Egypt Residence Permit (Plastic Card): Full Guide
How to get a tourist residence permit in Egypt — the plastic card that lets you stay legally for up to 6 months, renewable.
What is the Residence Permit?
The tourist residence permit (commonly called "the plastic" or "ikama") is a Foreign Residence Card issued for up to 6 months. It allows you to live in Egypt legally without doing a visa run every time your tourist sticker expires.
This is the most popular option for digital nomads, remote workers, and anyone who wants to stay in Egypt long-term.
You can apply for the plastic twice in a row — giving you up to 1 year of legal stay without a visa run. After that, you need to exit and re-enter the country.
Long-Term Stay Cycle: A Year and Beyond
Here's how the cycle works for long-term living in Egypt:
1. First plastic
Enter on a tourist visa (sticker in passport). Before the sticker expires — extend it at the passport office for free: they stamp it for 1-2 more months (depending on nationality). Then, within 14 days of your entry, submit the documents for the plastic. Processing takes about 2 months.
The first plastic will likely be issued for 3-4 months, not the full 6 — because you've already spent 2-3 months in Egypt waiting. The validity is counted from your entry date, not from when the card is issued.
2. Second plastic (up to 6 months)
When the first permit expires, you can apply again — for a second term. No need to leave the country. The second plastic is almost guaranteed to be issued for the full 6 months.
You can only apply for the plastic twice in a row. After two terms, you need a visa run before applying again.
3. Visa run and new cycle
After two plastic terms, you need to fly out to any country and come back. At the airport, you'll get a 30-day tourist sticker.
- Extend it at the passport office for another 1-2 months (free, while the visa is still valid)
- Within 14 days of re-entry, submit your documents for a new plastic
- Wait about 2 months for processing
- Return to the passport office, take a ticket, and ask if your visa was approved
- If approved — come back in 1-2 weeks to pick up your card
Requirements
- Passport + rental contract registered with Shahr Aqari + 2 copies of the contract
- 3 copies of the passport's first (photo) page
- 2 copies of the page with your latest visa
- 1 passport photo, 3.5×4.5 cm
- Currency exchange receipt for at least 6,875 EGP — your full name must appear on the receipt
- Application form — get it from the security guard at the entrance (no copies needed)
Photos and document copies can be made right on the premises of the passport office.
Cost
The base cost of the residence permit is 6,875 EGP, paid in Egyptian pounds at the passport office cashier.
Hiring a visa agent for the plastic is largely unnecessary. The process is straightforward: gather your documents, fill out the form (available at the entrance), pay the fee, get your photo taken and fingerprints scanned. You can easily do it yourself.
Express processing in 10 days
The passport office offers an express option: the card is processed in 10 days and delivered to your address. The fee is $65 USD cash paid at the cashier. The document package is the same as listed in the Requirements section.
How to Apply at the Passport Office
- Go to the passport office in Hurghada with your full document package
- Take a ticket at the entrance
- Submit your documents at the right window and pay the fee
- Wait — usually about 2 months
- Return, take a ticket again, and ask if your visa has been approved
- If approved — the card will be ready in about 1-2 weeks
Benefits of the Residence Permit
- No need to do a visa run every time your tourist sticker expires
- The card is confiscated at the airport when you fly out — it is cancelled upon departure. If you plan to leave Egypt, be prepared to start a new application cycle
- Easier to open a bank account
- Required to set up a landline internet connection
- Required for buying property in Egypt
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