Sinai-only stamp or full Egypt visa: which one do you need?

The free Sinai-only entry stamp is enough if you stay in the Sharm El Sheikh area. The full Egypt visa is needed for anything beyond it. In practice, that means three of our trips from Sharm: the Cairo day trip by flight, the Cairo day trip by coach and the Luxor day trip by flight. If you hold only the stamp, none of the three is open to you.

The choice is made when you arrive. Many British visitors take the free stamp because it costs nothing, and then find that they want to see the pyramids. The visa carries a fee, which is small compared with the cost of a missed trip. If there is any chance you will want to leave Sinai, take the visa. Always check the current rules on GOV.UK.

What the Sinai-only stamp covers

The stamp is a free entry permission for the Sharm El Sheikh area only. It lets you stay at your hotel, use the beaches and take local excursions in the area. It does not let you travel on to Cairo, Luxor or anywhere else on the Egyptian mainland. Our trip details are clear about this: the stamp does not cover Cairo or Luxor.

The trips that need the full visa

• Cairo by flight: a private day of about 15 hours, with a 04:00 hotel transfer, a flight of about an hour, Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
• Cairo by coach: a shared day of about 22 hours, with a 00:30 pick-up and 6 to 7 hours on the road each way.
• Luxor by flight: a private day of about 16 hours, with the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and Karnak.

On all three, the trip details say to bring a passport with a full Egypt visa. The domestic flights on the two flight trips are booked by us and included, and the guides are licensed Egyptologists. We cannot take you on any of these days if your passport shows only the Sinai stamp.

The trips where you should ask first

Several trips leave the resort but stay in South Sinai, such as the Ras Mohammed boat and road days, the Tiran Island boat day, the Dahab jeep day and the Mount Sinai sunrise night. Our trip details do not state what entry permission they need, beyond saying that a passport is needed at checkpoints, jetties and park gates. If you hold only the stamp, ask our team before booking.

How to buy the visa

UK passport holders can normally buy the visa on arrival at the airport, and an online e-visa is also available. Both are official routes, and the fee is set by the Egyptian government, so avoid anyone who adds a large fee for helping you. Compare the details on GOV.UK travel advice, because rules and fees can change. At Sharm, the visa desk is usually before passport control.

A worked example

Take a family arriving for a week who plan beach days, the Ras Mohammed boat day and a desert safari. On the plane, someone mentions the pyramids. At the immigration desk they must choose, and the free stamp looks like the easy option. If they take it, the Cairo days are closed to them for the rest of the stay, unless the border authority allows a change, which is outside our control. If they take the visa, they keep every option.

Each traveller with a passport needs their own entry permission, so decide for the whole party, children included, before you reach the desk. Check also that every passport has enough validity and blank pages. A problem with one passport can delay a whole family, and a missed flight transfer or a cancelled trip is a costly way to find out.

How to decide

Ask yourself whether you might want to see the pyramids or Luxor during the holiday, even if you are not sure. If the answer is yes or maybe, buy the visa. If you are certain you will stay by the sea and take only local excursions, the free stamp is a reasonable choice. Families with older children who may change their minds should lean towards the visa.

Most trips can be booked online until 48 hours before departure. Inside that period, send a request. Cairo and Luxor days that need a flight are best booked early, since the flights follow the airline schedule on your date. Cancel three or more days ahead for a full refund.