28 July 2026 by presidential decree and took effect the following day.
Connected Coverage
Egypt’s visitor economy has been running hot, as we reported when Egyptian tourism broke records on the back of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and readers weighing entry rules elsewhere may want Panama’s new visa appointment system. Our continental coverage is gathered in Africa: The New Scramble.
Sources: Egypt tourism ministry; Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy; financial resource development law.
LatAm Markets: Live Signals → — real-time movers, turnover leaders and FX across Latin America.
Read More from The Rio Times