Egypt launches e-visas

[newcastle]

Egypt launches e-visas.....or does it??

I thought they'd quietly shelved this idea - mooted earlier this year - but apparently not.

"Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on Sunday in Cairo the annual Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conference, where Egypt’s new e-Visa service was launched.

The online e-Visa system will serve visitors looking to travel to Egypt from any of 43 countries, including the United States, Canada, the UK, France and Cyprus."

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... rence.aspx

I haven't seen or heard of any details from other sources. As far as I know, it's still "buy at airport" for UK.

If and when they get going, it looks a nightmare compared to the current arrangements. Just read the details :

"A cultural gem, Egypt has attracted inquisitive visitors for many years. However, as travel evolves, so do the immigration laws and requirements to move accross borders. Egypt has officially launched a Egypt evisa that requires travellers apply online for their visa before their trip.

Back in March, Egypt's Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed said, "Under this system, any tourist anywhere in the world will have the right to apply for an electronic visa." Egypt joins in many countries, like the US and Canada, that have established electronic visas in order to improve border control and immigration security.

The Egypt evisa will allow foreign visitors travel to the country for tourism or business purposes. In order to obtain the Egypt visa, travellers of eligible countries will have to complete Egypt's evisa online application form."

https://www.onlinevisatravel.com/egypt- ... -launched/

Both barrels in the tourism foot if you ask me.

I've seen some pretty strange moves but this takes the biscuit. I expect the tourism industry to be up in arms. One step forward...and two steps back.

[newcastle]

Presumably there will be an "E day" - announced in good time - from which date incoming tourists will have to get e-visas. And in good time for tour companies, airlines, embassies etc to get their act together.

Until that date it'll be "visa on arrival". Thereafter.....maybe not. It's not clear.

But , with Egypt, who knows?

Here's the official site :

https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home

[crewmeal]

Love the bit about processing the visa. No guarantees that you'll get a visa then, even if you have paid the appropriate fee.

After you have completed your application and made the payment, your application will be processed. As soon as your visa application has been processed, you will receive an email informing you, with the current application status.

Note: They call it an e-visa but you still have to print it off on presumably an A4 sheet of paper. I was expecting it to be like the Aussie one, an electronic visa.

[crewmeal]

Surely this can't be true a single entry visa will now cost £78. That will kill off the UK tourism.

https://egypt.visahq.co.uk/

[newcastle]

Surely this can't be true a single entry visa will now cost £78. That will kill off the UK tourism.

https://egypt.visahq.co.uk/

That's one of the rip-off "we'll get your visa for you" sites. Only dummies use them.

The visa itself is 20GBP....the rest is service charge.

[carrie]

I can't see how much the visa is going to cost. The site is very much the same as applying for a visa to visit Turkey pretty simple and the Turkish visa you have to print off after receiving an email.

[HEPZIBAH]

The visa information has not yet been updated on the Egyptian Consulate in the UK website.
http://www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk/visas.php

Always remember: The Egyptian Consulate General in London reserves the right of refusal for any visa application.

All inquiries related to the issuance of Visas should be emailed to:
visa@egyptianconsulate.co.uk


I think this is the correct Visa Application site though.

https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

Egypt e-Visa cost: How much is an Egyptian Tourist Visa?

Once the applicant has completed the egypt visa enrollment, he/she will be required to pay the tourist visa fee. The standard price for the single-entry tourist visa for Egypt is $25.

This price corresponds to a single-entry Egypt eVisa cost.

The payment must be correctly processed online via credit or debit card at the moment of submission of the egyptian visa form to avoid delays in receiving the confirmed eVisa.

[crewmeal]

That's one of the rip-off "we'll get your visa for you" sites. Only dummies use them.

The visa itself is 20GBP....the rest is service charge.

You're right Newcastle. I remember a scam like that for GB passports which was featured on Watchdog a few years ago. However instead of a 2 minute process at a bank for a label, it seems you have to go through one hell of an application including scanning your passport along with a 2 x 2 photo.

https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

[HEPZIBAH]

That's one of the rip-off "we'll get your visa for you" sites. Only dummies use them.

