Chinese ordinary passport holders need a visa for Egypt, but short visits are easy to arrange: you can apply online for a tourist e-Visa on Egypt’s official portal (US$30 single entry, US$65 multiple entry) or get a visa on arrival at the airport. Since 1 August 2026, Cairo International Airport has been piloting a digital visa on arrival that replaces the paper sticker with a visa QR code.
Working in Egypt long-term is a separate process: a company registered in Egypt applies for a work permit, and after arrival the employee converts it into a work visa and residence. Foreign staff are normally capped at 10% of the workforce, and every work visa goes through a security review that takes time. This page covers entry, work, residence and common problems.
Short-term entry options
Whatever the route, your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of arrival (Egypt e-Visa portal).
| Option | Who it suits | Fees and key points |
|---|---|---|
| e-Visa | Tourism and short visits; China is on the portal’s list of eligible countries | Apply at visa2egypt.gov.eg: US$30 single entry, US$65 multiple entry (as listed on the portal, October 2026). The portal asks you to apply at least 7 days before departure, pay by Visa, Mastercard or other bank card, and sends the result by email |
| Digital visa on arrival | Travellers entering through Cairo International Airport | Pilot from 1 August 2026 at all arrival terminals in Cairo. Apply in advance through the official online portal or the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities app, or at the “VISA KIOSK” self-service machines at the airport. The ministry gives the fee as US$36 (US$30 visa fee plus US$6 issuing fee). Paper visas remain valid during the pilot |
| Conventional visa on arrival | Chinese tourists arriving at Egyptian airports | In March 2023 Egypt’s tourism minister announced that Chinese tourists could obtain visas on arrival at Egyptian airports. Check the current paper-visa fee at the airport on arrival |
| Visa from an Egyptian embassy or consulate in China | When a visa is needed in advance, including entry for work | According to the MOFCOM guide, the Egyptian embassy in China currently issues mostly tourist visas for entry; the work visa is converted after arrival |
The e-Visa and visa on arrival are tourist visas and do not allow you to work. You can make a business scouting trip on a tourist visa, but you need a work permit before you run operations or draw a salary. For company registration and related steps, see registering a company in Egypt.
Work permits: quota and eligibility
According to the 2025 MOFCOM guide, several agencies handle work permits: the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) receives applications and certifies the company’s status, the Ministry of Interior runs the security review, the Ministry of Labour (manpower) reviews the position, and the immigration authority approves and issues the permit.
Foreign staff quota
- Foreign employees normally may not exceed 10% of the regular workforce. The Investment Law allows up to 20% when suitable local staff cannot be found, but this requires an application to GAFI and is hard to obtain in practice.
- Not counted in the quota: senior managers of companies set up under the Investment Law or Companies Law (the so-called “investor visa”), managers of representative offices and branches of foreign companies, employers and their family members, small businesses with fewer than five staff or family businesses, and foreigners working on national projects under international agreements Egypt has signed.
- In the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), the zone authority issues work permits and may relax the 10% ratio case by case.
Personal requirements
Applicants normally need at least three years’ experience in the relevant role, with degree certificates and experience letters authenticated by the Egyptian embassy in China. Company investors and managers are exempt from this. Technical staff and experts must submit a report on their Egyptian assistants when they renew.
“Investor visas” and paid-in capital
Shareholders, directors and managers can obtain a set number of work permits depending on the company’s paid-in capital (MOFCOM guide, citing Egypt’s Ministry of Manpower):
| Company type (Investment Law) | Position | Minimum paid-in capital (US$) | Number of work permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint-stock company | Shareholder, chairman, managing director, board member | 35,000 / 50,000 / 100,000 | 1 / 3 / 6 |
| Limited liability company | Shareholder, manager | 35,000 / 50,000 / 100,000 | 1 / 3 / 6 |
| Sole proprietorship (natural person) | Owner or manager | 35,000 / 50,000 / 100,000 | 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Sole proprietorship (legal person) | Manager | 50,000 | 2 |
For companies set up under the Companies Law, the rules for foreign shareholders, directors and managers match the Investment Law rules above.
Process: from work permit to one-year residence
- Before the employee travels, the company applies to GAFI’s Investor Service Center (ISC) with a copy of the applicant’s passport, qualification documents authenticated by the Egyptian embassy in China, and the company’s commercial registration, tax card, social insurance registration and insurance documents.
- The ISC issues a letter of approval in principle, which the company takes to the labour authority. If approved, the labour authority issues a letter agreeing to the employment, addressed to the Ministry of Interior’s Passports, Emigration and Nationality Administration.
- The Ministry of Interior issues a “yellow receipt”. The applicant must travel to Egypt within two months (60 days) of the labour approval or it lapses.
- After arrival, the employee takes an HIV test at a designated hospital straight away.
