Tag Archives: egypt

By Dan Forteza

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Visiting the Great Pyramids in Egypt is definitely one of my travel goals this year. That’s why as early as January, I have already been researching on how to get the Egypt tourist visa for Filipinos. And I successfully managed to get one at the Egyptian Embassy in Manila, Philippines!

Read also: my budget itinerary (with cost breakdown) and travel guide in Cairo, Egypt.

In this blog post, I’ll be giving you the step-by-step guide, a list of the requirements, my experience throughout the whole application process, and other tips to help you get your Egypt tourist visa!

But again, just like in other visa application blogs I’ve written, no one can give you the guarantee of your Egyptian tourist visa’s approval – not me, not even a lawyer or a travel agent. If anyone does, is most likely a scammer!

As a travel blogger, what I can offer you here is just a guide with helpful tips to increase your chances of getting that Egypt tourist visa.

Anyway, enough of that and let’s get started!

REQUIREMENTS FOR EGYPT TOURIST VISA

1. Duly filled-up Visa Application Form; You can download the application form here. (Note: This is the universal form accepted by the Manila Embassy).
2. Two (2) pieces 2×2 size recent colored picture (with white background); I actually used only one (1) 2×2 photo which was pasted on my application form. But it wouldn’t hurt if you bring an extra photo.
3. Valid Passport which must have remaining validity of more than six months; You might not be required to submit your passport on the day of your first visit to the Embassy. Most of the time, the Embassy will take and review your requirements without your passport. The review might take up to 15 days and the Embassy will let you know its decision via phone call.
4. Bank Certificate, preferred to be one-week-old;
5. Employment Certificate with compensation / Business Registration if applicable; I’ll be honest. I actually did not exactly provide this because I quit my job to travel long term. Thus, I provided an Employment certificate from the previous company I worked for.
6. Travel Tour Itinerary; I can provide you a copy of mine if you like. It is a one-week long tour itinerary. Just leave a reply on the comment section below.
7. Copy of Philippine residency/ visa / Immigration ID Card (for foreign national applicants only).
8. Marriage Certificate / Birth Certificate, if traveling with family members.
9. Add a cover letter stating the purpose of your trip even if it’s not a requirement I think this should be a must especially if you have a case like mine that one requirement is not fully met. Thus, I prepared myself a visa cover letter personally explaining my situation, my capacities, and my hunger to travel.

10. Plane Tickets. This is NOT required but I submitted this anyway because I already have this. I had a plane ticket from Manila to Dubai and I intend to book my next flight from Dubai to Cairo (in Egypt) if my visa is approved. I suggest you check Kayak (use the widget below) as they usually offer cheap fare rates compared to other booking sites.

WHEN AND WHERE TO APPLY

WHEN: Application should be made at least one month prior to your intended departure. Please note that there is a waiting time (up to 15 days) in case the embassy needs to fully review the requirements you submitted.

💡 DAN’S PRO-TIP: CHECKING YOUR STATUS
If you haven’t heard back after 10 working days, don’t hesitate to send a polite follow-up email to embassy.manila@mfa.gov.eg. Include your Full Name and Submission Date in the subject line to help the secretary find your records quickly!

📅 HOLIDAY NOTICE: The Embassy observes both Philippine and Egyptian holidays. If you are applying around this time, expect potential closures and factor in extra processing days!

WHERE: Visa application must be submitted personally to the Embassy during consular working hours from Monday – Wednesday from 9:00 A.M. till 12:00 P.M. except holidays. Please take note of the Egyptian holidays, too.

Egyptian Embassy – Manila
7th-floor G.C. Corporate Plaza, 150 Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati
Tel: (+63) 2 8843 9220 / 8843 9232
Email: embassy.manila@mfa.gov.eg / egyptmanila@gmail.com

For more information, please contact the above.

GET YOUR EGYPT TOURIST VISA IN 4 EASY STEPS

STEP 1: PREPARE & SUBMIT THE REQUIREMENTS

Prepare ALL the abovementioned requirements. Proceed to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the Philippines at 7th Floor, G.C Corporate Plaza Bldg., 150 Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City to submit these documents.

STEP 2: WAIT FOR THE EMBASSY’S CALL

Once submitted, wait for the call with the Embassy’s decision. If your visa is approved, then they will contact you to submit your passport (for the visa sticker) and payment.

You can also do a follow up by calling their contact number I indicated above. No worries, the Filipino Secretary (I think her name is Marian) is very accommodating and friendly.