The visa itself is 20GBP....the rest is service charge.

You're right Newcastle. I remember a scam like that for GB passports which was featured on Watchdog a few years ago. However instead of a 2 minute process at a bank for a label, it seems you have to go through one hell of an application including scanning your passport along with a 2 x 2 photo.

https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

A process that is becoming more and more common around the world.

[newcastle]

The visa information has not yet been updated on the Egyptian Consulate in the UK website.
http://www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk/visas.php

Always remember: The Egyptian Consulate General in London reserves the right of refusal for any visa application.

All inquiries related to the issuance of Visas should be emailed to:
visa@egyptianconsulate.co.uk


I think this is the correct Visa Application site though.

https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

Egypt e-Visa cost: How much is an Egyptian Tourist Visa?

Once the applicant has completed the egypt visa enrollment, he/she will be required to pay the tourist visa fee. The standard price for the single-entry tourist visa for Egypt is $25.

This price corresponds to a single-entry Egypt eVisa cost.

The payment must be correctly processed online via credit or debit card at the moment of submission of the egyptian visa form to avoid delays in receiving the confirmed eVisa.

I'm not sure about this site : https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

It seems to be information only...and has a number of obvious errors.

The official application site is : https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home

Interestingly this site says : "The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at the ports of entry"

I think it may still be some time before an e-Visa becomes obligatory because they need to sort out a number of practical issues and, in the meantime, the "visa on arrival" system will still be available (at least for UK and other European countries)

[HEPZIBAH]

The visa information has not yet been updated on the Egyptian Consulate in the UK website.
http://www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk/visas.php

Always remember: The Egyptian Consulate General in London reserves the right of refusal for any visa application.

All inquiries related to the issuance of Visas should be emailed to:
visa@egyptianconsulate.co.uk


I think this is the correct Visa Application site though.

https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

Egypt e-Visa cost: How much is an Egyptian Tourist Visa?

Once the applicant has completed the egypt visa enrollment, he/she will be required to pay the tourist visa fee. The standard price for the single-entry tourist visa for Egypt is $25.

This price corresponds to a single-entry Egypt eVisa cost.

The payment must be correctly processed online via credit or debit card at the moment of submission of the egyptian visa form to avoid delays in receiving the confirmed eVisa.

I'm not sure about this site : https://www.egyptvisa.com/egypt-online-visa-form

It seems to be information only...and has a number of obvious errors.

The official application site is : https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home

Interestingly this site says : "The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at the ports of entry"

I think it may still be some time before an e-Visa becomes obligatory because they need to sort out a number of practical issues and, in the meantime, the "visa on arrival" system will still be available (at least for UK and other European countries)

Sorry, I had a number of pages open at the time. It is possible that I've copied the wrong site link.

[Major Thom]

seems like another kerfuffle of information, not knowing if things are true, the right price or anything. Where have Egypt got the computer from to deal with E-Visa's, Mohamed on the West Bank, a second hand HP Jobbie in line with the economy. I have never read so much non information on information in my life. Good Luck with that, I for one will not be applying!

[newcastle]

The site you quoted Hepzibah - egyptvisa.com - is being widely circulated and quoted on social media.

It is a voluminous site, with all sorts of information and detail, some of which looks plausible and some which is clearly incorrect.

In particular, the information you are supposed to submit seems unnecessarily complicated and onerous.

The site itself offers no link to an application procedure...(at least, I can't see it!.)..except the link to visa2egypt.gov.eg

I cannot find any information about who egyptvisa.com are...and that alone makes me suspicious.

I suspect...but have no proof....that it's another one of these visa application service companies who will charge a hefty service fee in addition to the visa fee itself. But it's puzzling me that, again, there's no link to any application process.

I referred earlier to https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home as being the official site....but I'm not so sure now. It looks more "official" with the .gov.eg....but, on closer inspection, I'm dubious about it too and would be wary of submitting any information to it.

