Country guide
Egypt
Destinations
DahabEl GounaHurghadaMarsa AlamRas SudrSafagaSoma Bay
Visa & entry
| eu passport | No visa-free entry for tourism. E-visa $30 single-entry / $65 multiple-entry (2026 prices, raised from $25/$60 on/around March 2026), or visa-on-arrival $30 single-entry (raised from $25 on 1 March 2026) at major airports. Schengen visa/residence permit holders get a free 15-day entry stamp. |
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| us passport | Same as EU: e-visa $30 single-entry / $65 multi-entry, or visa-on-arrival $30, 2026 prices. |
| uk passport | Same as EU: e-visa $30 single-entry / $65 multi-entry, or visa-on-arrival $30, 2026 prices. |
| notes | E-visa only via official portal visa2egypt.gov.eg - third-party sites charge markups. Visa-on-arrival available at Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and other international airports for citizens of 45+ countries including US/UK/EU. Sinai-only stamp (free, ~15 days, covers Sharm/Dahab/Ras Sudr areas but not Hurghada/Red Sea mainland) exists via some land/air entry points - unverified whether still offered in 2026, flagged as open question. |
Money
| currency | Egyptian Pound (EGP/LE) |
|---|---|
| card acceptance | Uneven; Visa/Mastercard widely accepted at upscale hotels, resorts, fine dining and tour bookings. Amex acceptance patchy. Cash (EGP) required for souks, street food, small shops, taxis, and all tipping. Kite camps/centers vary - many take cards, some cash-only. |
| atm networks fees limits | Most Egyptian ATMs charge a local withdrawal fee of roughly 50-100 EGP per transaction (2026), on top of the traveler's home-bank foreign transaction fee. Specific per-network limits not verified. |
| local instant payment | InstaPay - domestic bank-to-bank transfer app using phone number/QR, run by the Central Bank of Egypt's national payment scheme. Requires an Egyptian bank account and Egyptian mobile number to register, so not usable by short-term foreign tourists in practice. |
| scams |
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| tipping | Expected everywhere (called 'baksheesh') - restaurants, drivers, hotel staff, kite instructors, dive/kite center support staff. Not optional in practice; often the main income component for service workers. |
| cash tips | Always tip in EGP cash, not foreign currency. |
SIM & internet
| operators ranked for coast coverage |
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|---|---|
| esim options |
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| id required for sim | Yes - passport required to register a physical tourist SIM at any carrier shop/airport kiosk. |
| notes | Physical tourist SIM prices 2026: Vodafone ~100 EGP for the SIM plus ~500 EGP for a 30GB tourist bundle; Orange Holidays 20GB+120min for 200 EGP, Orange Holidays Super 47GB for 450 EGP. Buy at airport arrivals or official stores. |
Insurance
| kite excluded by standard policies | Not verified for Egypt specifically, but kitesurfing is commonly classed as an 'extreme/adventure sport' excluded by default on standard travel policies generally - confirm kite-specific rider before travel. |
|---|---|
| evacuation note | Private hospitals/clinics recommended over public ones for tourists (better standard of care); no confirmed data on medevac availability from Red Sea kite spots (El Gouna/Hurghada/Marsa Alam/Ras Sudr/Safaga/Soma Bay/Dahab) - open question. |
Health
| vaccines | Routine (MMR, Tdap) up to date; Hepatitis A and Typhoid recommended for most travelers; Hepatitis B, rabies, and yellow fever (only if arriving from a yellow-fever country) recommended per risk profile. |
|---|---|
| tap water | Not safe to drink - use bottled/boiled water even at high-end Red Sea resorts (Hurghada/Sharm); avoid ice; avoid all contact with Nile/canal fresh water due to schistosomiasis risk (not relevant to Red Sea coast kite spots which are seawater). |
| emergency numbers | 123 (ambulance/emergency medical) |
| hospital standard | Private clinics/hospitals recommended for tourists over public facilities; ask hotel/kite center for referral. |
Driving
Regulation
| drone rules | Effectively banned for tourists/civilians without Ministry of Defense authorization - no practical permit pathway for visitors. Fines up to 50,000 EGP and possible imprisonment (1-7 years) for unauthorized possession/flight; drones are routinely confiscated by customs at Cairo, Hurghada and other airports via X-ray screening. Recommendation from multiple 2026 sources: do not bring a drone to Egypt. |
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Calendar & costs
| currency | EGP |
|---|---|
| year | 2026 |
Kite bag on airlines flying here
- airline: EgyptAirpolicy: Kiteboards/kite equipment treated as sports equipment, generally charged as excess/overweight baggage rather than included free.fee: 50% excess-baggage surcharge applied to sports equipment (kiteboard bags) reported by kite travel guideslimits: Standard checked allowance 2x23kg on international economy; sports equipment beyond this attracts the surcharge.year: 2026source: https://newwavekiteboarding.com/blogs/kiteboarding/kiteboarding-airline-guide ; https://www.egyptair.com/en/fly/baggage/Pages/sports-equipments.aspx
Where sources disagree
- Egypt visa-on-arrival vs e-visa fee both reported at $30 single-entry for 2026, but multiple aggregator sites (iVisa, tour operator blogs) disagree slightly on the exact date of the fee increase (some say 1 March 2026, others just 'April 2026') and whether $30 is inclusive of all service fees - treat $30 as the government fee baseline.
Open questions
- Is a free Sinai-only entry stamp (covering Dahab/Ras Sudr but not mainland Red Sea kite spots) still issued in 2026, and at which ports?
- Egypt digital nomad visa - does one exist as of 2026, and tax residency day threshold?
- Medevac/evacuation logistics from Red Sea kite spots (nearest trauma-capable hospital for each of El Gouna/Hurghada/Marsa Alam/Ras Sudr/Safaga/Soma Bay/Dahab)
- Mosquito-borne disease season (dengue/malaria risk windows) for the Red Sea coast
- Cost index figures (beer/meal/coffee/rent) not gathered this pass
Sources: ivisa.com · nilecruisen.com · newwavekiteboarding.com · egyptair.com · saily.com · traventira.com · +6