Egypt to raise visa entry fees

CAIRO – 26 February 2017: Egypt is increasing the cost of tourism entry visas for foreign visitors starting July 1, the Egyptian Cabinet announced on Saturday.

According to the official website of the Egyptian embassy in Washington DC, the single entry tourist visa for Egypt for most nationals will be set to $55.00, including the UK and Canada, while the multiple entry tourist visa will cost $65.00. However, the tourist visa fee for the nationals of the U.S., Russia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Cyprus remains at $15.00, and $20 for German nationals.

A former announcement had stated the new regulations would be implemented by Wednesday Mar. 1, however, a letter released by the Egyptian Cabinet’s general secretariat confirmed the new visa fees would be delayed to the summer, following discussions with the Egyptian prime minister.

The decision has been met with controversy, as Egypt has been struggling to revive its tourism industry for over six years.

Egyptian parliamentarian Mohamed el-Masoud

submitted a letter to the parliamentary speaker

on Saturday to cancel the decision, saying it “would have negative effects on the tourism sector.”

Masoud further pointed out that other countries like Tunisia have blocked similar proposals for the sake of promoting their tourism sector.

Khaled el-Menawy, an advisor to the tourism ministry, also countered the decision in a

phone-in on CBC

, saying that whoever took it must be held accountable. “The decision will cause a shock in the tourism sector and for the foreign companies,” Menawy said.

Meanwhile, Tourism Development Authority Head Hisham el-Demery defended the new regulations, stating that they would not have a big impact on tourism attraction. Demery however objected to the implementation mechanisms, saying that the decision was taken with such a “short notice.”

The previous increase in visa fees in Egypt was in April 2014, when entry visas obtained at the border were pushed from $15 to $25.