Egypt border technology

The e-visa portal

The Egypt e-Visa Portal carries a footer credit to the Ministry of Interior of the Arab Republic of Egypt ¹. Applicants create an account with an email address, sign in and apply ¹. The portal says an application must be made at least 7 days before departure and that the status is sent by email once processing is done ¹.

The portal FAQ lists a single-entry tourist visa at US$30 and a multiple-entry tourist visa at US$65 ². Payment is by credit card on the website. After payment the applicant receives a link to download the e-visa, and port authorities can check its validity in their own system ². The FAQ says Egyptian port authorities have the right to refuse entry to e-visa holders without explanation ².

The FAQ lists the nationalities that may apply. They include the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa ². On arrival a traveller needs a passport valid for at least 6 months, a printout of the e-visa and a travel itinerary ². The FAQ pages read for this update did not state a validity period or processing time ².

ePassports and the ICAO PKD

The ICAO PKD participant list shows Egypt with a joining date of 9 August 2019 ³. The list does not describe Egypt's own passport programme ³.

Advance Cargo Information through Nafeza

A note by the French customs attaché's office in Dubai, dated 24 June 2021, says Egypt's new customs law was adopted on 24 August 2020, cited as law 207/2020 ⁵. It says the law is applied through Ministry of Finance Decision 38/2021, amended in part by Decree 328/2021 ⁵.

The US International Trade Administration says Decree 38/2021 on pre-shipment registration was released on 1 February 2021 ⁴. It says the ACI pilot launched at the Port of Alexandria in April 2021 and use became mandatory beginning October 2021, first at seaports and then at airports and inland ports ⁴. The French note of June 2021 said ACI would be mandatory for sea shipments from 1 October 2021 and that air and land shipments were exempt at that time ⁵.

The importer submits shipment data through Nafeza and receives an ACI identification number (ACID) ⁴. The French note says the ACID has 19 digits, is valid for three months and must appear on the commercial invoice and bill of lading ⁵. It says goods without an ACID cannot be cleared and are returned to the point of departure ⁵.

• Single window: Nafeza, administered by Misr Technology Services (MTS), according to the US International Trade Administration ⁴
• ACI system: MTS is in charge, according to the French customs note ⁵
• Blockchain document exchange: CargoX is the service provider, and Decree 222 of 2021 requires exporters to send shipping data through the blockchain platform, according to the French customs note ⁵
• Website: the Nafeza home page lists an advance cargo registration section with ACID lookup and a downloadable form for registering a foreign supplier on CargoX ⁶

Fees named in the French customs note

The note estimates the exporter's total cost per filing at about US$62 ⁵. The US page read for this update gives no fee amounts ⁴.

Egypt and Security Council resolution 2396

Egypt sat on the Security Council when it adopted resolution 2396 on returning foreign terrorist fighters, according to the UN meetings record ⁷. Egypt's representative, Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, said Egypt voted for the resolution ⁷. He said stronger language making the provision of information on suspected terrorists to INTERPOL compulsory would have been better, and that his delegation had sought to tie the use of identification technology to adequate resources ⁷. He said the resolution must be implemented and assistance provided so all countries can meet their obligations ⁷.