Navigating the Red Tape/Visa Requirements When Traveling to Egypt
by Harold Combess
Nasser's promise of a civil service job for every graduate has led to a vastly overstaffed, inefficient administration, which you'll come up against when obtaining travel permits or visa extensions, and which may well defeat you if you try to do anything more complicated. Rules change from place to place and individual bureaucrats may interpret them differently, or introduce new regulations, or simply be obstructive through caprice. Remain patient and good-humoured no matter what.All visitors to Egypt must hold passports that are valid for at least six months beyond the proposed date of entry to the country. Almost all Europeans, plus all North Americans and Australians and New Zealanders, must also obtain tourist visas.For visa applications in person, submit your passport and application in the morning and collect the visa the same afternoon (applications cannot be submitted then). An up-to-date list of Egyptian embassies can be found at www.embassyworld.com.embassy/egypt1.htmAustralia: 1 Darwin Ave, Yarralumla, ACT (tel 02/6273 4437); 112 Glenmore Rd, Paddington, Sydney, NSW 2021 (tel 02/9332 3388); Level 9, 124 Exhibition St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 (tel 03/9654 8869).Britain: 2 Lowndes St, London SW1X 9ET (tel 020/7235 9777, www.egypt-embassy.org.uk). Mon-Fri 9.30am-12.30pm.Canada: 454 Laurier Ave, E Ottawa, ON K1N 6R3 (tel 613/234-4958); 1 Place Ville Marie, Suite 2617, Montréal, Quebec H3B 4S3 (tel 514/866-8455). Both Mon-Fri 9.30am-1pm.Ireland: 12 Clyde Rd, Dublin 4 (tel 01/606 566)Israel: 54 Basel St, Tel Aviv (tel 03/546-5151); 68 Afrat St, Bna Betkha, Eilat (tel 059/597-6115). In Tel Aviv Mon-Thurs
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