Explore: Egypt - Formalities
Clearance
COVID-19: Entry protocols for yachts have been affected by the pandemic. See the Biosecurity section for details.
PRE-ARRIVAL
It is highly likely you will need an agent at every major port as the authorities don’t usually speak English and will only deal with the agents they know. For example in Port Ghalib there are three licensed agents as approved by the Egyptian Maritime Transport Sector and it is mandatory that all yachts use one of these agents for clearance.
It is advisable to contact the agent before arrival in order to confirm the rates and the formalities, in case there are any changes. You have to let your agent know your whereabouts at all times so he can “smooth the way” with the authorities.
Noonsite does not recommend any particular agent but there is a list of Clearance agents here. It can be useful to look at reports from cruisers for their various experiences with agents and cruisers comments.
ARRIVAL FORMALITIES
Do not forget to hoist the correct flags – Q Flag first then courtesy flag after you bring down the Q flag. There can be up to a $4500 fine for not flying the right flags.
Ports of Entry:
If sheltering from strong winds or making an overnight stop, yachts are normally allowed to stay in Egyptian waters before clearing in at an official port of entry. If coming from the Red Sea and intending to stop in Egypt before clearing in, it is advisable to have obtained a visa in advance. It is also advisable not to actually go ashore until officially cleared in.
The majority of yachts coming from the south check into Egypt at Port Ghalib Marina or Hurghada Port. Port Ghalib is the recommended port of entry as fees at Hurghada Port are very high.
Yachts coming from the north check in at Port Said.
Full details of the procedures for transiting the Suez Canal, including the Canal Regulations and Fees charged, can be found at Suez Canal: Transit Information
General Process:
In ports of entry, clearance must be done with Customs, Health and Immigration. See sections on these offices below plus Documents and Fees for greater detail. Expect clearance to take most of the day. Health and Customs will want to board the boat.
The Coast Guard normally maintain a presence in all ports and anchorages, and usually visit the yacht, requesting details of the yacht and its crew.
Domestic Cruising:
If cruising the Egyptian coast (this includes transiting the Suez Canal) a cruising permit is required and can be purchased on entry to Egypt. See Documents for more details.
CLEARING OUT
International Clearance:
If transiting the Suez Canal and not stopping anywhere else after the transit, the outward clearance can be obtained while doing the transit formalities. Yachts may then proceed to sea as soon as they have dropped the pilot.
Once outward clearance is obtained, yachts must leave within 24 hours, or obtain another clearance.
Currently it takes five to seven days to clear out of Port Ghalib due to the Coast Guard process of issuing port clearances. These must be issued in Cairo and even the agents have no control over this process.
Last updated: March 2022
Immigration
Visa on Arrival:
If arriving in Egypt by boat, most nationalities are still issued visas on arrival. The cost is US$25.
Most visas are valid for three months from the date of issue, however, not all ports can issue visas for this length of time. Port Ghalib immigration office, for example, can only issue visas for 1 month (30 days).
Passports must be valid for six months beyond the visa period.
Visa in Advance:
An E-Visa can be obtained from https://www.visa2egypt.gov.eg
It is valid for 30 days and expires 90 days from the date of issue.
Citizens of some countries are required to obtain a visa in advance. See the e-visa link for a list.
There are Egyptian embassies or consulates in most nearby countries, including Israel (Tel Aviv) and Djibouti.
Visa Extensions:
An extension to a visa can be obtained from the police. Note in Port Ghalib, visa extensions can only be done in Hurghada, three hours drive away, and at a cost of $108 each. The minimum time to process a visa extension is 10 days from application date.
The Egyptian Navy now requires that your visa be within it’s official operating dates before they will grant you permission to leave the country. If your visa has expired you will have to get an extension before you will be allowed to leave.
If planning to visit Israel and return to Egypt, it is possible to buy a re-entry permit, which expires one day before the original visa expires.
Visas are not needed by anyone traveling on a yacht transiting the Suez Canal and remaining in the port area.
