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Passport and visa for your Egypt holidayWhen travelling to Egypt, UK citizens must have a passport which is valid for at least another 6 months after departure from Egypt. Please make sure to check this before your trip, and for more information on UK passports please refer to www.ukpa.gov.uk. Everyone needs their own passport (including children and infants).You'll also need a visa during your stay in Egypt. You can apply for this visa in the UK (see www.egyptianconsulate.co.uk for details); however it is possible and much easier to arrange your visa on arrival in Egypt. It's actually cheaper to wait and get your visa in Egypt where it costs approximately $15 per person (this has to be paid in dollars, so please remember to bring enough US dollars to cover the price of your visas.) The visa is valid for a maximum of three months if obtained in the UK. If obtained on arrival in Egypt at the airport it lasts one month. If you don't have a UK passport, please contact the country that issued your passport to find out more about Egyptian visas. We recommend making photocopies of your passport before your trip to leave behind with family or friends in the UK. Also bring one or more copies to Egypt and keep them in different pieces of luggage. This will make the process of applying for a new passport easier, should be unfortunate to lose it during your holiday. |
CurrencyThe national currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (LE). These notes are made up of 100 piastres (pt). Banknotes are available in the following denominations: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 LE as well as 25 and 50 pt. The following coins are also available: 1, 5, 10, 20 and 25 pt. The exchange rate is approximately: £1 = 8.25 Egyptian pounds (May 2010). Egypt is a relatively affordable country, with prices in tourist areas higher than prices further inland.Credit cards are accepted in most popular tourist destinations and in most stores and restaurants. We also recommend bringing along cash or Travellers Cheques just in case your credit card can't be used. Traveller's Cheques can be exchanged for US dollars or Euro’s at banks in tourist destinations and they are also insured for loss and theft. You can use your debit card in most parts of Egypt. Larger cities and tourist destinations usually have several ATM's that accept most bank cards. Keep an eye out for the Cirrus or Plus logo. You'll find this logo at Banque Masr, CIB, Egyptian American Bank and the HSBC banks. |
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HealthThe risk of getting sick in Egypt isn't much greater than it is in the UK. Health care in the cities is reasonably well developed. However your resistance to illness may be lower while travelling and hygiene conditions may be poorer than you're accustomed to at home. Simply washing your hands more often than usual with soap and water, especially before eating, can go some way to reducing your risk to infections.Vaccinations: There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Egypt. Vaccinations such as DTP and Hepatitis A are recommended however. These vaccinations have quite a long validity. If you travel frequently, you may have already had these vaccinations. Just to be on the safe side, contact your general practitoner for more up to date info. Click here for more information on keeping healthy during your trip. |