Does one need a Visa for Sharm ?

[tony J]

I'm off for my first non liveaboard holiday in Sharm

I guess I need a Visa if i want to dive Ras mohammed, but it seems that the non divers do not need one ? Is this a correct interpretation

cheers

Tony

(By Visa I mean the 15 dollar/euro/pound sticker you buy in the airport)

[Marc_D]

Hi Tony

When I went last October, the air port had a desk to arrange the visa's for people getting off the plane in the Airport. I doubt the man behind the desk knew if the people getting off were diving or not but he wanted a visa for every one,so i would say yes. I've booked to go again this year and again need to buy a visa. Hope that helps. I would recommend you get it before you arrive becuase the que was gettting longer and longer as more flights arrived.:) ;)

[Richard Whitcombe]

I'm off for my first non liveaboard holiday in Sharm

I guess I need a Visa if i want to dive Ras mohammed, but it seems that the non divers do not need one ? Is this a correct interpretation

cheers

Tony

(By Visa I mean the 15 dollar/euro/pound sticker you buy in the airport)

If they're not going to Ras Mohammed or on any trips to the mainland (ie Cairo, Luxor etc) then no you dont need one - the default 14 day free stamp will do.

To get off sinai or Ras Mohammed/Thistlegorm then you do need the $15 visa.

[Steve in Sharm]

Hi Tony

When I went last October, the air port had a desk to arrange the visa's for people getting off the plane in the Airport. I doubt the man behind the desk knew if the people getting off were diving or not but he wanted a visa for every one,so i would say yes. I've booked to go again this year and again need to buy a visa. Hope that helps. I would recommend you get it before you arrive becuase the que was gettting longer and longer as more flights arrived.:) ;)

There is no such desk!!! Visa's are issued at a Bank style set of kiosks. What I think you went through was a scam to get as many people as possible to buy a visa wether they needed one or not :(

Simply put, If your non diving partner/child etc is not going outside of the town of Sharm el Sheikh (this includes land based trips to the national park) then you do not need a visa, the passport stamps that String mentions above are all that are needed and they are free, you get these by completing your landing card and writting "Sinai Only" on the reverse. With these stamps you can take a trip to Mount Sinai to see Moses, but he aint in!!!

Regards

[Richard Whitcombe]

With these stamps you can take a trip to Mount Sinai to see Moses, but he aint in!!!

Regards

The bush isn't burning either. They dont tell you that until you get there and wont give refunds!

As Steve says, avoid the "i'll get your visa" - its a scam and they double the actual price then go to the same line you could stand in.

Into the terminal, up the stairs, on the left are a row of desks. Do NOT use these desks, walk past them. Just before the corridor turns 90 degrees there is a small "Bank of Egypt" on the left (its immediately after these desks but its a small room with glass NOT a desk). Its only about 10ft wide. THIS is where you get the visa. After that go round that corner and you'll see the hordes of pushing, shoving Russians for passport control. Put the sticker in the passport (extra marks for working out how to peel it as it catches loads out) then join one of the queues.
If you're standing in the queues for passport control and you dont have that visa, you've missed the bank so go back. You can't get it after clearing passport control (at least not easily or without backsheesh).

[tony J]

I'm off for my first non liveaboard holiday in Sharm

I guess I need a Visa if i want to dive Ras mohammed, but it seems that the non divers do not need one ? Is this a correct interpretation

cheers

Tony

(By Visa I mean the 15 dollar/euro/pound sticker you buy in the airport)
Thanks for everyone's response

+ Lots of people were buying Visas that they did not need
+ The welcoming desks were selling them at 13 quid (I think) but the bank was charging just 15 dollars (or equivalent) further a few hundred metres on

Nice trip, pool fins for 6 quid, lots of microbusses taken for 10p each and dinner never more than 10 quid for the 2 of us

Ocean college and The Hilton Fayrouz were both excellent (A change from liveaboarding)

Tony