International students wishing to study in Egypt require an Egypt student visa. Legally, a student visa lets a student study in a given nation. Egypt is home to world-renowned universities at surprisingly low tuition and living costs.
International students who have satisfied the requirements of admission to one of its educational institutions should start the processes for acquiring a study visa in Egypt promptly so that they do not miss the beginning of their studies should any delay in issuing the visa.
A student’s eligibility for a student visa to Egypt is dependent on his or her home country and the length of time required to complete the desired programme of study.
For international students planning to study in Egypt, it is important that you are aware of the following details about the Egypt student visa guidelines: eligibility requirements, application procedure, required documents, etc.
Why Study In Egypt
For an opportunity to experience a culture quite different from theirs and indeed unlike any other, many foreign students might find studying in Egypt attractive. Also available to students are some of the most famous historic sites worldwide, including the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Karnak Temples or Luxor Temple Complex among others.
Egypt has many public, private, and international universities that offer various academic programs ranging from medicine, engineering, sciences, technology, arts, social sciences, and humanities for all levels of education: undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral.
Offering higher education with high academic quality, implementing the newest teaching approaches, and furnishing contemporary educational facilities and extensive libraries to enable students to locate diverse information and conduct research in many spheres define Egyptian universities.
Egypt’s government is concerned about higher education; hence, it has launched various projects intended to make its universities globally competitive. Currently, Egypt has 23 private colleges catering for sixty thousand learners and another twenty-two million students enrolled in state universities. Egypt boasts 33 representatives in the QS Arab Region University Rankings, six of which are among the top 50 as well as 15 universities highlighted in the QS World University Rankings.
At little expenses, Egypt offers a good standard of living. Living expenses are modest and reasonable; students have several low-cost student accommodation choices, hence it is easy to choose appropriate residence.
Furthermore, Egypt’s moderate transit costs, communication, and electricity availability help students to control their monthly expenses and gain from their study experience free from a major financial load.
General Egypt Student Visa Eligibility Criteria
Some Schools ask that the relevant score has been met before you apply for a course, while others issue conditional offers subject to applicants attaining our general admission criteria level of English language proficiency before commencing the course.
Some courses include extra entry criteria such as previous job experience, submission of written work with the application or previous study of a certain subject.
There are many requirements for Egypt student visa which includes:
- Passport
- Cover letter
- Acceptance or acceptance letter from the Egyptian university or education center
- Proof of paid visa fees
- Residential status (If the country you live in is not your home country)
- Consent letter from parents (if the applicant is a minor)
- Immigration status of host or guardian in Egypt
- Previous education certifications
- Photo (two colourful recent photographs)
- Proof to have adequate finances to meet expenses in Egypt
- Evidence to have finances purchasing a return ticket
- Medical insurance
- Clean record certificate
Note: based on your nationality and unique case and background, the Egyptian officials could request more documentation.
Egypt Student Visa Application Process
The application process for an Egyptian student visa could differ by your nationality. Remember that a few nations are qualified to apply for the student visa on arrival. However, a usual application process is as follows:
1. Receive Admittance From an Egyptian University
In order to qualify for a student visa in Egypt, it is necessary for you to obtain approval from an Egyptian college or school. This is the most important requirement. Here are some well-known colleges:
- Cairo University
- Alexandria University
- Al-Azhar University
- The American University in Cairo
- The German University in Cairo
In Egypt, some of the foreign courses taught are English while the country’s national language remains Arabic. You need to know in which language the course should be offered and adhere to it.
All other requirements depend on the particular course and university. Only after receiving the confirmation letter can you apply for a visa with the student identification code.
2. Complete the Application Form
Completing the application form is the starting part of Egypt student visa application. You can acquire the form from the embassy or consulate in your native country. You need to find the embassy’s website as they can have other criteria for supporting documentation.
When getting the digital application form, remember to acquire the long-stay one. Complete it using the true form of your information that fits exactly with your documentation. Then print, date, and sign it.
3. Schedule A Visa Meeting With the Embassy
Get in touch with the embassy or consulate in your country of origin, where the visa is normally issued. Plan an appointment with them to give in your requirements. Remember that to fulfill the conditions you need to allow some time. In case an organization or company has to write you a letter, be prepared for a postponement and collect all necessary papers.