Last updated: March 2022
Customs
Length of Stay:
Foreign flagged boats may stay up to one year from the date of arrival. After the one-year boats need to be bonded for four months or leave the country for the same period.
Customs/Transit Authority:
All yachts visiting Egypt must pay a monthly “Transit Authority” fee to Customs. See Fees. This fee is levied either for just one month or four months, the following four months then the final four months, after a total of 12 months the vessel must leave Egypt.
A form must be signed by the Owner/captain who undertakes that the yacht will leave the country upon the expiry of the temporary clearance period (maximum 12 months) granted by Customs, the period is granted based on the Owner/Captain’s request and subject to paying the clearance fees.
Other Customs Requirements:
- A list of firearms, with their type and details, must be handed to the authorities on arrival. Including spear guns.
- Drones must also be handed over to Customs – returned to you when you check out of the country.
- A list of electronic equipment may also be required.
- A medical certificate or official letter from your healthcare practitioner if you are carrying medication into the country. In this document, your doctor must confirm that the medication you bring with you was prescribed by a medical doctor, specify the details of your condition, the quantity of medication you carry and that the medication is exclusively for your personal use.
Last updated: August 2021
BioSecurity
With the continual change in protocols due to the pandemic, we outline the last-known situation below for yacht arrivals. Skippers should follow the recommended links in “resources” to confirm the latest protocols. Always check with your intended port of arrival before getting underway to be 100% certain of what is required. Please e-mail [email protected] if you find protocols have changed.
COVID-19: OPEN
Yachting Protocols:
March 2022
- You must have your vaccination certificate with QR code to enter Egypt.
- See Clearance for further details.
- Agents report that checking out of Egypt in Port Suez is now extremely expensive. It is recommended during the Pandemic to check out of Port Ghalib (check out currently taking 5-7 days) and only visit the following stopovers on the way to Port Suez.
– Soma Bay,
– El Tur,
– Ras Abu Zinema,
– Ras Matrma,
– Ras Sudr.
All other ports are off limits to foreign vessels accept in the case of an emergency. By checking out of Port Ghalib, you eliminate the need for the cruising permit. However, you will not be allowed ashore at any of the anchorages mentioned above. - The Coast Guard prohibits moving around inside Port Ghalib by boat between the hours of 1800 and 0800. This includes dinghies.
- Suez Canal transits are proceeding as normal.
Our thanks to Prince of the Red Sea for updates throughout the Pandemic.
History:
- Mid-March 2020 Egypt suspended all air traffic, although ports remained open.
- From March 24th, Egypt was only open for yachts in transit.
- The Suez Canal operated as normal throughout the pandemic.
- Late March Egypt declared a curfew from 6pm to 6am. Most public service providers (inc. marinas) shut their doors.
- Yachts in transit could still get fuel and groceries from Port Ghalib’s quarantine dock, without going ashore.
- In Hurghada (100 miles North) incoming yachts were being quarantined for 14 days.
- By the end of March, it was recommended that yachts transiting North remained in Suez or Ismailia until Mediterranean countries opened their
borders again, rather than transit the Suez canal and risk being stuck
with no safe harbor. - By mid-April, transiting yachts could only stop at the Suez YC and Ismalia YC – but crew could not go ashore. All other ports were closed.
- Yachts in Egypt prior to the lockdown were told there would be no visa extensions after the legal time of 30 days + 14 days extension free. Fines were issued for expired visas during the pandemic.
- From 28 August, 2020, Egypt opened for travelers arriving with a negative PCR test.
- From 2021 authorities began testing on arrival and this protocol remained in place throughout the year.
- 2022 and only vaccinated travelers can enter Egypt.
Resources:
- Red Sea Passage FB group (private)
Reports:
Health
As per new quarantine regulations implemented by the Egyptian Ministry of Health (decree No. 16/2018) which came into force on 1st of April 2019, all yachts coming from the restricted areas of Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen (which are known yellow fever areas), should hold an international vaccination certificate for yellow fever before being allowed to enter Egypt.
