Visas and Documentation
There are three types of Egyptian visa:
Tourist Visa - usually valid for a period not exceeding 3 months and granted on either a single or multiple entry basis (note; the tourist visa is not mandatory for visiting the Red Sea resorts of Taba and Sharm el Sheik).
Entry Visa - required for any foreigner arriving to Egypt for purposes other than tourism, e.g. work, study, etc. The possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
Transit Visa Non-Egyptian travellers are required to have a valid passport.
Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA).Citizens of many countries may obtain a visa upon arrival at major points of entry. The fees for a single-entry visa are as follows:
UK citizens: £15
US citizens: US$15
Irish citizens: €15
Australian citizens: A$45
Canadian citizens: C$25
other countries: $15
Please contact your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship.

Citizens of Kuwait can obtain 6-month Residence Permit upon arrival.
Citizens of Bahrain, Guinea, South Korea, Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen receive a 3 month visa on arrival. Malaysian citizens receive a 15 day visa upon arrival. Citizens of following countries are currently required to have a pre-arrival visa, which must be applied for through an Egyptian consulate or embassy outside of Egypt:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia (If intending to stay for exceeding 15 days), Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries (except citizens of Guinea and Libya, who do not require visa).
Visitors entering Egypt at the overland border post of Taba or at Sharm el Sheikh airport can be exempted from a visa and granted a free fourteen day residence permit to visit the Aqaba coast of the Sinai peninsula, including Sharm el Sheikh, Dahab and St. Catherine's Monastery.
Those in possession of a residence permit in Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave the country and return to it within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less. Tourists visiting Sharm-El-Sheikh who are planning to undertake scuba diving outside local areas (i.e. Ras Mohammed) will need to obtain the tourist visa (£15 sterling, see above) as technically this will mean leaving the Sharm-el-Sheikh area and thus leads to the requirement for a visa to do so. Officials on boats may check dive boats whilst on the waters so you are advised not to try and sneak past this as there may be fines involved for you and the boat captain if you are caught without the appropriate visa. Most reputable dive centers will ask to see your visa before allowing you on trips.

Language.The official language in Egypt is Arabic. But most people - especially in tourist areas - do speak English, some French or German. However, if you go deeper into Sinai's desert, you might find Beduines, and they usually do not speak English. In these cases it is recommendable to have a local guide with you.

Currency. The official currency is the Egyptian pound (L.E. or E£) consisting of 100 Piaster. Notes are available in 10, 25 and 50 Piaster, and E£1, E£5, E£10, E£20, E£50, E£100, and E£200 Pound. In 2003 the exchange rate dramatically changed in favour of foreign currency such like the Euro. One of the reasons was that the Egyptian government wanted to kill the black market for money. It raised the exchange rate, so tourists and locals would now go to banks to change money.
Prices are sometimes written without decimal points, such like 233 in stead of E£2.33. For tipping it is useful to always keep enough small money.