4. Gather The Requirements
The Egyptian authorities require supporting documentation to confirm you are qualified for the visa. Also, they verify the objective of your vacation is genuine. Prepare yourself to give extra documents and remember it takes a bit long time to collect everything.
5. Submit Required Documents at the Visa Meeting With the Embassy
When the time for the visa meeting approaches, attend the embassy and carry all the gathered requirements. Do not neglect anything, since it could have significant implications on your history and visa. Also, the embassy is unlikely to give a copy service so prepare a copy of documents if needed.
Get to the meeting around half an hour early as it takes time to go through the security and guards at the door. Submit the prerequisites when you meet the visa officer and answer their inquiries genuinely.
It is essential to note is that there is a price with visa processing you have to pay. The embassy could charge you more for further services. You would best question them in advance about the cost and the manner to pay it; cash or credit card.
6. Wait for the Processing
You need to wait until the embassy process the visa and issues it. It takes around one month before the embassy decides whether to offer you a visa or not. If the authorities deny your visa, they will write you a letter and explain why, and If they issue it, they will instruct you to pick up the visa.
The way to pick up the visa could be different for each consulate.
7. Egypt Student Visa Application Form
The country’s embassy or consulate in your native land is where you can get the Egypt student visa application forms. The contents might differ slightly between the countries. The application forms have to be accompanied by a list of other documents.
The list of qualifications could be distinct for each country so ask the officials in your native country. Your acquaintance from a neighboring nation might have gone through a different procedure.
Types of Egypt Visas
Just like any other nation, Egypt offers a range of visas. However, a student visa for Egypt is not one of them. Below are the numerous types of visas granted to visit Egypt.
1. Tourist Visa
This visa is issued for tourism purposes or any other non-business related activities This visa can take roughly 5-7 days to be processed.
2. Business Visa
A business visa is issued to persons who desire to visit the nation for business-related activities.
3. Entry Visa
An entry visa is offered to those who want to join their family in Egypt, attend a conference, internship, workshop or festival.
4. Work Visa
A work visa is issued to a foreigner to seek employment in Egypt
Fees For The Egypt Student Visa
To obtain an insight of the Egypt Student visa one can reffer to the following stated points-
- Single Entry: EGP 300 for each month
- Multiple Entry Visa: EGP 600 for 6-12 months
- Multiple Entry Visa: EGP 900 for 24 months
- Multiple Entry Visa: EGP 900 for 24 months
- Multiple Entry Visa: EGP 1200 for 36 months
Validity For The Egypt Student Visa
1-3 years is the validity for the Egypt Student Visa and it also depends upon the duration of your course. This visa is granted by the officials so you can complete your studies. However it is not possible to obtain this visa extended after the three years.
Tips to Note Before Applying For Egypt Student Visa
The following Egypt student visa checklist must be done before your journey to Egypt. These tips will help ensure that you send a successful visa application.
- Make sure to check in the Egypt consulate/embassy in the home county regarding upgrading the tourist visa to a student visa
- After arriving in Egypt, the university will liaise with the Ministry of Higher Education about your student residency. Therefore, it is important to take up a minimum of 12 credit hours course (9 for graduate students) for enrollment purposes.
- It is recommended to avoid waiting until the final moments, so as not to inconvenience those students who come from abroad.
- A valid passport should be in your possession at least six months after you arrive. If not you should renew your passport at least three months before you go so that no unexpected delays occur.
- Residents of the following nations must apply for a visa before arriving: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Chechenya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries. Also students from these regions cannot extend their tourist visas. However, if the security approval has been delayed then a letter from the business support office must be requested. Â The letter certifies the enrollment at the university and that the visa is under processing time. In such instances, the stay of the student is permissible.
- Inquiring at the Egyptian consulate or embassy in your country about visa policies before going to Egypt is recommended. Once you come to Egypt, AUC will liaise with the Ministry of Higher Education for acquisition of your student residence. The student visa is only available after registration, payment of fees and confirmation of enrollment.
- Eligibility calls for at least 12 credit hours, nine credit hours for graduate students.
Egypt Visa Processing Time
The processing period for an Egypt visa vary based on the type of application. If you apply for the Visa On Arrival, you will receive it (or have your application be refused, as it is) right there.
The Egypt e-Visa is completed in around seven days, which is why it is advised to apply at least seven days before you intend to travel.