If they do not have an international vaccination certificate, they will be held at the Quarantine hospital for 6 days under quarantine custody to be checked and get the vaccination, otherwise they will not be allowed to check in at any Egyptian ports.
However, a vaccination certificate is not required if the boat spends a minimum of seven days at sea after leaving any of these ports before arriving at a port in Egypt.
Vaccinations:
Typhoid, tetanus, polio and hepatitis vaccinations are recommended, as is malaria prophylaxis.
Quarantine officials will ask for vaccination certificates if coming from a known yellow fever infected area (as above).
Last updated: February 2020
Documents
Documents required in Egypt:
- Port Clearance from your last Port of Call
- Ships Registration Certificate
Ensure this looks genuine and is the original – yachts can be detained if their ship’s registration does not look “authentic” enough. Also make sure that the words (Pleasure Yacht/ Craft) are included. - VHF Radio License
- Insurance Certificate
- Signed & stamped crew list showing crew nationality / passports no.
- Passport for everyone on board
Note: It is recommended that the Crew List and scanned passports be emailed to the Agent well before getting to Egypt.
Documents to be Completed on arrival:
- Passport control office declaration arrival
- Ministry of transport Declaration of arrival
- Notification for temporary clearance of yacht
- Navigation equipment list
Cruising Permits:
This is required if you with to cruise along the Egyptian coast. For example, if clearing into Port Ghalib and transiting the Suez Canal then a cruising permit is required. Yachts coming from Sudan and making overnight stops without going ashore do not normally require a cruising permit.
A cruising permit can be obtained on arrival through your agent – see Fees.
The problem with the cruising permit is that the authorities issue it according to the duration of the visa of the yacht captain. This means that in order to obtain a 6 month cruising permit for instance, the Captain must have a valid visa for 6 months.
Not all ports can issue visas for this length of time. Port Ghalib immigration office, for example, can only issue visas for 1 month, so Customs are forced to issue 1 month cruising permits only. If it is only possible to obtain a 1 month cruising permit, an extension would require a shipping agent to do the paperwork with additional cost.
Hurghada have an immigration office that can give longer visas, which makes it easy for the yacht captain to decide from the beginning whether to ask for a 1 month visa or more, however, it is more expensive to clear into the country in Hurghada.
If required, a permit to cruise the Gulf of Aqaba must be requested at the same time.
If a boat leaves the country for any period, then a new cruising permit is issued on re-entry and the fee is payable once more.
Last updated: August 2021
River Nile:
A security permit has to be obtained from the Coast Guard as well as permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to navigate the river. The permit is difficult to obtain, although the Yacht Club of Egypt in Alexandria may be able to help. Navigation in the channels is restricted to daytime only. There are several bridges and locks, which open at certain times of the day or on request. Taking photographs of bridges, barrages and dams is strictly forbidden. The maximum draft must not exceed 5 ft (1.5 m). Navigation is only possible during winter, from October to May, when the level of water is higher. The river depth falls considerably during the summer months.
Last updated: May 2018
Fees
Government Fees:
Immigration: Entry visa stamp US$25 + US$2 admin fees.
If a visa is not required, there are no immigration fees due on arrival or departure.
Customs: A Transit Authority monthly fee is payable on arrival and monthly until departure from Egypt:
- US$30 for yachts less than 18m
- US$50 for yachts more than 18m
Quarantine:
- US$40
Agency Fees:
Check-in fees in the region of US$150, to include Customs temporary clearance + Coast Guard permission + Immigration process + Port State process + Quarantine process.
Cruising Permit: On 1 March, 2021, a decision was made by the Red Sea Ports Authority to increase the sailing permit (Port Clearance) fees for yachts transiting the Suez Canal northbound from $60 to $930. In May 2021 this fee was reduced for northbound yachts to $540 and in August 2021 further reduced to $447. It is hoped there will be further reductions still. For southbound transits the sailing permit is still $260.
