Sinai-only stamp or full Egypt visa: what you need for each trip

The rule in one line: the free Sinai-only entry stamp covers the Sharm El Sheikh area only, and any trip that leaves it needs a full Egypt visa. Cairo and Luxor are outside it. If you plan either, you need the full visa in your passport before the day of the trip, not on the morning at the airport.

This guide sets out which of our trips from Sharm need which permission, as far as our own trip information goes. Visa rules depend on your nationality and can change, so treat this as a guide to the questions to ask, not a legal ruling. Always check the current requirements with the official sources for your passport.

What the Sinai-only stamp is

When you land in Sharm El Sheikh, many visitors can receive a free entry stamp that allows them to stay in the Sharm area. It is convenient: you skip the fee and the queue. The catch is that it is limited. If you decide later that you want to see the pyramids, you cannot use it to travel to Cairo.

Think about what you plan to do before you land, not after. If your vacation is a week at the beach with a boat day and a desert evening, the stamp may be all you need. If Cairo or Luxor is even a possibility, the full visa is a safer choice, since changing your mind later can mean extra steps at an inconvenient moment.

Trips that need a full Egypt visa

• The private Cairo day trip by flight, 15 hours, with return flights booked by us.
• The shared Cairo day trip by coach, 22 hours, leaving at 00:30.
• The private Luxor day trip by flight, 16 hours, with flights booked by us.

For all three, the product information says the same thing: bring a passport with a full Egypt visa, because the free Sinai-only stamp does not cover Cairo or Luxor. The check happens at the Sharm airport for the flight trips and at the road checkpoints for the coach. Without the full visa, the trip cannot go ahead.

Trips where you should ask first

For Mount Sinai and St Catherine, the Dahab jeep day, the Ras Mohammed days and the other trips from Sharm, the trip information does not say what stamp is needed. Some of these go outside the immediate resort area, and the road checkpoints check passports. So if you hold the Sinai-only stamp, write to our team before you book and we will tell you.

We would rather answer one extra question than see a guest turned back at a checkpoint at night. The Mount Sinai trip is a case in point: it leaves Sharm at 21:00 and spends hours on the road, with checkpoint stops listed in the itinerary. A short message before you book settles the point and costs you nothing.

Passport checks matter on the boat days as well. The Ras Mohammed boat day, the Tiran Island boat day and the semi-submarine ask for your passport or a copy at the jetty, and the road day asks for it at the park gate. That is a different point from the visa, but it means you should carry your passport on any trip.

The fee and how to get the full visa

The single-entry tourist visa carries a fee, and the amount can change, so look it up before you fly. Check the current price and the rules for your passport on the official Egyptian sources before you travel. Many visitors buy the visa on arrival at the airport, and some apply online in advance. You can often upgrade to a full visa at the airport, but arrangements vary, so do not leave it until the trip morning.

Keep a note of the date your entry permission runs out, too. A visa has a limit on how long you can stay, and the Sinai-only stamp has its own limit. If you plan a long stay, check your dates against the stamp or visa in your passport, and ask us if a trip falls close to the end of the period.

A short checklist

• Check which stamp or visa you hold before you book a trip outside the Sharm area.
• If you want Cairo or Luxor, get the full visa first.
• Carry your passport, not just a copy, on road trips and flights.
• Ask our team if the trip information is silent on your stamp.
• Book at least 48 hours ahead online, or send a request if it is closer than that.

Cancellation rules apply as normal: a full refund 3 or more days before, half between 3 days and 24 hours, and none inside 24 hours or on a no-show. Check your visa early, so that these rules never come into play.