Visa Matters

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 any 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 a 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 check with the Egyptian consulate or embassy in your country about changing visa regulations.

How to Apply for 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 the visa by mail or in person.    Allow several weeks if you are getting the 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:

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.

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 the 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 2020, 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 on 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.

For further inquiries, contact Business Support office at 2615.2355 or business.support@aucegypt.edu.