💡 HOW TO GET “INSTANT” APPROVAL: While the standard wait is 15 days, I managed to get mine the same day! The secret? A rock-solid cover letter explaining my travel history and status as a digital nomad. It pays to be honest and detailed!

STEP 3. SUBMIT YOUR PASSPORT & PAY THE VISA FEE

What I like about this Embassy is they do not charge the visa processing fee unless and until your visa is approved. Yes, you heard it right! There is absolutely no risk in getting this visa! If your visa is approved, submit your passport and pay the visa fee.

The Egypt tourist visa fee costs 1,500 PHP. Then, the Secretary will give your receipt with date of when to claim your passport with visa.

⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE (2026): According to recent traveler reports, the Egypt tourist visa fee at the Manila Embassy has increased from 1,500 PHP to approximately 4,000 PHP. It is highly recommended to bring extra cash to your appointment as fees are subject to change without prior notice.

STEP 4. CLAIM YOUR PASSPORT WITH VISA STICKER

Finally, pick up your passport with visa sticker and congratulations on successfully getting your Egypt tourist visa!

VISA SUMMARY

• Type: Tourist Visa
• Visa Validity: 6 months from the day of approval
• Maximum Stay: 30 days within validity
• No. of Entry: Single Entry
• Visa Fee: 1,500 PHP (30 USD)
• Visa Fee: 1,500 PHP (30 USD)
  • UPDATE (2026): The fee is now around 4,000 PHP

MY EXPERIENCE

When I arrived at the Embassy at around 10:00 AM, there were already 6 to 8 people in the waiting room. Some of them are still filling up the visa application form.

From that, I can tell that the Egyptian Embassy is informal and chill. You just need to turn off your mobile phone before entering the office.

Remember: Prior to entering the building, your bags will be checked and will require you to leave one government valid ID at the lobby, so bring one!

The Secretary then collected our documents and left the room. She probably handed it over to the Egyptian Consul (in another room) to review the documents.

She went back to the waiting room and announced those people who can now pay the visa fee. Please note that if you pay the visa fee, it means your visa is approved.

I was lucky that steps 1-3 all happened in one day! So I submitted my passport and paid the visa fee, all in 30 minutes! I saved one Makati trip. I met other applicants in the room who has to go and wait up to 15 days for approval and went back to the Embassy 3 times.

They did not tell me the reason why my visa was approved instantly, but I have a strong feeling it has to do with my travel history, capacity to travel, and my very personalized cover letter. I even mentioned in my cover letter about quitting my day job just to travel long term. As they say, honesty is the best policy =)

NOTE that I applied Monday and claimed my passport (with visa) Friday of the same week. So it only took four (days)! I was just so happy to save the step where you have to wait up to 15 days for the Embassy’s decision.

Now that your visa is (hopefully) on its way, here are a few essentials I recommend packing for your Egyptian adventure:

🇪🇬 QUICK EGYPT PACKING LIST:
• Modest Clothing: Respectful attire (covering shoulders and knees) for visiting mosques and local areas.
• Sun Protection: A wide-brimmed hat, high-SPF sunscreen, and quality sunglasses—the desert sun is no joke!
• Universal Power Adapter: Egypt uses Type C and Type E wall plugs.
• Comfortable Walking Shoes: You’ll be doing a lot of walking around the Giza plateau and ancient temples!

RECOMMENDED PACKAGE TOURS

In case you’re also looking for package tours to justify your tourism activity in Egypt for visa purposes, I highly recommend booking tours through Viator which is perfect for your Egypt itinerary. See tours and packages I personally handpicked for you:

• 8-Hour Private Tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum and Bazaar including Camel Ride and Lunch from Cairo
• Private Half-Day Trip to Giza Pyramids with Camel-Riding
• Private Guided Full-Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo
• 4-Days 3-Nights Cruise From Aswan To Luxor including Abu Simbel & Hot Air Balloon
• 4 Days Nile Cruise Luxor, Aswan, Abu simbel with Train Tickets from Cairo

(you may choose one or more tours that suit your travel needs)

BOOKING ESSENTIALS

• Hotel / Hostel: Booking.com. I usually book my hostel accommodation here as they have free cancellation or pay-at-the-hotel options.
• Airbnb: Try Airbnb for comfy and cozy rooms! I have used it on many trips and loved it.

• Flights: KAYAK. All of my flight bookings are from KAYAK. It’s a great travel search engine that compares hundreds of sites.

I suggest you check Kayak (click HERE) as they usually offer cheap fare rates compared to other booking sites.