- Egypt will launch a digital visa on arrival system at Cairo International Airport starting in August 2026.
- The new system replaces cash-only paper stamps with electronic payments and scannable QR codes for faster entry.
- Travelers can apply via kiosks, websites, or apps up to 48 hours before their arrival in Egypt.
(CAIRO, EGYPT) — Egypt signed agreements on May 13, 2026, to launch a digital visa on arrival system at Cairo International Airport, with operations set to begin in August 2026.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of two agreements between CyShield Technology, which will implement the platform, and two service providers, the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy and Central Bank Deputy Governor for Banking Operations and Payment Systems Mohamed Amer attended the signing. The new system will start at Cairo Airport as the first phase of a wider rollout.
Under the plan, travelers eligible for visa on arrival will submit their information through three channels: self-service kiosks at airports, the system’s official website and a dedicated mobile application.
After paying visa and service fees electronically through the platform’s payment channels, travelers will receive a QR code that will serve as an electronic visa stamp. Immigration officers will scan the code on arrival to verify its validity.
The shift replaces the current cash-only payment requirement attached to the paper visa stamp process. It also moves the first step of visa issuance onto digital channels before the traveler reaches the passport counter.
Egypt set the launch for August 2026, when the first operational phase will cover all terminals of Cairo International Airport. Authorities said the system will then expand gradually to other Egyptian airports nationwide.
The timetable places Cairo at the center of the initial deployment, making the airport the first testing ground for a broader change in how Egypt handles eligible visitors who need a visa on arrival.
Officials said travelers will be able to obtain the visa up to 48 hours before arrival, either directly through the system or through tourism companies. That gives passengers a pre-arrival option that did not exist under the paper-based model described in the announcement.
The visa on arrival issued through the new platform will remain valid for 90 days. It will allow stays of up to 30 days per visit.
CyShield Technology will implement the platform, while the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr will serve as service providers under the agreements signed in Cairo. The announcement tied the banking role directly to the platform’s electronic payment channels.
Madbouly’s government presented the system as an airport processing change aimed at reducing congestion and speeding arrival procedures. It also described the digital model as a secure alternative to the paper visa stamp now used for visa-on-arrival travelers.
The structure of the program suggests a layered entry process at Cairo Airport. A traveler can complete the application before travel through the website, the mobile app or a tourism company, or use self-service kiosks at the airport, then move to immigration with a scannable QR code instead of a paper stamp purchased with cash.
That redesign matters most at the point of arrival, where airport queues often build around document checks and payments. Under the announced system, the payment step shifts to an electronic channel, and the verification step becomes a scan by immigration officers.
Egypt has not announced any broader change in visa eligibility alongside the launch. The program described on Wednesday applies to travelers who are already eligible for visa on arrival, and it changes how that visa is issued and verified.
The digital visa on arrival launch in August 2026 will mark the first time Egypt uses a QR code as an electronic visa stamp at Cairo Airport, replacing the paper process there before the system expands to other airports.
