Many tourists from Russia prefer to travel to hot countries. As they themselves note, in addition to a good rest on their territory, local attractions and exotic nature are attractive. Egypt is one of the most visited countries by travelers from Russia. What visa do i need in Egypt? What is necessary for its design and where can I get it? About it further.
What is a visa?
A visa is a document allowing a citizen of a particular state to enter the territory of another country. It can be issued as a separate document. However, visas for entry to some countries are presented in the form of a separate stamp, which is affixed on the pages of the passport.
As for the visa to Egypt, in the classic form it just does represent a small blue stamp.
Tourist visa
When planning to make a short trip to Egypt, a tourist visa can not be issued in advance by contacting the consulate or representative office. This can always be done upon arrival at the airport of Hurghada, where a special stamp can be put on a special stamp. Many tourists may have a question about how much a visa to Egypt costs. For citizens of all countries the answer is one: 25 dollars (1400 rubles). When paying such an amount, the traveler receives a stamp in his passport that permits him to stay in the territory of the state for no more than 30 calendar days.
Documents required to obtain a tourist visa
Although obtaining a visa in Egypt is a fairly simple process, it requires certain documents. Their list is small, but is required. First of all, the tourist is obliged to present his passport, the remainder of the validity of which must be at least 8 calendar months. In addition, the Hurghada airport will definitely require the availability of return airline tickets, the departure time of which should not correspond to the visa issued.
Another requirement that is imposed on all travelers who wish to obtain a permit stamp for free movement throughout Egypt is confirmation of booking a room at a local hotel. As a rule, tourists who arrive in the state on a ticket purchased from an operator do not have any problems with this item.
In practice, it often happens that a traveler has not booked a hotel room and is not able to produce a document proving the availability of a place to stay. In this case, many fill out a migration card, indicating the details of the place of rest, which first comes to mind. This option is also suitable, as the information provided by the tourist by the controlling person is not checked.
Many tourists note with positive comments that in the process of obtaining a visa to Egypt for Russians, it is not necessary to indicate the sources and sizes of income, as is required in many other countries. Also, certificates of kinship with people living in the state and information confirming the purpose of the visit are not required here.
Migration card
In order that the process of applying for a holiday visa in Egypt does not take up a lot of time at the airport, many airplanes heading towards Hurghada will receive empty migration cards in advance, which are proposed to be filled in directly in flight.
With regard to the requirements for filling, then among them the main is the veracity of the information, as well as legibility. All information should be provided exclusively in English, all letters in personal data must clearly correspond to those presented in the passport of a citizen.
As for the content of such a card, in addition to the standard data (surname, name and patronymic), it should include the place where you plan to stay (hotel), some passport data (series and number), flight number, and also the purpose of arrival ( usually travelers indicate tourism).
It often happens that a tourist flies to Egypt with children who have not yet reached the age of 18. In this case, they do not need to fill out a special migration card - they just need to enter their data in their form in the column on the back.
Sinai visa
Tourists who fly to Sinai and do not plan to move to another part of the country can get a visa for free. Such a permit, like a classic visa to Egypt, will be considered valid only for 14 calendar days. A visa to Sinai will look like a small Sinai stamp.
As for the minuses of such permission, some travelers say in their recommendations that for an independent trip to the country in order to explore the sights and visit interesting places, it is not entirely suitable, since it significantly limits the movement of the country's guest. So, for example, having such a visa with your passport, you can abandon the dream of visiting the territory of Ras Mohammed, as well as Tistlegorm, where many people like to go to do diving.
Often there are situations when, upon arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, migration officials offer to apply for this type of visa for an amount equal to the cost of a visa to Egypt. However, this requirement is considered unreasonable, since despite the rapid change in the requirements of the legislation, the right of tourists to receive it free of charge nevertheless exists, and they can safely use it.
Visa process
Upon arrival at the airport of Hurghada, you must go through the procedure for obtaining a visa to Egypt. In practice, it is quite simple and involves the implementation of a certain list of actions.
First of all, tourists must fill out a migration card, which many are invited to do on the plane. It is necessary to go with her to the visa officer, who is in a special paragraph, and present it, attaching your passport to the card. If the document is correctly filled out, the officer will paste the visa stamp in the passport.
Visa for a child
In order for children to cross the border of Egypt with adults, no special requirements have been established. The easiest way is if they keep the path with their parents. In this case, adults need to have only two documents with them. The first of these is the birth certificate of the child (a certified copy may also be suitable), and the second is the permission to leave. However, this document can only be requested if the child crosses the border with one of the parents or guardians, as well as with third parties or distant relatives. In the event that he is accompanied by two legal parents, then a second document is not required.
As for the payment of a child visa to Egypt, it is not required. Permission to enter is provided free of charge, provided that you are under 18 years of age.
Extension of a visa
As you know, the standard duration of a visa is not more than 30 days. However, sometimes there are situations when its validity must be extended. For this purpose, you can contact the Egyptian visa center in Moscow (at the embassy) or in another closer city in Russia. In order to obtain a visa with a longer duration, it is necessary to provide a more extensive package of documents to the center.
First of all, you should prepare four color photocopies of the passport spread, which shows personal data and a photograph. You also need to present a couple of copies of the visa stamp that was received at the entrance to the country, and the same number of copies of the document confirming the rental of housing, in which the tourist is planned to stay for the whole time. In addition to everything, you should attach one color photo of 3x4 cm format, as well as a completed questionnaire, in which you need to specify all the necessary data.
