The Ministry of Maritime Transport has issued new procedures for yacht entry into Egypt and this has greatly increased fees for entry and services. The new procedures and tariff have been applied to all Egyptian ports and marinas with the exception of  the Suez Canal, so far. It is Noonsite’s recommendation to appoint an agent well in advance of your arrival, who can correctly guide you as to which port is the cheapest to check-into and out of Egypt.

Note: If you simply are transiting through Egypt via the Suez Canal and don’t intend to go ashore, you don’t need to check-into the country. See Suez Canal Transit Notes.

PRE-ARRIVAL

All yachts must register on the Maritime Sector Website (yacht single window) at least 72 hours prior to arrival in the first port of entry. An explanation video of how to do this can be found here. Documentation needs to be uploaded and marinas will not accept entry if this pre-registration has not been done.

It is highly likely you will need an agent at every major port (many are stipulating this now). For example in Port Ghalib there are two licensed agents as approved by the Egyptian Maritime Transport Sector and it is mandatory that all yachts use one of these agents for clearance. Authorities don’t usually speak English and will only deal with the agents they know.

Send your agent clearance documents 72hrs prior to arrival (Registry Certificate, Crew List, Last Port Clearance, Photo of Passport, etc.) and e-mail the marina in advance to alert them of your arrival including ETA, Yacht details, Period of stay, diesel if you need it, Registration Certificate, Crew List, Last Port Clearance, Last 10 Ports of call, and Period of stay.

Noonsite does not recommend any particular agent, however, there is a list of Clearance agents here that are regularly used by cruising boats. It can be useful to look at reports from cruisers for their various experiences with agents and cruisers comments via the speech bubble icon.

Find out if you need a visa to enter Egypt. See Immigration for more details.

ARRIVAL FORMALITIES

Do not forget to hoist the correct flags – Q Flag first then courtesy flag after you bring down the Q flag. There can be up to a $4500 fine for not flying the right flags.

Ports of Entry:

The majority of yachts coming from the south check into Egypt at Port Ghalib Marina or Hurghada Port. Port Ghalib currently has incredibly high fees, as does Hurghada. Agents recommend that based on the government’s new tariff, the best/cheapest port for check-in/out is Suez, at this time, as the new government bill has not yet been applied to the Suez Canal marinas. See Fees for more details.

If sheltering from strong winds or making an overnight stop, yachts are normally allowed to stay in Egyptian waters before clearing in at an official port of entry. If coming from the Red Sea and intending to stop in Egypt before clearing in, it is advisable to have obtained a visa in advance. It is also advisable not to actually go ashore until officially cleared in.

The following are the best recommended (and permitted) stopovers on the way to Port Suez:
– Soma Bay;
– El Tur;
– Ras Abu Zinema;
– Ras Matrma;
– Ras Sudr;
– Wadi Gimal;
– Marsa Zarraba;
– Ras Gihan.

This list is continually updated – ask your agent for the latest info. or consult the Red Sea Passage Facebook group.

Your agent will usually be in contact from the moment you enter Egypt’s territorial waters to provide the necessary support and give the  exact position for the most appropriate non-prohibited places for anchoring in case of an emergency.

Yachts coming from the north normally check in at Port Said. Port Clearance fees here are more reasonable, however it is not a good port to remain in, as the swell is very bad.

Full details of the procedures for transiting the Suez Canal, including the Canal Regulations and Fees charged, can be found at Suez Canal: Transit Information

General Process:

In ports of entry, clearance must be done with Customs and Immigration. See sections on these offices below plus Documents for greater detail. Expect clearance to take most of the day. Customs will want to board the boat.

All Government fees are payable via the marina at the port of entry – then there are some additional fees to be paid separately at Immigration etc. See Fees for more details.

The Coast Guard normally maintain a presence in all ports and anchorages, and usually visit the yacht, requesting details of the yacht and its crew.

Domestic Cruising:

Cruising the coast of Egypt (i.e. visiting a number of ports) is complicated. If you want to go ashore you must clear in at a port of entry, and then IN and OUT of every port afterwards. This is prohibitively expensive and well beyond the financial means of most cruisers. If you wish to explore Egypt, the most reasonable and safest option for your boat is to clear into the country at Ismailia, berth the boat at the newly renovated marina and explore inland from there. Stopping at anchorages to seek refuge from contrary winds is permitted, but you cannot go ashore.

CLEARING OUT

International Clearance:

If transiting the Suez Canal and not stopping anywhere else after the transit, the outward clearance can be obtained while doing the transit formalities. Yachts may then proceed to sea as soon as they have dropped the pilot.

Once outward clearance is obtained, yachts must leave within 24 hours, or obtain another clearance.

Last updated: January 2024

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