Hello people, English guy here. I was at the visa office today in Hurghada to renew my tourist visa. Usually i am given the standard six months, then renew again for another six months then have to fly out. I found out this time that i will be getting a new foreign tourist i.d card, that i will have to pick up in 2 weeks. It also looks like on my passport that i will have to go and renew my tourist visa again in 3 months, which is a big hassle and more costly. So has anyone here done this recently, this applies to Cairo and Sharm people as well. Do you have to go every 3 months now without option? Does this new card only last 1 year? Do you still have to fly out the country once this i.d runs out of date. Any information and thoughts on this topic would be helpful thanks.
Tourist visa and new foreign tourist i.d card
Seems to depend on where you apply, the different offices have different guidelines or make up their own it would appear.. The fly out after 12 months rule still applies but because of the lack of flights it seems they are giving people 2 or 3 months instead for now.
As the cost is the same for 1 month or 12 it is becoming a costly exercise. I still struggle to.understand why when i have a work visa (which gets more expensive every year ) i still have to pay for the tourist visa every 6 months too. The only difference is i dont have to leave the country or when i do I dont have to buy the $25 visa on my return.
Hey Angie. That is crazy your still paying for a tourist visa as well. I think we are all in the dark with covid. Is sharm still very very quiet?, as i was looking at maybe coming to rent there.
It is variable at the moment. The flights are definitely coming in especially from the eastern bloc. Ukraine etc. We have many Egyptians here on holiday too.
I guess its better than it was but we need more tourists to waken Sharm up again.
Rental wise depends on what you are looking for and where. 3-4000 le is the norm now for a 1 bed depending on location and facilities obviously can be more or less.
Ok Angie thanks for your reply, what area do you recommend to be amongst everything? Is it easy to get a stamped rental contract for the visa office there. I see a lot of rental properties on Sharm El Shiekh real estate website if this company is any good, sorry for the bland questions lol.
Hi Andy. I have sent you a private message .
Yup. Extentions are now shorter even with the year contract of residency.
I've had the new ID now for the last year. 3 IDs. This last one only good for 2 months. I think mainly becuz of the overextended time of the Covid-19 closures. We shall see in 2 weeks when I go back.
And yes, I also think they are gathering monies. The bank takes cc for payment BUT my particular clerk decided that I needed to pay cash. ATM on each floor.
It is a hassel. Btw, I'm in Zamalek.
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