Seeing a record 19 million tourists in 2025, the North African nation of Egypt ranks alongside Morocco and South Africa as the most visited countries in Africa.
While the biggest tourist attraction remains the Pyramids of Giza, the North African nation, home to countless other ancient sites, also offers the vibrant culture of Cairo and all-inclusive resorts on the Red Sea.
According to the statistics released by the government’s tourism board, in 2025, the largest number of visitors to Egypt came from Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UK. The country has also seen increased interest from American travelers over the past year.
While specific visa regulations will vary greatly depending on the traveler’s passport, Egypt is now taking steps to ease entry requirements for citizens of dozens of countries.
It includes the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the 27 nations that make up the European Union.
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Until now, travelers from these countries were required to apply for a 30-day visa-on-arrival that costs $25 USD, mostly paid in cash, upon landing at an Egyptian airport.
As reported by the local press, recent entry changes by the Egyptian government will extend the current visa exemption for travelers from neighboring Gulf countries to more than 30 countries: EU countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, among many others.
This will bring the total number of nationalities that can visit Egypt visa-free to around 40. It will also significantly ease the process of first having to queue at a booth after a long flight for a visa which, short of a criminal record or past overstay in the country, is almost always granted automatically.
The new rules will also save the $25 USD that travelers must pay for visas first.
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The moves are part of the Egyptian government’s efforts to promote the country as a travel destination amid competition for the same number of tourist days and dollars from neighboring Morocco and Tunisia.
