Egypt plans to phase out the paper arrival card. As travellers provide their details when booking their flight and applying for a visa, the arrival card is no longer necessary. However, some airports still use the paper arrival card.
The end of the paper arrival card in Egypt
For decades, travellers arriving in Egypt have been required to complete an immigration form, known as the arrival card. Travellers were asked to provide a number of personal details, such as their name, passport number, nationality, flight number, address in Egypt and purpose of visit. The arrival card was often handed out on the plane and collected upon arrival.
However, this is now set to change. The Egyptian authorities had planned to abolish the arrival card entirely by early 2026. Despite the Egyptian immigration service’s plans to abolish the arrival card as early as the end of January 2026, it is still in use at some airports, including Hurghada. European travellers still require an (e-)visa to travel to Egypt. The abolition of the arrival card therefore has no impact on the visa requirement for Egypt.
The Egypt e-visa
The Egypt e-visa is the easiest way to meet the Egyptian visa requirement. On e-Visa.co.uk you can easily apply for this electronic visa . There are two types of Egypt e-visa available: the single-entry e-visa for Egypt and the multiple-entry e-visa. Both types of e-visa allow for a maximum stay of 30 days. The single-entry e-visa for Egypt has a validity period of 90 days.
The multiple-entry e-visa is valid for 180 days. It allows you to travel to Egypt an unlimited number of times within its period of validity. You can find more information about the cost of the Egypt e-visa.
The reasons for the abolition of the arrival card
The Egyptian authorities have decided to abolish the paper arrival card, as most of the information required for the card is already provided when booking the flight and applying for a visa. Airlines forward this information electronically to the Egyptian immigration authorities. This has made the arrival card redundant.
In addition, the Egyptian immigration authorities are developing a digital data processing system for passport control at the airport, which will also incorporate the data provided in advance.
The decision to abolish the paper arrival card is part of a wider strategy by the Egyptian government to make Egypt more attractive to international travellers. This will lead to improvements in immigration procedures and airport infrastructure.
What will change for travellers?
With the abolition of the paper arrival card, there are no significant changes for travellers to Egypt. Travellers do not need to take any action themselves. The only difference is that arrival cards will no longer be handed out on the plane or in the arrivals hall. As a result, the arrival process is likely to be slightly smoother than before.
According to the Egyptian government’s plans, a transition period was in place in January 2026, during which some airports were still using paper arrival cards. From February 2026, paper arrival cards were due to be completely phased out. However, some airports are still using them.