- The company files the work visa application at the ISC, takes the ISC letter to GAFI’s visa office and first receives a six-month temporary residence visa.
- Once the security review is complete, the work visa is issued and a one-year residence visa is processed at the same office.
Main documents
- Foreigner work visa application form, signed by the manager and stamped with the company seal
- Copy of the labour approval, and authenticated proof of at least three years’ work experience
- Original passport and copy, and an HIV test certificate
- Company commercial registration and tax card, social insurance forms and the list of insured staff, and the security review form
- A postal order of EGP 3,200 for the one-year work visa fee (amount listed in the 2025 MOFCOM guide)
Renewals and fees
A work visa is valid for one year. Apply to renew one month before expiry; it lapses 14 days after expiry. The one-year term counts from the application date, so the visa often has less time left by the time you receive it. According to the MOFCOM guide, renewal fees rise with the number of years worked in Egypt:
| Renewal | Renewal fee (EGP) | Work permit fee (EGP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st renewal | 5,000, then +1,000 a year for the next 2 years | 2,000 |
| 4th year renewal | 10,000, then +1,000 a year for the next 2 years | 2,000 |
| 7th year renewal | 15,000, then +1,000 a year for the next 3 years | 2,000 |
| 11th year renewal | 20,000, then +2,000 a year up to a maximum of 52,000 | 2,000 |
In total, each renewal costs between EGP 7,000 and 54,000. These are the figures in the 2025 MOFCOM guide; confirm the actual fees when you apply.
Residence, family members and paying fees in foreign currency
A foreign employee’s residence is issued together with the work visa and has the same validity. Free zone investors can apply for long-term residence matching the project’s operating period. Under Prime Minister’s Decree No. 3326 of August 2023, foreigners applying for tourist or non-tourist residence must show a receipt from an authorised bank or exchange company proving that the fees were paid by converting US dollars or another freely convertible currency into Egyptian pounds (Library of Congress, 2023).
We did not find an official public explanation of the conditions, documents and fees for accompanying family members. Check directly with the Ministry of Interior’s Passports, Emigration and Nationality Administration or your company’s lawyer. The same administration handles visa extensions.
Common problems
- Overstaying: According to the MOFCOM guide, Egyptian embassies abroad generally will not issue a new visa to someone who has overstayed in Egypt. The Chinese embassy has also repeatedly reminded citizens to keep visas and residence permits valid and to renew early.
- Police spot checks: Egyptian police carry out unannounced checks on foreign staff at small and medium-sized businesses. Working in a shop or factory on a tourist visa is a serious risk.
- Appealing a refusal: If a work visa is refused, appeal to the labour authority’s foreigners’ work visa department within one month, with evidence addressing the reason for refusal. The MOFCOM guide advises making the first appeal count; if it fails again, it is better to return to China and reapply.
- Cancelling when you leave: When employment ends, return the work visa to the work visa office with an official company letter and have it stamped by the labour authority. Only then is the company’s foreign staff slot released.
- Documents confiscated: Stay calm and cooperate during checks. If police take your documents, ask for a receipt and contact the embassy or consulate; see consular protection.
- What you bring in: Drones, aerial cameras (including remote-control toy aircraft), walkie-talkies and binoculars may not be brought into Egypt. For cash limits, see Egypt safety guide.
If your passport is expiring or lost, see renewing a Chinese passport in Africa.
Where to apply
- e-Visa: Egypt e-Visa portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg
- Work permit applications: GAFI Investor Service Centers (headquarters in Nasr City, Cairo, and branches in the governorates)
- Labour review: Egyptian Ministry of Labour
- Residence and visa extensions: Ministry of Interior, Passports, Emigration and Nationality Administration (Ministry of Interior website)
For an overview of living and working in Egypt, see the Egypt guide for Chinese residents; for chambers of commerce and associations, see the Chinese community in Egypt. Other countries in the region are covered under North Africa.
References
- Egypt e-Visa Portal: FAQ (Egyptian e-Visa portal, accessed October 2026)
- Egypt e-Visa Portal: home page (Egyptian e-Visa portal, accessed October 2026)
- Egypt to introduce digital visa on arrival from 1 August 2026 (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
- Egypt Launches New Digital Visa-On-Arrival System (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities press release via PR Newswire, 23 July 2026)
- Egypt introduces new entry visa facilities to boost tourism (Zawya, 28 March 2023)
- Guide for Outbound Investment and Cooperation: Egypt (2025 edition) (MOFCOM / Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2025)
- Egypt: New Regulations on Residency Application Fees for Foreigners Introduced (Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor, 2023)
- Consular reminder: Chinese citizens in Egypt should strengthen security precautions (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2026)
- Embassy reminds Chinese citizens to observe Egypt’s entry and exit rules (in Chinese) (Chinese Embassy in Egypt, 2025)