Travel Information

About Cairo, Egypt

Cairo is the capital of Egypt, the country’s largest city,  and one of the largest urban areas in Africa and the Middle East. Cairo has long been a centre of the country’s political and cultural life and is also known as the City of a Thousand Minarets for its preponderance of Islamic architecture. The city is reminiscent of old Egypt as the Giza pyramids complex, the Great Sphinx statue and other ancient cities are within the city borders, and it hosts several monuments dating back to Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, and Islamic eras.  Cairo’s historic centre was awarded World Heritage Site status in 1979.

Although Cairo is Egypt’s largest city, it is the smallest Egyptian province.

Visa Requirements

The Egypt e-visa is available to tourists from specific countries entering the country at any given time. As issued by the Ministry of Interior, visitors are encouraged to apply for an electronic visa at least seven working days before travelling to Egypt. After application, payment, and processing, applicants will receive a link to download their e-visas, which will be checked electronically at ports of entry into the country. Like other visas, Egypt’s immigration officers at ports of entry reserve the right to refuse entry to Egypt for the holder of an e-visa without any explanation.

To apply, visit the e-visa website, create an account, log into the visa portal, and apply for a tourist visa. The visa application and processing cost USD 25 for a single-entry visa and USD 60 for a multiple-entry visa. The e-visa is eligible for 30 days.

However, given the frequent changes and updates to Egypt’s immigration regulations, we advice delegates to contact the Egyptian embassy in their respective countries to confirm their visa arrangement before applying for the visa process. 

For delegates who must visit the Egyptian embassy in their country to obtain their visa, kindly share a copy of your passport with us to receive an official invitation letter to facilitate a seamless visa application process. 

Requirements for the Egypt visa

• To be eligible, your passport must have a 6-month validity before the date you arrive in Egypt and  at least one blank page.
• A return flight ticket.

Countries Eligible for E-Visa

1. Albania 
2. Argentina 
3. Armenia 
4. Australia 
5. Austria 
6. Azerbaijan 
7. Bahrain 
8. Belarus
9. Belgium 
10. Bolivia 
11. Bosnia and Herzegovina 
12. Brazil 
13. Bulgaria 
14. Canada
15. Chile 
16. China 
17. China/Hong Kong 
18. China/Taiwan 
19. Colombia 
20. Croatia 
21. Cyprus
22. Czech 
23. Denmark 
24. Ecuador 
25. Estonia 
26. Finland 
27. France 
28. Georgia 
29. Germany 
30. Greece 
31. Hungary 
32. Iceland 
33. India 
34. Iraq 
35. Ireland 
36. Italy 
37. Japan 
38. Kazakhstan 
39. Kuwait 
40. Latvia 
41. Lithuania 
42. Luxembourg 
43. Macedonia 
44. Malaysia 
45. Malta 
46. Mexico 
47. Moldova 
48. Monaco 
49. Montenegro 
50. Netherlands 
51. New Zealand 
52. Norway 
53. Oman 
54. Paraguay 
55. Peru 
56. Poland 
57. Portugal 
58. Qatar 
59. Republic of Kosovo 
60. Romania 
61. Russia
62. San Marino 
63. Saudi Arabia 
64. Serbia 
65. Singapore 
66. Slovakia 
67. Slovenia 
68. South Africa 
69. South Korea
70. Spain 
71. Sweden 
72. Switzerland 
73. Ukraine 
74. United Arab Emirates 
75. United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) 
76. United States of America
77.  Uruguay 
78. Vatican 
79. Venezuela

Visa on Arrival Countries

• Andorra.
• Antigua and Barbuda.
• Bahamas.
• Bhutan.
• Brunei Darussalam.
• Cambodia.
• Costa Rica.
• Cuba.
• Dominica.
• Dominican Republic.
• East Timor.
• Fiji.
• Grenada.
• Guinea.
• Guyana.
• Haiti.
• Jamaica.
• Kiribati.
• Liechtenstein.
• Maldives.
• Marshall Islands.
• Micronesia.
• Nauru.
• Nepal.
• Nicaragua.
• North Macedonia.
• Palau.
• Panama.
• Papua New Guinea.
• Saint Kitts and Nevis.
• Saint Lucia.
• Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
• Samoa.
• Sao Tome and Principe.
• Seychelles.
• Solomon Islands.
• South Sudan.
• Suriname.
• Tonga.
• Trinidad and Tobago.
• Tuvalu.
• Vanuatu.

Visa Exempt Countries

• Bahrain
• Hong Kong
• Kuwait, Lebanon
• Macao
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Palestine

Other countries which are not on any of these lists require a paper or embassy visa. Kindly visit the Egyptian Embassy in your country to apply for a visa. 

Conditional Requirements

Third Country Visa Exemption:

Delegates with valid multiple-entry US, UK, Schengen, Canada, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand visas can get a visa upon arrival in Egypt, which costs USD 25. Please note that the visa has to have been previously used for entry or exit from the issuing country and still be valid at the time of your Egypt visa application, and residence permits from the aforementioned countries are not eligible, as they are not visas. In addition, student visas may not be accepted. However, delegates with a valid residence permit from a GCC Member State can also get visa-on-arrival in Egypt. 

Travellers without a qualifying visa can contact credible travel agencies or EgyptAir for a pre-approved entry permit from Egypt and an “OK To Board” number to travel to Egypt and apply for visa-on-arrival.

Nonetheless, delegates are encouraged to apply for their Egypt visas directly through the Egyptian embassy. 

