Hurghada Airport Visa on Arrival 2026

Step-by-Step Guide for Tourists

Quick answer:

Yes, you can get a visa on arrival at Hurghada Airport in 2026. For now, Hurghada Airport continues to use the traditional paper-sticker Visa on Arrival process, paid for in cash at a bank counter in the arrivals hall before you reach passport control. The new QR-code system, launched at Cairo Airport in August 2026, has not yet been announced as operational at Hurghada.

Important: are you flying directly to Hurghada?

This guide applies to travellers whose first Egyptian airport is Hurghada International Airport. If you land in Cairo first and then take a domestic flight to Hurghada, your visa procedure is handled at Cairo, not Hurghada. See the note on Cairo connections further down this page.

Do you need an e-Visa before you travel?

Not if your nationality is eligible for a visa on arrival. Egypt has announced that citizens of 118 nationalities can get their visa at the airport rather than applying in advance. If you’re unsure whether your nationality qualifies, it’s worth checking through Egypt’s official visa channels before you fly, since eligibility criteria can change and getting it wrong means arriving without a valid way to enter.

If your nationality isn’t eligible for a visa on arrival, you’ll need to sort a visa in advance, either through the e-Visa portal or through an Egyptian embassy or consulate, depending on your nationality. That has to be done before you fly. There’s no workaround for this at the airport itself.

Step by step: what to do when you land in Hurghada

1. Follow signs to the arrivals hall. Before you reach passport control, you’ll pass a row of bank counters. This is where you buy your visa, not at passport control itself.
2. Choose a counter and pay in cash. Banque Misr and the National Bank of Egypt typically run these counters. The fee is $30 (or the equivalent in euros or pounds sterling), and dollars tend to be the most straightforward currency to use. Card payment isn’t available here, so bring cash with you.
3. Take your paper visa sticker. Don’t fold it. You’ll hand your passport, with the sticker loose inside it, to the immigration officer at passport control, who will affix the visa sticker to your passport during the immigration process.
4. Join the passport control queue. The officer checks your passport, stamps it, and affixes the visa sticker. Once that’s done, you’re through.

Budget more time for this than the passport control queue alone suggests. The bank counter step adds to it, particularly if your flight lands alongside several others.

A couple of things people often ask about this step: the visa sticker itself doesn’t list an exit date, your entry stamp does, and it’s valid for a single entry for 30 days. The traditional Hurghada Visa on Arrival itself is completed at the airport after you land.

What you’ll need

• A passport that meets Egypt’s validity requirements, generally including at least six months’ validity from the date of arrival
• Cash for the visa fee (dollars, euros, or pounds sterling)
• Your return or onward flight details, in case you’re asked

Fees and payment

The visa on arrival at Hurghada costs $30, payable in cash only. There’s no card payment option at the bank counters. The traditional Hurghada airport process described here is completed at the airport after arrival. If you’re used to hearing about Egypt’s new digital visa system, that’s a separate process currently limited to Cairo, and it doesn’t apply to a Hurghada arrival.

Smaller-dollar denominations can make the payment easier than handing over a large $100 note. Bank counters at busy arrival times sometimes run short on change.

Is the new QR code system used at Hurghada Airport?

No, not currently. The QR code system is a pilot programme that launched at Cairo International Airport on 1 August 2026. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has said it will expand to other airports in stages. As of August 2026, no official rollout date for Hurghada has been announced. Until that changes, the paper sticker described above is what you’ll use.

Flying home via Cairo?

If your Hurghada holiday ends with a domestic flight to Cairo before an international departure, that’s a domestic connection and doesn’t involve any additional visa step, assuming you remain in Egypt and do not leave the country during the connection. Your visa is issued for entry into Egypt and is not tied to the airport from which you later depart.

Most tourists flying to Hurghada arrive there directly rather than connecting through another Egyptian airport first, so for the majority of travellers reading this, the steps above are the whole process from landing to passport control.

Need Help With Your Egypt Trip?

Visa rules and arrival procedures can sometimes be confusing, If you are unsure about your arrival procedure, need help planning your airport transfer, or would like assistance arranging your Egypt trip, Luxe Tours Egypt is here to help.

You can contact us on WhatsApp

FAQ

Do I need to buy my Hurghada Visa on Arrival before I travel?

No. If you are eligible for Visa on Arrival and are arriving directly at Hurghada, the traditional VOA is obtained at the airport after arrival. If you prefer to arrange a visa before travelling, check whether you qualify for Egypt’s separate e-Visa system.

Is the paper sticker still used at Hurghada Airport?

As of August 2026, yes. Hurghada hasn’t been included in the new QR code pilot, which is currently limited to Cairo, so the paper sticker process is unchanged.

How much is the Hurghada visa on arrival, and what currency?

$30, paid in cash. Dollars are the easiest, though euros and pounds sterling are usually accepted too.

Can I pay by card at Hurghada Airport?

Not available. cash only

Do I need to arrange anything before I fly?

If your nationality is eligible for Visa on Arrival, you can obtain the traditional visa at Hurghada Airport after arrival. You should still check your passport, visa and entry requirements before travelling.

What if I’m connecting through Cairo on the way to Hurghada?

If Cairo is where you first complete Egyptian immigration, you will follow the visa procedure applicable at Cairo Airport rather than the Hurghada arrival process. Our full guide to Egypt’s Visa on Arrival system covers that in more detail.

Arriving in Cairo instead?

Read our complete guide to Egypt’s new Digital Visa on Arrival system at Cairo Airport, including how it compares with the traditional process still used at Hurghada and other airports. egypt-visa-on-arrival-2026/