If you’re applying through an embassy or consulate, the processing period vary according on the specific office. In most situations, it takes at least 10 working days, so make sure you apply well before you expect to travel, but no earlier than three months.
If you apply by mail, also take into consideration the time it will necessary for the paperwork to be mailed back and forth.
Best Universities In Egypt To Apply As An International Student
1. American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo, a private research university, operates as expected in teaching English. Its English collection is the biggest in Egypt, and it offers American type liberal arts education among others. It has 6,453 students hailing from over 50 countries around the world.
The American University in Cairo is in the top 100 for development studies, in 200 for contemporary languages and architecture and the top 600 for arts and humanities among QS World Universities by Subject.
About half-distance from central Cairo, at El-Shorouk, the British University in Egypt is also near to Cairo. It provides all instruction in English, much as the American University in Cairo.
2. Cairo University
Cairo University was established as Egyptian University in 1908 and is at the forefront of Egypt’s oldest institutions of higher learning. The current name of the university is quite misleading because it is primarily housed in Giza, which is around 20 km away south west side from Cairo according to available data provided through their website. In petroleum engineering ranks among the top 50 worldwide and appears eight times on the subject-wise rankings.
3. Ain Shams University
Ain Shams University was set up in Cairo, Egypt, in 1950 as the third oldest university on record. The school has an estimated student population of roughly 180,000 pupils across 15 colleges, making it one of the largest educational institutions on the planet.
For medical studies it is positioned among the top 400 worldwide by QS World University Rankings and it scores three out of five possible points under this classification system.”
4. Alexandria University
Originally, Alexandria University was the branch campus of Cairo University before being founded as an independent institution in 1938. Two years later, in 1942, it received its current name as an independent institution.
Renamed in 1952, this university is currently working on opening another branch in Juba, Sudan and has increased its number of faculties from seven to 22. Just like Ain Shams, at present, the figure which shows you how many students are registered at this establishment is 152,305.
5. Mansoura university
The Mansoura University is situated in the City of Mansoura, in the Nile Delta, and its reputation is good in terms of having specialized Medical Centers in the field of medicine that boast of being the continent’s largest kidney Dialysis center. It also happens to be one of Africa’s largest universities with an approximate number of 100,000 students studying in its 17 Faculties.
6. Azhar University
Established in Cairo, Egypt, in 970 A.D, Al-Azhar University has a rich history given that it is one of the oldest universities on earth. Originally it was a madrasa that catered for students from the lowest levels up until the college level.Â
Al Azhar university first institution predating all others known worldwide located within Cairo which later renamed after it came up mainly serving as an Islamic-based learning center for all interested parties in their faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Can I Get A Student Visa for Egypt?
- Find an Egypt Visa through an Embassy or Consulate
- To arrange an appointment, call the Egyptian consulate or embassy.
- Fill your Egypt Visa Application Form.
- Organise the necessary records.
- Pay the Egypt visa cost.
- Send the application and papers to the Egyptian consulate or embassy.
2. Can You Work on a Student Visa in Egypt?
Actually, international students are free to work in Egypt during their study term, but there are requirements that have to be satisfied: Get a work permit from the Ministry of Labour, which details the kind of employment the student is permitted to do and the duration of time. Promise to work the designated hours during the course of education.
3. How Long Does it Take to Get an Egypt Visa?
Applying at least seven days before your intended travel is advised since the Egypt e-Visa are handled in roughly seven days. Should you be applying through an embassy or consulate, the particular office determines the processing time.
4. Egypt Visa on Arrival for Nigeria?
Arriving in Egypt, one can obtain a single-entry tourist visa valid for up to thirty days. Even first-time visitors, Nigerians can today obtain visa-on-arrival in Egypt.
5. Time Frame For An Egypt eVisa Arrive?
Your application will be handled five working days after you have finished the form and sent it in.
6. Can I Seek for An Egypt Visa Online?
Online fill out Egypt Tourist e-visa application form. and send digital replicas of the following papers: Application form for a Visa. Completely finished and signed application form.
Final Words
Egypt student visa is essential for any student who desires to study in top rank Egyptian universities. In order to apply for an Egyptian student visa, go through the process by securing admission from an Egyptian university, completing required application forms, collecting necessary documents as well as attending for visa interview.
For students to avoid any inconveniences which may occur during application, it’s important that they know the particular demands and dates. The steps presented above will help them get ready for their studies in Egypt.