Palestine: Egypt has a visa-exemption policy for all female Palestinian nationals and male Palestinians older than 40 years old. 

Libya: All female nationals and male nationals aged below 18 or above 45 years old are visa-exempt.

Sudan and South Sudan: Exempts all female nationals and male nationals aged below 16 or above 50 years old.

Yemen, Afghanistan, and Lebanon: Exempts all nationals aged below 16 or above 50 years old.

Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia: Exempts all nationals aged below 14 years old. 

Vaccination 

COVID-19: Egypt does not require travellers to be vaccinated to enter the country. Thus,, travellers do not need to show proof of vaccination or PCR test results. 

Yellow Fever Certificate: To enter Egypt, you are required to present a certificate of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country identified as a transmission risk.

Travel

Cairo International Airport is Egypt’s largest and busiest airport, serving as the main international gateway to Cairo. It is also the primary hub for Egyptair, Nile Air, and various other airlines.

Weather

The weather in Cairo in April is hot. The average temperatures are between 16°C and 30°C 0n average 9 hours of sunshine per day. Usually, the days in April are hot, while the nights are a bit cooler. There shouldn’t be any rainy days in Cairo in April. Having said that, the days are going to be very hot during the conference.

Delegates are not required to cover their hair; however,  long coloured pants or skirts are ideal for Cairo’s weather. The city gets hot and dusty, so loose fitting pants are going to be more comfortable and white or light-coloured clothing will appear soiled far more quickly than clothing of other colors.

Accommodation

Reservation Cancellation Policy

St Regis Hotel

• In case of a no-show, a full stay fee will be applied.
• In case of cancellation of any room two weeks before arrival, a full stay fee will be applied.
• In case of an early departure, the full stay fee will be applied.
• In the case of a group cancellation one month before arrival, a fine fee of 100% of the accommodation amount will be charged.
• In the case of a group cancellation two months before arrival, a fine fee of 75% of the accommodation amount will be charged.

Royal Maxim Kempinski Hotel

• A one-night cancellation fee will be charged to guests in case of cancellation before 01/03/2025.
• Any cancellations starting from 02/03/2025 will charge the full accommodation cost.

Tourism

1. The Great Pyramid Complex: The Great Pyramid Complex: Hosts the pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx statue. The complex is located at the Giza Necropolis, about 10 kilometres to the west of Cair, and is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily (4.30 pm in winter and at 3 pm during Ramadan). Cost: E£120 to enter the complex; E£300 to enter the Great Pyramid.
2. Muhammad Ali Mosque: Located at The Citadel, Cairo, where? The mosque is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm and closed on Fridays. Cost: Adults £50.
3. Khan El-Khalili Bazaar: Khan El-Khalili Bazaar: Have a look through and do some shopping at Cairo’s tourist market, boasting an array of Egyptian cuisine and cultural mementoes, books, spices, gold, silver, and so forth. The market is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am – 11pm.
4. The Grand Egyptian Museum: Built close to the pyramids of Giza, this is the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation. The collection consists of King Tut’s tomb and tens of thousands of other rare and unique archaeological finds.
5. The Egyptian Museum: Also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, it houses the world’s largest collection of treasures from ancient Egypt. The Museum also houses a large number of other artifacts discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, including a decorated chest, ivory and gold bracelets and other jewellery and weapons. Other notable pieces include the mummified remains of a number of Pharaohs, including the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatshepsut. The museum is located at Tahrir Square and is open from 9 am to 7 pm daily. Cameras are not allowed inside the Museum. Cost: E£160 for adults; admission to the chamber of royal mummies costs an additional E£180.
6. Saqqara Pyramids: Built as a burial site for the eponymous Pharaoh, it is the earliest known example of large-scale cut stone construction. Highlights include the Pyramid of Djoser or Step Pyramid—the world’s oldest pyramid—and the Mastaba of Ti tomb. Discoveries continue to be made here, including 250 sarcophagi and 150 statuettes in 2022. The Saqqara Necropolis complex is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It can be accessed by guided tour, taxi, or local bus. A further six miles south is Dahshur, where you’ll discover the Red and Bent Pyramids. Cost:  E£180 for adults.
7. Coptic Cairo: Also known as Mogamaa Al-Adyan (complex of religions), is the site of ancient places of worship of the three monotheistic traditions. In addition to the Coptic Museum, highlights include the Hanging Church, the Amr Ibn al-As mosque, and the Ben Ezra synagogue. Other attractions are the Babylon Fortress, the Church of St George, the 11th-century Church of St Barbara, three adjacent cemeteries (used by the Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Coptic faiths) and a 9th-century highly decorated nilometer. Cost: The places of worship are free to enter, except the museum.
8. Salah El Din Citadel: The Citadel was Egypt’s seat of government for about 700 years. The site includes several museums housed in palaces, including the Mosque of Sultan al-Nasir, the Citadel Prison Museum, the Military Museum, and the Citadel’s walls. Most notable are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace, which provides a wonderful view of Cairo. The Citadel is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm (the mosques are closed during Friday prayers). Cost: E£50.
9. Cairo Tower: At 613 feet (187 metres) high, the Cairo Tower offers 360-degree views of the city. On a clear day, the Pyramids of Giza can be sighted in the distance. The Tower is open on summer days from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Cost: E£70
10. Al-Azhar Park: The park provides stunning views of the Citadel and the Mohamed Ali Mosque, particularly at night when many surrounding landmarks are beautifully lit. Situated at Ad Darb Al Ahmar, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Cost: E£10.