Egypt Revises Entry Requirements for Citizens of Three Countries

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced new regulations governing the entry of citizens from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, including the cancellation of previous facilitations and requiring them to obtain pre-arranged entry visas starting November 1, 2026. The new rules mandate that citizens aged between 16 and 40 must be accompanied by a family member such as a father, mother, spouse, or children, in addition to carrying specified cash amounts upon arrival. According to the regulations, arrivals from these countries must carry $3,000 per individual and $5,000 per family. Travelers' phone numbers, whether issued from their home countries or Egypt, must be registered with the tourism companies organizing their trips. The procedures also require tourism companies to prepare specific tour programs for groups arriving from these countries, confiscate passports upon arrival, and return them upon departure, with an obligation to notify authorities immediately if any group member fails to depart as scheduled. Regarding departure procedures, the General Directorate of Passports, Immigration, and Nationality is responsible for stamping accompanying family members with the head of the family's arrival stamp, obliging the head to accompany all family members when leaving the country. The instructions prohibit accepting requests to change tourist visas to other purposes after entering Egypt, while maintaining existing regulations for citizens of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan without changes. These measures aim to regulate the entry of nationals from the three countries into Egypt and will take effect from November 1, 2026.