Egypt Drops Paper Arrival Cards at Cairo Airport

Cairo International Airport went paperless for passport control on April 11, 2026. No forms, no pens, no scrambling to remember your flight number in the queue.

The change, announced by Minister Sameh El-Hefny just days before rollout, replaces manual paper entry cards with a fully digital system where immigration officers scan your passport and pull data electronically, which, surprisingly, Egypt had already been piloting in earlier phases before this formal nationwide push at Cairo. Paper landing cards were, turns out, already canceled for all passengers back in January 2026 across most airports, so this April update is really the Cairo-specific formalization of that shift. Expansion to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh follows in later phases.

Who It Actually Affects

Honestly, the headline change targets Egyptian nationals specifically. Foreigners aren't filling out new forms or downloading apps, there's nothing extra required on your end. Tourists and nomads still follow the same entry process they always have , visa on arrival remains available for eligible nationalities at $25, passport valid for six months is still expected and officers may ask verbally for accommodation details.

Expats with Egyptian residency or dual nationality traveling on Egyptian documents will notice the smoothest difference, no paper form at all on arrival or departure.

What to Do

Nothing new is required. That's the whole point.

• Proceed to passport control as normal, your passport handles everything
• No app to download, no pre-arrival registration, no added fee
• Still carry your standard entry documents , valid passport, visa confirmation if applicable, accommodation info handy

The broader trend here is worth tracking if you're a frequent Egypt traveler: e-gates, QR code pilots and e-visa expansions are all moving quickly and Cairo's Terminal 2 upgrades are part of the same modernization push. Egypt's airports are, frankly, getting faster and this paperless shift is a real part of that, not just optics. Keep an eye on nomad news as Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh come online with the same system.

Read our full Egypt guide for visa requirements, entry rules and what to expect on the ground.