Egypt grants arrivals on board tourist yachts three-month visa

CAIRO - 10 September 2023: Egyptian authorities will grant foreign tourists on board tourist yachts a 3-month residency visa instead of 1 month, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Transport on Sunday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued directives to all Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad to grant foreign tourists arriving in Egypt on board foreign tourist yachts a tourist residence permit for a period of 3 months instead of 1 month.

The decision aims at optimizing yacht tourism in Egypt and simplifying and speeding up its procedures upon the arrival and departure of foreign yachts, the statement added.

Those who arrive on board tourist yachts can apply for the visa on this link to get the permit.

The applicants are required to enter the data of the yacht and the passengers, upload the required documents, the arrival time, the port, and the entire trip program. The applicants can get the permit in 30 minutes.

In a notable move, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi approved Law No. 27 of 2023 related to the establishment and regulation of tourism chambers. This law aligns with one of the primary axes of the national tourism strategy in Egypt. It is a significant step on the path to improving the investment climate in Egypt and enhancing the role of tourism chambers in the industry.

The new law falls within the legislative reforms adopted by the ministry, especially that the previous law was issued in 1968, and many of its provisions no longer align with the current circumstances. This necessitated an urgent update of the legislative organization of the tourism chambers and their union, to ensure optimal performance of their duties, fulfilling the mandate set out in Articles 76 and 77 of the Egyptian constitution.

The new law aims to balance and maintain consistency in the organization, establishment, and management of tourism chambers and their unions based on a democratic foundation that supports their independence in accordance with the constitution and within the general policy of the state.

This law also provides legal protection to the assets of the chambers as prescribed for public money in the application of the Penal Code. Furthermore, the law regulates elections of the management boards of the tourism chambers and their unions, ensuring that these elections genuinely reflect the will of the general assemblies of the chambers and the union.

Additional reporting by Walaa Ali