Divers planning a trip to Egypt in 2027 may have seen headlines suggesting that the country’s tourist visa will rise to $45. A new government decree does establish a $15 charge from January, but the available official information does not yet confirm that tourists will pay $45 for a standard visa.
The distinction is important. Similar reports circulated in December 2025, when a legislative change was widely interpreted as an immediate increase in tourist visa prices. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities subsequently denied those reports, explaining that the legislation had established a maximum permissible fee rather than implemented a new tourist visa price.
This time, there is a further executive decision. However, the amount it sets should not be confused with the final cost of a tourist visa.
What has actually been approved?
Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2553 of 2026 sets a levy of $15, or its equivalent in foreign currency, on entry and transit visas issued at Egyptian ports of entry, as well as specified visas and consular services provided by Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad. The decree is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.
The decision has been reported from the Official Gazette by Egyptian publications including Al-Masry Al-Youm and Youm7.
Crucially, the $15 is not necessarily an entirely new charge. An earlier decree, Prime Ministerial Decree No. 4873 of 2025, set the same category of levy at $12 from January 2026. The new decision therefore increases that statutory levy by $3.
That does not, by itself, establish how much more a tourist will pay at an airport, through the e-Visa system or at an Egyptian consulate.
Will a tourist visa cost $45?
At present, that remains unconfirmed.
Egypt’s official Ministry of Interior e-Visa portal lists a single-entry tourist visa at $30 and a multiple-entry tourist visa at $65. The UK government’s Egypt entry guidance also confirms the standard $30 visa-on-arrival price for eligible British travellers.
Some Egyptian media reports have interpreted the new $15 levy as an additional charge on top of the existing visa price. If applied in that way, the total for a standard single-entry visa could reach $45. However, the earlier $12 levy is already in force, and the published decree does not explain how the new amount will be incorporated into the final tourist visa tariff.
For that reason, The Scuba News is not treating $45 as a confirmed January 2027 tourist visa price. The responsible Egyptian authorities will need to clarify the implementation or publish updated visa fees before that figure can be reported as definitive.
Why the confusion matters
In December 2025, reports claimed that Egypt had increased its tourist visa fee from $25 to $45 following changes to Law No. 175 of 2025. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities subsequently issued an official denial, stating that no executive decision had been taken to increase the tourist visa fee at that time.
The ministry explained that the legislation had established a ceiling for the relevant charge, not an immediate increase in the amount paid by visitors. It also urged media outlets to verify visa information with the responsible authorities before publication.
The Scuba News was among the publications that reported the earlier increase before the official denial. We are therefore taking particular care to distinguish the new legal decision from its practical effect on travellers.
The situation has since changed. Egypt has introduced a $30 standard tourist visa price, and the government has now issued a further decree concerning the statutory levy. What remains unresolved is the precise total that visitors will be charged from January 2027.
What should divers planning a 2027 trip do?
For now, there is no reason to assume that an existing booking needs to be changed or that a $45 visa payment is already required.
Divers travelling to Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Sharm El-Sheikh or elsewhere in Egypt should check the official visa requirements for their nationality and intended itinerary. The Egypt e-Visa portal provides current eligibility and fee information, while travellers can also consult their country’s official travel advice or the relevant Egyptian diplomatic mission.
Visa arrangements can differ according to nationality, port of entry, length of stay and whether the traveller qualifies for a regional entry exemption. The South Sinai entry permission, for example, has specific geographical and duration restrictions and should not be assumed to cover travel elsewhere in Egypt.
The Scuba News will update this report when the Egyptian authorities clarify how the January 2027 levy will affect the final price of tourist visas.
Verification note: This report distinguishes the confirmed statutory levy from the unconfirmed final tourist visa price. It was reviewed against the earlier decree, the new decree as reported from the Official Gazette, current official visa fees and the Ministry of Tourism’s previous correction. The $45 figure should not be treated as an official January 2027 tariff unless subsequently confirmed by the responsible authorities.
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