This is a great chance for Indians to plan a hassle-free trip to Egypt. (Representative Image: Shutterstock)
Earlier, the on-arrival visa facility was only accessible to holders of Schengen visas and to tourists from the UK, the US, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
Egypt has announced to offer visas on arrival to Indians as the country has changed the rules on multiple entry visas to boost tourism. This was recently announced by Egypt’s tourism minister after the country expanded its list of nationalities eligible for visa on arrival facility.
According to the reports, a five-year multiple entry visa would be offered for $700 (Rs 57,688), while a single entry on-arrival visa would be offered for $25 (Rs 2,060) with a validity of 30 days. The new visa policy is accessible to more than 180 nationalities.
The minister confirmed that India and China have also made it to the list. This would allow tourists from India and China, who hold a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) resident visa, to avail visa on arrival facility. Individual tourists from China would also be able to obtain emergency entry visas at the Egyptian ports.
There have been changes in the eligibility criteria for tourists arriving from other countries as well. Iraqi tourists would also be given visas on arrival only if they met the eligibility criteria, while Iranian tourists would be given visas on arrival when heading to South Sinai through a certified agency. Israelis would be allowed to visit Hurghada in groups only through the sponsorship of certified tourism companies. Residents of Turkey would be given expanded access to visas on arrival in order to re-establish ties between Egypt and Turkey.
The changes were made in order to boost tourism in the country, which has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Reports have suggested that Egypt received 11.7 million tourists last year and would be expecting a 25% to 30% increase this year. They have also predicted that the number of tourists would reach up to 30 million by 2028.
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