Crisis in Tahrir

Confusion as Egypt says no visas on arrival

| 9 September 2011 | Comments (13)

Will less travelers see Egypt's ancient monuments?

CAIRO: In the past 24 hours, foreign nationals living in Egypt have become increasingly concerned over the reports that the Egyptian government has ended the ability to purchase a visa upon arrival in the country. It comes on the heels of reports of visa extensions also being turned down in recent months.

Despite the reports, Egyptian consulates and embassies across the globe appear to know little to nothing about the new restrictions.

Bikyamasr.com contacted Egyptian embassies and consulates in the United States, Canada, Britain, Spain, Italy, France and Germany, but were met with similar confusion.

“We know nothing about visas not being issued at the airport or at any port of entry into Egypt,” said one official at the Los Angeles consulate. Similar responses were delivered, although one official in Berlin said that “if the government makes this decision, we will learn of it very soon and take all required action to make obtaining a visa for Egypt travel easy and accessible.”

Not giving out visas to foreigners could leave the tourism industry in jeopardy. Experts and visitors say that despite the need to bolster restrictions on visas to foreigners – ending those who stay and work in the country on tourist visas – Egypt’s current economic situation should not move too quickly in forcing out revenue sources.

In 2008, tourism to Egypt brought in some $11 billion and 12.8 million visitors, making it one of the largest sources of income for the North African country, the tourism ministry has reported.

“People are simply not going to take the time to get a visa from a consulate or embassy to come to Egypt,” said one American student in Cairo, who told Bikyamasr.com that he was studying Arabic on a tourist visa. “I mean, why not just go to Jordan or somewhere else that makes it easier,” he added.

A major reason, many foreigners in the country say, is the government wants to crackdown on the number of foreigners currently in Egypt who are working without proper work permission. Statistics are not readily available on the numbers, but most agree it is substantial.

Still, confusion remains rampant and many foreigners looking to make an Egypt move are unclear if they now must require a visa before travel.

Airlines have recently begun barring travelers from boarding flights to Egypt if there is no valid visa in the passengers passport, which has left a handful of foreigners in limbo. There are also rumors that local Egyptian travel companies are not allowing foreigners to purchase one-way tickets to any destination other than their country of residence, causing the tourism industry to struggle.

An Egyptian Cabinet official told Bikyamasr.com that although no official date for the new regulations has been given, the new rules could be implemented as early as next week.

Also worrying, there are also rumors that tourist visas may not be allowed to renew their permits to stay in the country after the one month is up, but Bikyamasr.com could not confirm this information.

The Egyptian Embassy in Washington, however, seemed unaware of the new regulations, saying “we have not yet received official word, but if it does, then we will assist people in obtaining their visas.”

It is unclear exactly why the new visa requirements are being implemented, but with rising xenophobia in the country and worries that many foreigners are taking jobs that Egyptians could do, the government appears willing to crackdown on foreigners.

If implemented, the move means nations from the United States, Europe, Australia, Gulf countries, Africa, Latin America and Asia will now be required to apply for a visa at their local Egyptian embassy and consulate before arrival.

BM

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  • Ummcamelia

    Egypt needs to enforce current visa restrictions,not stop allowing peopel to buy them at the airport. If Egypt checked up on foreigners and worked to deport overextended foreigners,that would create much needed jobs for Egyptians and still allow tourists to come and spend their money in Egypt. Don’t deny entrance,just make sure they leave when they are supposed to.

  • Ummcamelia

    Egypt needs to enforce current visa restrictions,not stop allowing peopel to buy them at the airport. If Egypt checked up on foreigners and worked to deport overextended foreigners,that would create much needed jobs for Egyptians and still allow tourists to come and spend their money in Egypt. Don’t deny entrance,just make sure they leave when they are supposed to.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=192000692 Nu Hassan-Kamel

    Any foreigner who is working in Egypt with a visitor visa needs to face some sort of penalty. This is illegal in most developed countries, so why should Egypt take it lightly? 

  • maliziosa

    The problem is that few Egyptians working in tourism take their jobs seriously and responsibly. I have heard they were planning to demonstrate against all foreigners who actually work in tourism in Egypt (and who practically support the incoming!).

     Egyptians should understand that as long as they want an open economy they need to rely on foreign partners who also need to have representatives in Egypt-not because Egyptians are not clever enough but because they simply lack European know-how. I guess Tourism field is even more sensitive because it relies on PEOPLE and their feelings =TOURISTS who may not feel at ease with an Egyptian rep. dealing with them all the time (First time I was tourist in Egypt I was harresed by the Egyptian guide – just because I was a foreign lady – and believe me I respected the dress code).

    Egyptians very much like Dubai, and they die to go there, but they forget Dubay was brought up to this high level because its ruler was open to European Civilization. Let us not forget Dubai was built by foreigners, especially Europeans/Americans (during the first and most difficult decade of its development).

    I was told the project was initially supposed to be in Egypt-North Coast but, of course with Egyptian mentality, the project would have not succeeded, as Egyptians “have nothing to learn from foreigners”.

    • nasihah

      Dubai open to European civilization??? As if they were ever uncivilized. No, Dubai  was, and is, open to foreign commerce and has made this Emeriate especially attractive to Western businesses. It’s fairly easy for foreigners to own property and open business there. And their tourism industry is probably the best in that area of the world. The shariah is still the law and the the social norms are still dictated by Islam, thankfully. Modernizing an economy does not necessitate that you abandon your religious and cultural customs and values. It does, however, mean that the country must be more accommodating to those countries it wants to do business with. Foreigners working on visitor visas is illegal and should NOT be tolerated, no matter what the vistor’s nationality. But to alienate tourists is not going to promote economic resilience or growth.

  • Free-soul

    Fair  enough if it required us a visa to go to USA or other European countries then why we should make it easy for them plus they talking about tourism income it’s been not in ppl hand since 30 years so that we will not miss we have a lot of other sources we get good income from so we have no threat over that..

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  • Anonymous

    You would be surprised at the number.

    • Quotiko

      and the number is … ?

      • Sunflower25786

        I am one of them and to be honest almost all of the English Teachers here are on Tourist Visas because it coast the majority of the schools to much money to pay for Work Visas. So its not the Foreigners fault its the government who makes it hard for the schools to have English teachers…

      • Sunflower25786

        I am one of them and to be honest almost all of the English Teachers here are on Tourist Visas because it coast the majority of the schools to much money to pay for Work Visas. So its not the Foreigners fault its the government who makes it hard for the schools to have English teachers…

  • http://twitter.com/mtwms942 Michael T Williams

    It appears that this action is in response to the difficulty foreign embassies give Egyptians attempting to get Visa for travel to other countries, i.e…the U.S. (extremely difficult to obtain a visitors Visa) and Western European destinies.