South Africa to Egypt visa requirements

South African ordinary passport holders need a visa for Egypt. The simplest route is the official Egyptian e-Visa applied for online before travel; a visa on arrival is also available at Egyptian ports for stays up to 30 days. South Africa is not visa-exempt for Egypt. South African ordinary passport holders have two valid tourist options. The Egyptian e-Visa, obtained online through the official portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) before departure, is the recommended channel because it is confirmed in writing and avoids airport queues; it must be applied for at least 7 days before travel. A single-entry tourist e-Visa costs USD 25, is valid for 90 days from issue, and permits a stay of up to 30 days; a multiple-entry e-Visa costs USD 60 and is valid for 180 days. Separately, since 1 April 2022 the Embassy of Egypt in Pretoria confirms South Africans may obtain a single-entry tourist visa on arrival (USD 25, up to 30 days) at Egyptian ports of entry. In all cases the passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry and have blank pages. Egypt is not in the Schengen area, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply. Travelers entering only the Sinai resort area (Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) for up to 15 days may receive a free entry permission stamp, but this does not cover the rest of Egypt or excursions like St Catherine.