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COVID RESTRICTIONS UPDATE – EGYPT

You want to fly to Egypt for a kite safari or for getting kitesurfing lessons, but you are not sure which are the current regulations? I’m updating this article every week and I’ve been flying a lot in and out of Egypt in the last months, so I can answer this and more question related to a kitesurfing holiday in Egypt. The quick answer to the question: do I need a PCR test to enter Egypt is: it depends!

Are you vaccinated? If you are vaccinated you can enter Egypt without any problems, and you can leave the country without any problems as well. Egypt made the rules and regulations for vaccinated kiters extremely easy.

You are not vaccinated? You will need a PCR to get in the country: this PCR needs to be done in your country, or in some cases can be done directly at Hurghada airport. Som airlines like Egypt Air and Turkish Airlines for example, regardless of where you are flying from, as soon as they see that your final destination is Egypt, will require a PCR test at departure. They won’t let you fly if you don’t have a negative PCR test done in the previous 72 hours. Period. Same thing can be said for Air Arabia, that flies to Cairo.

Pegasus on the other hand, will let you fly without a PCR test. They know that Egypt requires a negative PCR test to enter the country, but they also know that you can do this test at the Hurghada airport for 30 USD.

The best option if you are not vaccinated is to do a PCR in your home country.

When it is time to leave Egypt, again, if you are vaccinated no problem – just go at the airport. Just make sure that your own country has no restrictions from travellers coming from Egypt. If you are not vaccinated, I do organize at the end of every trip a PCR testing that provides results in less than 5 hours if needed.

COVID NUMBERS IN EGYPT

The situation is actually pretty good, with very few cases every month. Warm temperatures and a few restrictions (bars are closed at midnight) helped to keep the situation well under control, especially in the Red Sea area where we operate. While we of course recommend to keep social distance and use masks while entering public offices and super markets, the general vibe in Egypt is great at the moment, making Egypt a great destination if you want to escape for a bit from the bad vibes that virus spread in Europe.

More questions, feel free to contact me, and I hope to see you on the water soon!