Egypt postpones introduction of new visa rules for Uzbekistanis to March 1, 2027

Postponement to March 2027

Egypt has postponed the introduction of new entry rules for citizens of Uzbekistan from November 1 to March 1, 2027. According to Spot.uz, the postponement was the result of negotiations conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan and the embassy in Cairo with the Egyptian authorities: for four more months, Uzbekistanis will be able to travel to the country under the current rules. The Foreign Ministry did not report the cancellation of the new requirements themselves.

What requirements were discussed

The first reports of the new rules appeared in early October. According to them, Uzbekistanis were to obtain a visa in advance through the Egyptian embassy before departure, rather than upon arrival; tourists under 40 were to travel not alone, but only accompanied by close relatives (parents, spouse, or children; friends and colleagues were not included in the list); and to prove they had funds — a minimum of $5,000 for a family and $3,000 for a tourist over 40 traveling alone. A hotel booking and a contact phone number were also required at the border, and if any document was missing, the passenger could be turned back.

Confusion and market reaction

The main cause of the confusion, according to the owner of the Fun&Sun franchise network Marat Akhmedzhanov, was the lack of an official publication: the embassy in Cairo received the information only through diplomatic channels, and the rules themselves were not published anywhere. He compared the situation with Thailand, where rumors in July were followed by publication in local media, after which it became clear that visas would be introduced. After the news, tourists began canceling and rescheduling bookings: Travel System reported mass cancellations of tours both to Egypt and to Thailand.

What this means for tourists

A visa regime with Egypt existed before, but separate conditions applied to Sharm el-Sheikh, allowing citizens of Uzbekistan to vacation there without prior visa processing. According to clarifications received by Shakh Tours, for buyers of full tour packages this procedure remains in place — entry matters are handled by the tour operator and the receiving company. Independent travelers, meanwhile, were advised to obtain a visa in advance at the Egyptian embassy in Tashkent, and selling air tickets without a tour package was not recommended due to the risk of being denied entry. Travel System advises submitting documents at least a month before the trip, although the exact processing times for applications are unknown.

Questions about the rules and the parallel with Thailand

Tour operators had questions about the requirements even before the postponement. Travel System director Anvar Mirzaev noted the ambiguity around proof of funds — it is unclear whether a Visa card balance from a mobile app would be accepted instead of cash or a bank statement. Shakh Tours managing director Sayidamin Bakhtiyorov pointed out an inconsistency: a family could buy a tour for $1,500–2,000 but was required to show $5,000. Travel System called the age restriction

Context: Thailand and demand

The news about Egypt appeared shortly after Thailand abolished the visa-free regime for Uzbekistanis and introduced visas from September 15. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan reported that the parties are preparing to sign an agreement on a visa-free regime. According to Fun&Sun's estimate, after the introduction of Thai visas, demand for the destination fell by about 70–80%, but tourists did not switch en masse to Egypt — interest in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia grew. At the same time, Egypt remains a popular destination: at Travel System it accounts for about 15% of sales, and at Fun&Sun it is among the top three after Vietnam and Thailand. Tourism industry representatives do not believe that these two cases indicate a general tightening of entry for Uzbekistanis: Akhmedzhanov noted that the initial requirements also concerned other Central Asian countries, but, according to his information, ultimately did not affect Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, whereas Kyrgyzstan faced restrictions.