1. ADMISSIONS
  2. International Students
  3. Visa Matters

Visa Matters

Last updated on August 6, 2020

Prior to Your Departure

Non-Egyptian students are strongly recommended to get their tourist visa from the Egyptian consulate in their country before their arrival.

You can get a visa application from an Egyptian consulate, but do not wait until the last minute to apply. Allow several weeks if you are getting the visa by mail. North American and European citizens may be able to apply in person for quicker processing time. Depending on your country of citizenship, you may need to allow up to eight weeks to complete the visa process.

You must have a valid passport for six months beyond your arrival date. If not, then you need to file your passport application at least three months before your departure date to avoid any unforeseen delays.

Citizens from the following countries have to obtain a visa prior to their arrival: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries.

Before coming to Egypt, it is important to check with the Egyptian consulate or embassy in your country about changing visa regulations.

How to apply for a tourist visa?

At an Egyptian Consulate: To obtain a visa prior to your arrival, contact the Egyptian consulate or embassy in your country. Many students will have the option to receive their visa by mail or in person. Allow several weeks if you are getting your visa by mail. If it is convenient to go to the consulate or embassy in your country, you may receive your visa while you wait or within a few days. On the other hand, for citizens of some countries such as Iran and Syria, visa processing usually takes about eight weeks.

At Cairo International Airport: American, Canadian and European Union citizens of some countries will be able to obtain a tourist visa upon arrival at the Cairo airport. Because of changing visa regulations, check with the Egyptian consulate or embassy in your country about new visa rules. To obtain your visa at the airport, purchase the necessary stamp at one of the many exchange windows before passing through customs. Carry it, with your passport and arrival card, to the immigration line. A few rubber stamps later, you are officially in Egypt!

After your arrival in Egypt, AUC will work with the Ministry of Higher Education to obtain your student visa. However, since obtaining the student residence visa may take up to two months, you must get a tourist visa to enter the country. Make sure you have a passport valid for the duration of your stay in Egypt. Your student visa will be issued only after your registration, payment of fees and enrollment verification. A minimum of 12 credit hours (nine credit hours for graduate students) is required for eligibility.
 

After Arrival

Citizens from the following countries have to register their passports at the Business Support Office: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Trinidad-Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

Required Procedures for New Arriving Students:

  1. Fill out the online application form
  2. Check for your file and governmental security approval at the Business Support office, Room G022, Administration Building
  3. If the governmental security approval hasn't been received, the student will extend his visa temporarily for one semester
  4. If all governmental paperwork is ready at the Business Support, download the student visa enrollment certificate form
  5. Fill out the student visa enrollment certificate request form and attach a copy of your passport then submit it to the Office of the Registrar
  6. After five working days of submitting your form, proceed to the Business Support Office with the original passport and one personal photo, in addition to the fees requested to start the application process
  7. The visa will take from seven to twenty working days to be issued. This depends on the nationality
  8. If the security approval is delayed for any reason, the student can apply for a temporary three months tourist visa that can be renewed for another three months until the security approval is received.

Important Note

There are restrictions in the tourist visa applications for the following nationalities (which require entry visa prior their arrival) as they need security check. If the security approval for the tourist extension is not accepted, the student will have to leave the country.

Countries in Asia:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Armenia
  3. Azerbaijan
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Cambodia
  6. China
  7. East Timor
  8. Georgia
  9. India
  10. Indonesia
  11. Kazakhstan
  12. Maldives
  13. Nepal
  14. Pakistan
  15. Philippines
  16. Singapore
  17. Srilanka
  18. Taiwan
  19. Thailand
  20. Turkey
  21. Uzbekistan
  22. Vietnam

African and Arab Countries:

  1. Algeria 
  2. Angola
  3. Botswana
  4. Burkina Faso
  5. Cameroon
  6. Chad
  7. Congo
  8. Djibouti
  9. Eritrea
  10. Ethiopia
  11. Gambia
  12. Ghana
  13. Guinea
  14. Komoro Islands
  15. Libya
  16. Madagascar
  17. Malawi
  18. Maly
  19. Mauritania
  20. Mauritius
  21. Middle African
  22. Morocco
  23. Niger
  24. Nigeria
  25. Senegal
  26. Somalia
  27. South Africa
  28. Tanzania
  29. Tunisia
  30. Zambia
  31. Zimbabwe

Arab Countries West of Asia:

  1. Iraq
  2. Lebanon
  3. Palestine
  4. Qatar
  5. Syria
  6. Yemen

Latin American Countries:     

  1. Bolivia
  2. Columbia
  3. Costa Rica
  4. Cuba
  5. Dominican Republic
  6. Ecuador
  7. Guatemala
  8. Haiti
  9. Honduras
  10. Panama
  11. Peru
  12. Salvador
  13. Venezuela

European Countries:

  1. Bosnia
  2. Czech Republic
  3. Croatia
  4. Estonia
  5. Finland
  6. Lituania
  7. Macedonia
  8. Slovakia
  9. Solvenia
  10. Ukraine

Required Procedures to Obtain a Student Visa

A minimum of 12 credit hours for undergraduate students (nine credit hours for graduate students) is required for eligibility. Obtaining the student residence visa can take one to three months.

To avoid delays in what is already a long process, you must submit a copy of your passport along with the complete International Student Data Form to AUC's New York Office or to AUC's Office of Admissions. This should have been done as part of the application process. Upon arrival in Cairo, you must visit the Business Support Office, located in the administration building, Room G022, to submit the required documents:

  1. Passport
  2. Two passport-sized photos
  3. Enrollment letter

During your sojourn in Egypt, make sure you keep copies of your passport with you. Moreover, if you plan to travel within Egypt, always carry your passport with you. You will often be asked to show identification to Egyptian police during travel by road, especially in Sinai. Your original passport, not a copy, is required in these instances. You also need your passport to check into hotels.

Males who are Egyptian or dual nationals, or whose father is Egyptian, are entitled to a six-month stay in Egypt as an Egyptian citizen without any military service clarifications or obligations. If you exceed the six-month stay, you have to process the military service exemption for Egyptians/dual nationals in person. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to leave the country until you clarify your military service status and receive a military service exemption.

Returning Students

  1. Upon arrival, they are required to registrar their stay in Egypt to avoid late fees by submitting the passport at the business support office.
  2. The student will receive a portal message with the details of student visa renewal.
  3.  After receiving this message, the student must submit his/her passport to the business support office to avoid dropping of courses by the registrar.
  4. Students should start the renewal procedures for their residency visa one week
  5. Before the previous one expires.

For further inquiries, contact the Business Support office at +2.2615.2355 or email business.support@aucegypt.edu.

*AUC is not responsible for the denial of any national security approval for non-Egyptian students by the Egyptian government.

 

For Arabic Language Instruction Students

  • An accepted student must have a valid passport and obtain a tourist visa from the nearest Egyptian consulate in his/her home country for entry into Egypt. 
  • On arrival to Egypt, you are usually given a one-month tourist visa at Cairo airport plus a grace period of 14 days . The Department of Arabic Language Instruction, through the University’s Office of Business Support office, can extend your visa within the month and the 14 day-grace period without late fees.
  • On arrival to Egypt, if you are an EU, USA, Canadian or Australian citizen, you can buy a $25 one-month tourist visa (and a 14 day-grace period) upon arrival at Cairo airport. 
  • Other nationalities must apply for a 90-day-tourist entry visa at the nearest Egyptian consulate before arrival to Egypt. 
  • The Department of Arabic Language Instruction, through the University’s Business Support office can support and help with all visa issues.
  • As soon as you arrive, check with the Business Support office for visa status advice and issues.