Surely there will be some unimpeachable government/embassy announcement in due course as to when and how any e-Visa system becomes operative.

Until then...watch and wait....and STAY CALM

If Horus, or anyone more techie than me (not difficult!) on who is behind domain names, can investigate these sites : egyptvisa.com. & visa2egypt.gov.eg and find out who they are, I'd be grateful.

[Yildez]

Turkey's eVisa system is straightforward and quick, and as far as I remember you don't need to scan in your passport or provide a photo. Perhaps Carrie can confirm this as she bought a visa earlier this year. Having to do this will be more problematic for people (like me) who don't have a scanner, and sending a photo? Why, when you have to scan your passport?

Although I think it's a good idea to have a printout of the Turkish visa, it's actually not necessary as the system is fully electronic. As soon as your passport is scanned the eVisa appears on screen and the officer can see its validity and how many days are left. There are several 'scam' sites - they appeared as soon as the system went live, so it doesn't surprise me that this is happening with evisas for Egypt

My concern is that the computer systems necessary, and the massive investment to implement them, have been underestimated. More rapid transit through passport control? Not in Turkish airports. It seems to take the same length of time for the passport to be scanned and stamped as it did for the visa to be recorded and stamped. At least you don't have to queue for the visa!

[carrie]

No need to scan passport or scan photo for Turkey, just enter passport details, date you want the visa for, then pay your money. The email with the visa came about 10 minutes later.

[newcastle]

The more I look at the visa2egypt.gov.eg site the more I smell "scam"...or at least a phishing exercise.

They want a photo of my passport, name, address, email, phone number, photo of self.....

I imagine, if I'd gone for the e-Visa, they'd also want my credit card details.


No thank you!

[Dusak]

I can envisage really fun times ahead for the likes of us long stay tourists as we attempt to extend to six months. They should take a leaf out of Thailand's book, since they joined the bi-lateral visa agreement with another 44 countries, every tourist landing at Bangkok airport gets a one month visa free of charge, then you can extend it by 1 or 2 months very easily and problem free, then six months after that. Since they implemented this, tourist numbers rose sharply. But then again, Thailand has plenty on offer for a very wide range of tourist wants. Leave it as it is, they grab enough cash off us. I can see it now, better get my online application in, dam, no internet, ahh, the Internets back on, dam, power cut again, dam, photocopy refused, illegible...

[Horus]

I would say that the first site is genuine, you can read more on here:
https://www.egyptvisa.com/articles/elec ... rt-in-june

The second site looks more like a ‘portal’ site that will eventually reroute you (or should) to the first genuine site, but it would be like buying your visa from the tour rep.

[newcastle]

I would say that the first site is genuine, you can read more on here:
https://www.egyptvisa.com/articles/elec ... rt-in-june

The second site looks more like a ‘portal’ site that will eventually reroute you (or should) to the first genuine site, but it would be like buying your visa from the tour rep.

Thanks. Perhaps I'm being over cautious. I suppose they have gone to an unusual amount of trouble for a scam.

As long as you can still get a visa on arrival - like Turkey - I'm not too bothered and if some people find an e-Visa preferable, that's fine too.

[Horus]

I would not celebrate too soon, I see this as Egypt catching up with modern visa issuing systems implemented by many countries nowadays. The Electronic Travel Authorisation is being adopted more and more and I can see it becoming the standard providing that Egypt has the infrastructure in place to deal with it properly (a big ask I know). It is primarily intended to pre-check and hold the data of any traveller from anywhere in the world and in this security conscious age it is no bad thing. Maybe Egypt has been forced to start complying with these standard, but more rigorous identity checks, prior to a persons arrival in the country. With these systems in place a worldwide data base can be implemented to keep tabs on undesirables providing everyone involved complies, so on that basis maybe the visa on arrival option will be curtailed once the system is fully activated and an online application becomes more straight forward. When you think about it this would give immigration far more readily available information on the visitor than just being presented with a passport and a recently purchased visa from the bank window.