I hope that you have excellent travel insurance. With Covid riders.
Red Sea (Egypt) closed (covid-19 confined)
- Thread starter Sunn
- Start date
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I hope that you have excellent travel insurance. With Covid riders.
OP
Sunn
Contributor
Since September 1, all travelers are required to present a negative PCR test, printed on paper, in order to travel to Egypt. The test must be performed less than 72 hours before arrival in Egypt. Children under 6 years of age are exempt from this requirement. (not easy when coming from US)
However, passengers travelling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, London Heathrow, Paris, and Frankfurt will be allowed to provide the test certificate performed at a maximum of 96 hours prior to flight departure, due to the long travel and transit period from these airports.
Travellers landing at Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Taba International Airports who do not have the results of a negative PCR test upon arrival in Egypt may perform one at the airport. This test costs 30 USD (25 EUR). (then confined in their hotel, waiting results)
Travellers to Egypt must also be able to demonstrate that they are covered by health insurance and hospitalization.
Anyway, with 30x more covid-19 cases than Egypt (121.000 new cases on nov. 8), not sure US citizens are welcome (caution with the statistics, there are also much more tests in US) ...
However, passengers travelling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, London Heathrow, Paris, and Frankfurt will be allowed to provide the test certificate performed at a maximum of 96 hours prior to flight departure, due to the long travel and transit period from these airports.
Travellers landing at Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Taba International Airports who do not have the results of a negative PCR test upon arrival in Egypt may perform one at the airport. This test costs 30 USD (25 EUR). (then confined in their hotel, waiting results)
Travellers to Egypt must also be able to demonstrate that they are covered by health insurance and hospitalization.
Anyway, with 30x more covid-19 cases than Egypt (121.000 new cases on nov. 8), not sure US citizens are welcome (caution with the statistics, there are also much more tests in US) ...
JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
@Sunn
When quoting or copy/pasting, please use the correct sources and copy correctly.
According to Egypt Air as a quasi governmental source (and this has been repeated severyl times here) it is maximum 72 hours (before flight departure time), except passengers travelling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, London Heathrow, Paris and Frankfurt will be allowed to provide the test certificate performed maximum 96 hours prior to flight time due to the long travel and transit period at these airports.
Travellers without a negative PCR test may not they shall undergo the PCR test upon arrival to those airports with charge of 30 USD. They wil not have a choice. But only if their airline let them board without a negative test.
.
And according to IATA, the 96h has been extended to passengers from some other countries e.g. Rome, South Korea, Australia, ....
When quoting or copy/pasting, please use the correct sources and copy correctly.
According to Egypt Air as a quasi governmental source (and this has been repeated severyl times here) it is maximum 72 hours (before flight departure time), except passengers travelling from Japan, China, Thailand, North America, South America, Canada, London Heathrow, Paris and Frankfurt will be allowed to provide the test certificate performed maximum 96 hours prior to flight time due to the long travel and transit period at these airports.
Travellers without a negative PCR test may not they shall undergo the PCR test upon arrival to those airports with charge of 30 USD. They wil not have a choice. But only if their airline let them board without a negative test.
I am sure they are.
.
And according to IATA, the 96h has been extended to passengers from some other countries e.g. Rome, South Korea, Australia, ....
Ministryofgiraffes
Contributor
I flew in September and the test was taken less than 72 hours from boarding, not entry into Egypt. I know because mine was not less than 72 house from entry to Egypt and I had no issues. If anyone else has been denied entry because their test was less than 72 hours from boarding but not entry/landing etc.feel free to speak up... It’s this way because they can’t confirm what time you actually enter Egyptian airspace and there could be long lines in immigration to screw up the timing, so it’s 72 hours from flight check in. I flew egyptair.
at least from Canada..when I flew.
at least from Canada..when I flew.
OP
Sunn
Contributor
bvbellomo
Contributor
People don't have the same understanding of the rules. United Airline workers on the phone interpret the rules different from United Airline workers at the airport. The Embassy rules might be officially correct, but telling that to the people at the airport won't help you.
It has been 65 hours since I tested, no results yet. It will be nearly 72 hours if I board in Cleveland, putting me just under the 96 when I leave Frankfurt. That means I still go if I get the results back in the next few hours, if no one along the way chooses stricter rules than the Embassy, and if none of the flights are delayed. At this point, I feel my odds would have been better buying a powerball ticket and buying my own airplane with the winnings.
What makes me mad is both the airline and Egyptian government make money from tourists, and the Egyptian government very clearly allows travelers to Hurghada where I am going without a COVID test before hand. But they don't care enough to talk to each other.
It has been 65 hours since I tested, no results yet. It will be nearly 72 hours if I board in Cleveland, putting me just under the 96 when I leave Frankfurt. That means I still go if I get the results back in the next few hours, if no one along the way chooses stricter rules than the Embassy, and if none of the flights are delayed. At this point, I feel my odds would have been better buying a powerball ticket and buying my own airplane with the winnings.
What makes me mad is both the airline and Egyptian government make money from tourists, and the Egyptian government very clearly allows travelers to Hurghada where I am going without a COVID test before hand. But they don't care enough to talk to each other.
JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
Well, obviously not if they say "The test must be performed less than 72 hours before arrival in Egypt"source is, I think, quite correct : Egypt | USEmbassy.gov
bvbellomo
Contributor
The official statement I got (from the Consulate, not the Embassy) is "negative PCR test result 96 hours before traveling is required to enter Egypt from individuals traveling from the United States".
"before traveling" is up for interpretation. I believe officially this is before the departure of your flight into Egypt, so for me, that would be the moment the plane takes off in Frankfurt to Cairo, not when I leave Cleveland, and not when I get to Hurghada. This was originally 72 hours, but extended due to longer flight times from farther places - which makes little sense if it was meant to be before leaving Cleveland.
Of course, what I believe doesn't matter. I've heard several people certain it is 72 hours, before arrival in Hurghada, before leaving Cleveland, etc. What matters is the decision of the person letting people onto the plane.
"before traveling" is up for interpretation. I believe officially this is before the departure of your flight into Egypt, so for me, that would be the moment the plane takes off in Frankfurt to Cairo, not when I leave Cleveland, and not when I get to Hurghada. This was originally 72 hours, but extended due to longer flight times from farther places - which makes little sense if it was meant to be before leaving Cleveland.
Of course, what I believe doesn't matter. I've heard several people certain it is 72 hours, before arrival in Hurghada, before leaving Cleveland, etc. What matters is the decision of the person letting people onto the plane.
JustSurfaceInterval
Contributor
Egypt Air and IATA are quite clear on that.
But as said before regarding United:
But as said before regarding United:
What i did not fully understood yet: does United refused you boarding because of your onward trip to Egypt or because they have a policy saying that you need a negative test to board their planes regardless of where you are travelling to.
bvbellomo
Contributor
United did not cite sources, and I was not given a reason beyond "needing a covid test". My guess is the software written by the same $9/hr engineers who worked on the 737 max said I needed a COVID test, and the person in charge was worried about losing their job if letting me board was a mistake. They did not seem to know the specifics of the rules, and they did not spend time on the phone asking other people about this issue.
I do know other passengers to other destinations (not necessarily International) were able to board without a COVID test.
I did request a flight to Frankfurt, thinking I could book a Lufthansa flight from there, and was told I would not be allowed to board a flight to Germany without a COVID test either. They did not call or ask anyone before telling me this, so maybe it is all International flights, and maybe they are just overworked and underpaid and wanted to get rid of me.
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