For Russians who are in the age group of 60 years or more, there is no need to extend a visa. In order to stay in Egypt for a longer period, they just need to provide information confirming a stable and sufficient income.
In order to apply for a visa extension to a country, you must first fly to Moscow, using a regular flight for this purpose.
The Egyptian embassy in the Russian capital is located on Kropotkinsky Lane 12. This place is located near the Park Kultury metro station, opposite the Finnish embassy.
Electronic visa
Many travel agencies are independently engaged in the preparation of permits for entry for their customers when they purchase a ticket to Egypt. The visa in this case is presented in electronic form.
What should be done? To apply for an electronic visa to Egypt, you do not need to make a personal visit to the consulate of the country or a specialized center - this can be done online. Practice shows that this system significantly improves the safety of tourists, maintaining it at the appropriate level, as well as the system of border and customs control, which is carried out upon arrival of guests in the country.
The provision of a guest visa to Egypt is only possible for those travelers who have a tourist purpose of visit. Also, its provision is possible for a one-time trip with a short-term purpose. That is why, before applying for it, it is advisable to pre-acquire a ticket to Egypt or take care of how to explain another purpose of your visit to the country. An application for a permit should be submitted online. After filling in all the required fields, the tourist will receive a special permit, which must be printed out, indicated on the e-mail specified during the registration process - his presentation will be required at the arrival point.
What information will be required in the process of filling out the questionnaire? First of all, a tourist is obliged to indicate passport data, in exactly the same way as they are indicated on its pages. In addition, you will need to provide a valid email address - it will receive a decision to grant a visa or to refuse it. You will also need to enter an international phone number and credit card information. In addition to all this, a tourist must indicate the purpose of his visit to Egypt, as a rule, “tourism” is put down in this column.
Citizens of far from all countries can get an electronic visa, but this opportunity extends to representatives of the Russian population.
Before applying for an electronic visa, a citizen of the Russian Federation must pay the service fee, as well as provide a scanned copy of his passport. In the case of planning a trip to the country with the whole family, each adult tourist must create a request for a visa using an individual profile. In the event that a child under the age of 18 who has an individual passport goes on a trip, he also needs to make a request for an electronic entry permit.
Such a visa, like a classic tourist visa, allows you to stay on the territory of the state for no more than 30 calendar days. In the event that the tourist has been refused to provide him with permission to enter the state, the fee made by him is not refundable. The cost of processing the request is 25 US dollars (1400 rubles), as is the case with the standard visa, which is provided at the airport of Hurghada.
Work Visa
Some tourists come to Egypt in order to carry out labor activities in the territory of this state. For this purpose, a work visa is required, which allows you to stay in the country for an indefinite amount of time. As practice shows, the registration of such a visa is carried out by the employer. In the event that the employee in respect of whom a work visa has been opened is fired or transferred to another place that does not require visits to the country, it is canceled.
In order to apply for such a visa to his employee, the employer must submit documents to the Egyptian embassy, the contents of which indicate that the Egyptians were employed at his enterprise. Moreover, the number of such employees should be at least 11 people. Also, for such a document, you need to provide a copy of the employee’s education diploma, which must first be certified by the Ministry of Justice of Russia. Another additional document is health insurance.
As for the price, the minimum cost for a work visa is 150 dollars (about 8500 rubles).
Student
Some young people from Russia are studying in the cities of Egypt. In order to properly carry out the educational process, they are invited to apply for a visa to Egypt for students. These types of permits are also entitled to be issued by those who are just planning to begin their studies in this state. Its validity expires with the onset of the end date of the educational process.
To apply for such a visa, it is necessary to provide the Egyptian Embassy with a special application form with the fields filled in, as well as a special document that is a confirmation that there is a pre-reserved place in the educational institution indicated by the student. As for the price for its design, it is calculated in US dollars and directly depends on the time during which the stay is planned.
Marriage
This type of visa may be of interest to young girls and women who plan to enter into marriage with an Egyptian citizen. In order to become its owner, you need to get an ORFI contract. This document is a kind of prenuptial agreement, which should be legalized in the future. A visa of this nature can be issued for a certain period. If during this period of time the bride and groom did not enter into a marriage, then it is canceled.
If we talk about the cost of such a visa, then in each case it can be different, but its minimum price can be less than 100 Egyptian pounds (320 rubles). It is provided for no more than six months.
Resident visa
Resident - this is another type of visa to Egypt for the Russians. Its presence is especially important for those who have their own real estate in Egypt, and are also the wives or husbands of citizens of this state. The presence of such a permit to enter does not give the right to work in the country and engage in commerce. This document provides the right to a long stay within the country.
In order for Egypt to provide this type of visa, a copy of the marriage contract must be provided to the embassy (in the event that a permit is provided subject to the presence of a husband or wife who are citizens of the country). In the case of the presence of real estate, documents should be provided that confirm the fact of its placement in Egypt.
The price of such a visa is from 30 to 50 US dollars (approximately 1700-3000 rubles). The maximum period for which such a document can be provided is 5 years, after which it will need to be reissued.
If a visa is refused
It is very rare that such situations occur when a person who wishes to obtain a visa to Egypt is refused a visa. However, if such a situation did occur, then you need not to worry. As a rule, when issuing a refusal to obtain an entry permit, the country's embassy indicates its reasons. If necessary, the traveler has the right to correct all defects and send the request again. If all the shortcomings have been eliminated, the state will provide an opportunity to enter.