Visas in Hurghada

[large_diver]

I know visas can be obtained upon landing in Egypt. We are flying to Hurghada. I've spoken to the Egyptian embassy here in Switzerland, and we can do this in advance, if needed.

Any feedback on whether this involves long queues in Hurgada and whether it would be worthwhile to do it in advance?

Thanks.

Chris

 

[Marek K]

Hi Chris--

The down-side to having it done in advance from home is, you'd probably have to give up your passport for however many days (weeks) while they process the visa. Not worth the risk, in my estimation.

Especially when the process is so simple in Hurghada. Just have your $15 U.S. in hand.

Yes, there's a line (OK, queue!! ) for the visa stamps, as the plane full of tourists disembowels... er, disembarks. But you do that before you process through immigration and go pick up your baggage -- and you're done before your bags even start showing up on the carousel anyway.

--Marek

 

[swisstrav]

chris
most of the arrivals will go to the travel agents for their visa stamps. just push your way through to to eagypt bank counter hand over us15 or euro 12 (but us is preferable) and as marek said you're one of the first getting your passport stamped.

or in order to answer your question - no, don't do it in ch

tschüss und schöni ferie

 

[mania]

Be prepared though that Egypt has changed it's visas. Now they are not simple stamps (similar to post ones) which you could squeeze few on one passport page.
It's a full page sticker.
http://www.sharmdiver.pl/pages/index.html

Mania

 

[Marek K]

Be prepared though that Egypt has changed it's visas. Now they are not simple stamps (similar to post ones) which you could squeeze few on one passport page.
It's a full page sticker.

Mania

Ohhh? Has it just changed? Because the ones we got in Sharm in mid-July were still two postage-stamp stickers... one orange one for LE 27.50, and one green one for LE 5.00. And we got to lick and stick them on ourselves!!

Edit: Hmmm... They must indeed have just changed it. I just checked your link (in Polish!! :11: ) The actual link to the new visa information is at "Nowy wzór wizy Egipskiej."

You know, my new U.S. tourist passport only has 14 pages available for visas. You mean they're going to use up one entire page for this one visa, good for a few days??

(What's that on your new avatar... marijuana?)

--Marek

 

[large_diver]

Marek and Mania - thanks for the link and the Polish translation.

swisstrav - Besten dank für deine Hilfe!

Even with the sticker, sounds like the way to go is to just get the visa upon arrival....unless this new sticker thing produces longer queues....? I've spoken to the Egyptian embassy here and they can issue the visas in one day if I show up in person, but it appears to be more expensive (50CHF per head - about US$40).

US passports really need more pages. I've run out of space and need to go to the US Embassy for more pages....

-Chris

 

[Marek K]

US passports really need more pages. I've run out of space and need to go to the US Embassy for more pages....

Ach so... ein Amerikaner bist Du, in der Schweitz wohnend? (Edit: Based on your profile, yes!)

Man, I had no idea of the price difference... Again, at Hurghada, it's like going through passport control... just one more line to stand in.

Mania, is the new visa sticker still US$ 15?

Oh... I don't know about the Swiss, but be aware that not all Europeans are real good at standing in lines nicely (and I'm not specifically talking about the Poles! ). You may need to be, um, assertive; depending on whom you're flying with...

Oh, oh... You'll also have to fill out an Egyptian immigration card... kind of like for the U.S., except it's shorter. Except that each person has to fill one out. If you're flying a good charter or airline, they may have those for you on the plane. Good idea to fill those out while you're flying; there may not be a lot of counter space to do that there. Otherwise, make sure you've got a pen with you...

 

[large_diver]

Marek - ja, genau. Ich bin Amerikaner und wohne in der Schweiz, in der Nähe von Zürich. Wie lange hast du in Warsaw gewohnt?

Yes, I understand the line/queue dynamic here....and have learned to stop being polite. Perhaps the ugliest version of this are the queues at Swiss ski areas. No tidy ropes separating the lines....just a giant mosh pit of people pushing, pushing, PUSHING to get on the lift....running over each other's skis, etc. I guess since it's the national sport...the Swiss are always intent on getting through the lift queue quickly ;-)

As for the price - everything in Switzerland is more expensive than almost anywhere else (we are the European "Hochpreisinsel" as the local papers say)...apparently this goes for visas as well.

I'm flying with my family with Condor from Stuttgart, so it will be mainly Germans. Lots of pushing will be required ;-)

Thanks for the tips.

Chris

 

[Marek K]

Marek - ja, genau. Ich bin Amerikaner und wohne in der Schweiz, in der Nähe von Zürich. Wie lange hast du in Warsaw gewohnt?

Yes, I understand the line/queue dynamic here....and have learned to stop being polite. Perhaps the ugliest version of this are the queues at Swiss ski areas. No tidy ropes separating the lines....just a giant mosh pit of people pushing, pushing, PUSHING to get on the lift....running over each other's skis, etc. I guess since it's the national sport...the Swiss are always intent on getting through the lift queue quickly ;-)

**Off-Topic** But since you started the thread, I think that's OK...

In Warschau habe ich seit 2002 gelebt. Und vorher bei Bad Aibling in D, oestlich von Muenchen... wo ich gearbeitet hatte.

Oh, you've touched a nerve... ski lift lines in otherwise orderly (which I admire a great deal) German-speaking countries. We ski mainly in Austria, and I find the lift line conduct to be disgraceful. One good-guy German once described it to me, bemusedly, as "aktives Schlangestehen." I guess a variant of Ellbogengesellschaft. Ironic, since that term is very much derogatory.

Also ironic how well lift lines are organized in the States -- which many Europeans see as the anarchic Wild West.

And when you quietly mention to that German or Austrian who's brazenly pushing ahead of you, that "we're all standing in line here"... or, better yet (my personal favorite), casually stick a ski pole right between his skis so he can't go anywhere... he looks at you blankly like he genuinely doesn't comprehend the concept of first-come-first-served. And tries to find another way to push through.

Of course, on less-crowded days, there's also all those people who whoosh through the first control gate, then stand there just short of the lift loading point looking around and waiting for their partner. You know the ones. Grrr...

Again maybe ironically, I've found that the lift lines are much more orderly in this part of the world... Poland and Slovakia.

Lines at a store cash register are another issue...

 

[large_diver]

One good-guy German once described it to me, bemusedly, as "aktives Schlangestehen." I guess a variant of Ellbogengesellschaft. Ironic, since that term is very much derogatory.

That is too funny and all too accurate at the same time.

It gets to the point that when I am with my wife/kids waiting in line, you have to fight just to stay together.

Not much you can do except laugh about it - it appears to be the only time when the Swiss act disorderly...;-)

-C