Sharm El Sheikh

[bhafc_ross]

Has anyone been recently ? if so I have tried to do my research but Its not clear wether i need a visa and if not heard a rumour about a £10 tax charge pp is this true ? Did you enjoy your holiday ? and any recommendations? would be appreciated ! Cheers

 

[buller89]

Im going in June. More worried about frying in the heat than anything else.

 

[Chicken Run]

Visa stamp for pass port needed and available at the airport on arriving prior to border control.

 

[Beach Hut]

Went last year and do not recollect paying a tax i think you need a permit to dive

Oh and bloody good holiday

 

[Everest]

If you intend to stay in Sinai, you do NOT need to buy a visa. The reps may try to get you to buy one, but, and I repeat, you DO NOT need one. The free visa stamp (received at the imigration desks in arrivals hall) is valid for 15 days in Sinai. I think the only place in Sinai you will need one is Ras Mohamed National Park. When you fill in the landing card that you receive on the plane, just write "SINAI ONLY" on the back. The £10 tax probably is when you buy a visa (officially US$15). We normally fly into Sharm and have never bought one, the same with Taba.

Normally you don't need one if you are diving either, especially from the shore.

If you intend to do a trip to Cairo, Luxor etc, then you will need one. But if you are staying in Sharm, don't bother.

 

[bhafc_ross]

Thank you very mich for that , Do you know if you can go to the tiran islands without one

 

[Everest]

Don't know about that, we never went there.
We don't stay in Sharm, but 100 miles up the Gulf of Aqaba in Nuweiba.

Have a read through HERE

 

[Everest]

Visa thread is HERE

 

[bhafc_ross]

Excellent cheers for that ! have you done this before Sinai only , Because it seems as if through reading your link there very persuasive into making you get one . Cheers for help

 

[Springal]

I never had to pay anything when I went 18 months ago, just filled something in, got it stamped and stapled in my passport

 

[middletoenail]

Do some Kitesurfing whilst you're there!

 

[Everest]

Excellent cheers for that ! have you done this before Sinai only , Because it seems as if through reading your link there very persuasive into making you get one . Cheers for help

Haven't looked through that thread for ages, a lot of it is out of date now.

Been to Sinai - flying into both Sharm and Taba - 20-odd times in the last 5 or 6 years.

One time (with Thomson) the rep asked on the coach if everyone had a visa, if not then he could "sell" you one because you need it.
Of course, we hadn't bothered and said (in a rather loud voice) that you don't need one in Sinai. He just said "oh, you've been here before", to which we replied "yes, and you DON'T need one".
He shut up and sat down.

You may even be told on the plane that it's needed.

 

[shingle]

You do need a visa and they are available for around £10 on arrival at the airport. You just go to the bank counter just before passport control and in return for your crisp £10 note they will give you a stamp which you lick and stick into your passport and 4 minutes later, 10 if you're not first off the plane, you pass through passport control.

I go often and I'll say one more thing and hope not to stress you out. You need to collect your bags quite quickly as in Egypt they allow the local tour operators into the baggage reclaim area and if you're delayed for some reason ie last off the plane they just scoop up all the bags that are left, presuming that they are all from the big dive group that they are expecting and cart them off to the hotel that said dive group are staying at. The cases that have been taken by mistake will then languish in the hotel foyer for a couple of days before someone notices them and they are then taken back to the airport and then re-united with you.

Don't mean to worry you but it has happened to me a couple of times.

Moral of the story, sit as close to the front of plane as you can, so that you're one of the first off

 

[Gazwag]

You do need a visa

Depends where you are going, we didnt need one.

BTW Sharm airport is one of the worst in the world at the moment

bhafc ross did you do a search on here, its been discussed numerous times

 

[Everest]

Sorry shingle, but that's a load of crap. You don't need to buy a visa if staying in Sinai.
You get a free visa stamp.

Hurghada, Luxor, Cairo, Marsa Alam do require a visa, but not Sharm.

From Egyptian Consulate UK :: Visas

Nationals from UK , EU and USA travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba resorts ONLY, for a maximum of 14 DAYS, do not require a visa prior to travelling as a free entry permission stamp will be granted upon arrival. If they intend to travel outside of the above mentioned areas they MUST obtain a Visa.

By "outside of the above mentioned areas" they don't mean travelling between towns. Anywhere in that area is visa free.

 

[nwgull]

If you intend to stay in Sinai, you do NOT need to buy a visa. The reps may try to get you to buy one, but, and I repeat, you DO NOT need one. The free visa stamp (received at the imigration desks in arrivals hall) is valid for 15 days in Sinai. I think the only place in Sinai you will need one is Ras Mohamed National Park. When you fill in the landing card that you receive on the plane, just write "SINAI ONLY" on the back. The £10 tax probably is when you buy a visa (officially US$15). We normally fly into Sharm and have never bought one, the same with Taba.

Normally you don't need one if you are diving either, especially from the shore.

If you intend to do a trip to Cairo, Luxor etc, then you will need one. But if you are staying in Sharm, don't bother.

This is correct, the first time we went we were hearded towards a queue in the arrivals hall at sharm airport to buy one even though we didn't need it. Strictly speaking you need one to visit tha Ras Mohamed national park, but in reality you don't as your passport won't ever be checked.

As for the weather, we went at the end of Sept the first time and this was ideal with it being around 30 during the day and cooler at night. However, the 2nd time we went was mid June and the relentless heat was unbearable to me, up to 40 C during the day and even at 11pm it was still 30 C outside!

 

[shingle]

Sorry shingle, but that's a load of crap. You don't need to buy a visa if staying in Sinai.
You get a free visa stamp.

Hurghada, Luxor, Cairo, Marsa Alam do require a visa, but not Sharm.

From Egyptian Consulate UK :: Visas



By "outside of the above mentioned areas" they don't mean travelling between towns. Anywhere in that area is visa free.

BHA ross may very well take his tour operators day trip to see the Pyramids in Cairo (he hasn't said) in which case he definately will need a visa.

Anyhow, try going through passport control without a stamp and see how far you get. Why would your tour operator say you needed a stamp if you didn't, it's not as if there is anything in it for them if you did buy a visa stamp.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Sorry shingle, but that's a load of crap. You don't need to buy a visa if staying in Sinai.
You get a free visa stamp.

Hurghada, Luxor, Cairo, Marsa Alam do require a visa, but not Sharm.

From Egyptian Consulate UK :: Visas



By "outside of the above mentioned areas" they don't mean travelling between towns. Anywhere in that area is visa free.

Thanks for this Everest - I'm going in October and at least I won't get shafted by Thompson now !

 

[getofftheropes]

No visa required if staying in Sharm...Went in March had great weather and a great time stayed at the Aqua Blu hotel and would go back there ps pumped into an old albion mate at the airport and had albion fans staying at the resort....hello!!!!!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

BHA ross may very well take his tour operators day trip to see the Pyramids in Cairo (he hasn't said) in which case he definately will need a visa.

Anyhow, try going through passport control without a stamp and see how far you get. Why would your tour operator say you needed a stamp if you didn't, it's not as if there is anything in it for them if you did buy a visa stamp.

I would think the Egyptian Consulate web site would be correct ! I'll be taking a print out from it when I go later this year.