Cruising permit for Egyptian territorial waters: US$150 (currently not available as all ports between Port Ghalib and Port Suez are out of bound to sailing vessels).
Check-out fees approx. US$60
Clearance Fees in Specific Ports:
Clearance fees do vary from port to port. See each port of entry for specific details:
Notes:
- It is always better to contact the marina or the shipping agent before arrival in order to confirm agency fees, berthing fees, government charges and the procedure on arrival in case there have been any changes.
- Fees are payable only once per visit to Egypt at any licensed port of entry. The marina will issue a receipt which should be shown at subsequent ports or marinas so as not to have to pay additional fees for formalities.
- This applies to tourist marinas (such as Port Ghalib, Abu Tig Marina, Wadi Dome, Hurghada Marina). It does not apply to Sharm El Sheikh, where you will be liable for further fees.
- Overtime is charged after 1400 Saturday to Thursday, all day Friday and public holidays.
Suez Canal Fees:
See Transit Information for the Suez Canal for details of the fees charged.
While Suez Canal fees will be going up by 6% in February 2021 for commercial vessels, it is understood this will not be applied to yachts.
Useful reading:
See this useful report January 2018 comparing Fees and Agents Fees for Egypt (covering Felix Agency and Prince of the Red Sea Agency).
Last updated: March 2022
Restrictions
Anchorages:
If you need to anchor in Egyptian waters prior to getting a cruising permit, this Arabic/English letter of introduction extracted from the Red Sea Pilot Book may be useful.
Anchorages are permitted around Abu Tig, but the general restrictions are not to land on the islands and to keep a distance of one nautical mile away from them and not to anchor beside corals or military areas, as per the chart.
Outside of the official ports of entry, in other ports and anchorages, one may not go ashore except with special permission from the local authorities. Most anchorages have an army post or military station, who usually ask for the yacht’s papers.
Other Restrictions:
- Spearfishing, the taking of reef fish, collecting of coral, shells and marine animals, are all forbidden in the Red Sea.
- Drones are banned in Egypt. If you are found with a drone on board by the Egyptian Intelligence Service, it will probably be taken away and it’s unlikely you will see it again.
- All military zones are prohibited areas.
Canal regulations:
Yachts must be capable of a consistent speed of 5 knots, which will be checked during the technical inspection. The speed limit in the canal is 9 knots. Yachts normally transit just after the morning convoy.
It is not permitted to sail in either in the canal or the Bitter Lakes.
If a yacht breaks down, you can only be towed by a Canal Authority boat (at a high fee!). However, it’s wise to contact your agent first who may be able to sort out a cheaper solution.
The Canal transit takes 2 days with a stop-over at Ismalia.
Canal Warning:
There have been reports of several yachts being run aground, and one severely damaged, due to the incompetence of the Egyptian pilot. It is therefore strongly recommended that at no time should the pilot be allowed to steer the boat, that the latest charts of the Canal are constantly referred to and that if it appears that the pilot is giving wrong instructions, such as advising the person at the helm to leave the main channel to cut a corner, the captain should use his or her common sense before accepting such advice.
Local Customs
It is necessary to accept that ‘Baksheesh’ is a way of life in Egypt and cannot be avoided.
The attitude to European women (even when modestly dressed) includes being stared, whistled, hooted and shouted at, and even some groping, and can make them feel very uncomfortable.
Clearance Agents
Take great care when appointing an agent for transiting the Suez Canal. Speak with other cruisers for recommendations and read reports on Noonsite. Some shipping agents may offer low prices at the outset, however once they have your papers they may quote an increase in fees due to “changing of the canal dues” or some “tariff” they had overlooked. The yacht’s owner is obliged to pay.
Related Businesses
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Pets
Standard International Veterinarian Health Certificate issued by Licenced Veterinarian not more than 14 days of travel showing pet is healthy, free of parasites and has been vaccinated for distemper,hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvirus, canine influenza and rabies (rabies vaccination should be given not less than 30 days before travel and not more than 11 months). You are required to keep pet in your custody for the first three months you are in Egypt.