Egypt to launch upgraded digital visa-on-arrival at Cairo Airport in August

Egypt to replace paper sticker with visa QR Code at Cairo International Airport from August

Egypt is retiring the paper visa-on-arrival sticker at Cairo International Airport. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities announced on July 23 that a pilot Digital Visa-on-Arrival System will launch on August 1 across all arrival terminals at Cairo International Airport, replacing the sticker with a scannable Visa QR Code.

What changes at Cairo Airport

Before August 1, eligible travelers arriving at Cairo International Airport had their visa on arrival issued as a physical sticker placed in their passport at the airport counter.

Under the pilot, travelers instead generate a QR code, which border officers scan alongside the passport at arrival. The code can be created before departure, mid-flight, or after landing, by the traveler or a travel agency, and is valid for 48 hours from issuance.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy told Ahram Online that travelers can now "purchase the visa up to 48 hours before arrival," and that tour operators may complete the process on their clients' behalf.

During the pilot, the paper sticker option remains available alongside the QR code; once the trial ends, the QR code becomes the sole method, though the government hasn't set an end date for the paper option.

Who is eligible for the digital visa on arrival?

If your nationality already qualifies for Egypt's standard visa on arrival, you also qualify for the digital version.

The change affects delivery, not eligibility: it applies to the roughly 46 nationalities currently eligible for a visa on arrival, including citizens of all European Union member states, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

It does not apply to Egypt's separate e-Visa system, which continues to operate as before for nationalities that require one.

What this means for travelers

The pilot is limited to Cairo International Airport; other Egyptian airports continue processing paper visas on arrival until the system expands in stages, with dates to be announced.

The official online portal is expected to go live roughly 48 hours before the pilot, around July 30, though the exact web address hadn't been published as of the ministry's announcement.

Travelers with early-August arrivals at Cairo can check the Egyptian Tourism Authority's channels for the portal link once it's live, or continue using the paper sticker process, which runs in parallel during the pilot.