Tourists travelling to Luxor or Aswan can benefit from a free visa for Egypt for several months. The Egyptian authorities are actually trying to attract more tourists during the low season. Travellers whishing to visit other parts of Egypt need to take into account the cost of the Egypt visa.
Temporary fee waiver
Sherif Fathy, the Egyptian Minister for Tourism has declared that tourists flying to Luxor or Aswan can temporarily benefit from a free visa. This plan will be implemented in early May 2025 and will be in place until the end of October 2025. The elimination of the visa costs is only a temporary arrangement and not a permanent measure, however. As of November 2025, the regular visa fee will be restored, also for tourists travelling to Aswan or Luxor.
This new strategy will not have any effect of the visa requirements for Egypt. Travellers must still hold a valid visa. However, from the month of May, they will be able to apply for it free of charge on arrival in Luxor or Aswan. The Egyptian immigration authorities will still check if travellers meet all requirements for travelling to Egypt on arrival to the country. For instance, travellers need to produce a passport with a residual validity of at least six months. Also, they must be able to show an overview of the number of hotel nights they have booked, if asked to do so.
Requirements for the free visa
The free visa for Egypt will only be available at the international airports of Luxor and Aswan, two cities situated on the Nile in central and southern Egypt. Travellers arriving at any other location in Egypt will need to pay for their visa. Travellers visiting Luxor or Aswan will also need to pay if they don't fly directly to Luxor or Aswan international airports.
Travellers landing in Cairo, Hurghada or Marsa Alam, or arriving in Egypt by cruise ship are thus not eligible for the free visa. If you are not flying to Luxor or Aswan, but to another airport, you can easily apply for an e-visa for Egypt. The price of the Egypt visa is £54.95 per person. The e-visa is generally granted after 11 days. Travellers who need their visa sooner can submit an urgent application. Urgent applications for the Egypt visa are usually processed and approved within 5 days.
Tourism during low season
June to September is the summer period in Egypt. In Luxor and Aswan, the temperatures can reach 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. For this reason, most tourists decide to travel to Egypt before or after the summer. The period between November and April is generally considered the best one to go to Egypt. With the free visa from May to October, Egypt aims to increase the number of tourists during summer months.
Historical monuments in central and southern Egypt
The area around Luxor and Aswan is home to several cultural and archaeological landmarks, like the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon, the temple of Ramses III or the temple of Philae. The world-famous temples of Abu Simbel can also be reached from Aswan with a day trip. By suppressing the visa costs, Egypt aims to promote and boost tourism in these regions.