I think I read on here somewhere that if you have temporary residency you have to use Egypt Air to fly to and from UK - can anyone confirm what the facts are please?
Posted by Ayisha (Member # 4713) on :
i have had residency visa and still used chartered flights. if you are or have been in Egypt longer than 1 month you cant use chartered now and have to fly shceduled which will be EgyptAir. If you are in UK now and going to Egypt for less than 1 month you can still use charter flights Posted by oldbag (Member # 9889) on :
Thanks Ayisha. If you have temporary residency, do you still have to buy tourist visas when you get there if you are staying less than 30 days each visit?
Posted by newcomer (Member # 1056) on :
Hi Oldbag!
The tourist visa gives temporary residence for either touristic or other purposes. The temporary residence is not a separate thing from the tourist visa, its one and the same thing. You can either have one for 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, and have to renew it when it expires if you are staying longer than the period that you have been given the visa for.
Posted by Ayisha (Member # 4713) on :
when i had mine i also had a re-entry visa, meant i could come and go as many times as i liked in that time although that was for 6 months and the residency was 1 year. Coz of the re-entry visa you dont have to get another each time you re-enter
the visa you get at the airport is for 1 month, if you go to the passport office wherever in egypt you are then you can get a re-entry visa for 6 months too.
if you are married to an Egyptian you show your marriage papers and get a stamp but dont have to pay for the postage stamps they issue.
Posted by akshar (Member # 1680) on :
If you stay more than a month in Egypt you have to use a scheduled airline toleave the countyr but it does not have to be EgyptAir, just not a charter.
Posted by Mr Small (Member # 7071) on :
Are you sure the tourist visa gives you temp residency? When we brought our apartment we first had to get a full visa(in El Tor) to be able to get the temporary residency status(also in El Tor).We could not get one without the other.I think if maybe you have a work permit you can just get the temp residency with out having a visa.
Posted by newcomer (Member # 1056) on :
Hi Mr Small!
I have visas that have written on them: "Temporary Residence for Touristic Purposes". This is different from the Residence permit that you get along with your work permit (or through a number of other ways too).
The temporary residence permit just allows you to stay in the country for the period of your visa, it doesn't give you any of the rights you get with a full Residency permit, like the local discount at tourist sites, on EgyptAir, or in hotels.
Posted by Mr Small (Member # 7071) on :
But surely your visa allows you to stay in the country for the visas duration,why would you get/need temp residency if it means nothing extra.What does the temp res for touristic purposes bit mean?Sorry to appear thick but if it means nothing why do they bother putting it on there.
Posted by newcomer (Member # 1056) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mr Small: But surely your visa allows you to stay in the country for the visas duration,why would you get/need temp residency if it means nothing extra.What does the temp res for touristic purposes bit mean?Sorry to appear thick but if it means nothing why do they bother putting it on there.
Sorry, I'm not privy to the logic that persuaded the Egyptian government to write that on the tourist visa, but it is a little different from most countries as you can keep on staying here by extending the "Tourist Visa" for well past the period that anyone would be here as a pure tourist...for several years in fact. So I guess its just a way of combining a number of different reasons for staying in the country on a temporary basis under one visa. When you go to renew it, the notices in the immigration office now state that the visa is for touristic or other purposes.
It's not something that you have to apply for separately, like the normal residency permit, its just what is written on the tourist visa.
Posted by akshar (Member # 1680) on :
quote:Originally posted by newcomer: Sorry, I'm not privy to the logic that persuaded the Egyptian government to write that on the tourist visa,
there is logic behind what they do, that is news to me Posted by Ayisha (Member # 4713) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mr Small: But surely your visa allows you to stay in the country for the visas duration,why would you get/need temp residency if it means nothing extra.What does the temp res for touristic purposes bit mean?Sorry to appear thick but if it means nothing why do they bother putting it on there.
the visa you get on entry allows you to stay 1 month. A residency visa, applied for while you are there, is for 1 year. the re-entry visa allows you to leave and re-enter the country without applying or buying another visa during the time the re-entry is valid, ususally 6 months. A work permit is a different thing Posted by Semsema (Member # 5415) on :
Don't make the mistake I made, I had my 1 year visa, went to the UK, came back in and bought the stamp at the airport thinking that my original visa covered me. It did not. I then had to get my 1 year renewed. Didn't get a multi-entry!
www.redseaflights.com are cheap for going/coming to UK and as they are regular can be used for those staying over 3 months.
Posted by SayWhatYouSee (Member # 11552) on :
quote:Originally posted by akshar: If you stay more than a month in Egypt you have to use a scheduled airline toleave the countyr but it does not have to be EgyptAir, just not a charter.
Akshar, hello,
I would be interested to know the source of the above information as that is not my understanding. The reality is that charter flights rarely offer more than a few weeks duration in Egypt, so those staying longer are required to seek a scheduled flight. I was unaware it was a legal requirement to use a scheduled flight. Thanks.
Posted by Ayisha (Member # 4713) on :
if you have been in Egypt more than 1 month you cannot leave on a chartered flight, this came in a year or more ago, maybe 18 months ago.
some people go to live there for a few months and use a charter flight to get there instead of an open ticket valid for a year on a scheduled flight, when the time comes to return to UK they cannot use chartered and have to use scheduled flights due to this change in the law.
Posted by akshar (Member # 1680) on :
quote:Originally posted by SayWhatYouSee:
quote:Originally posted by akshar: If you stay more than a month in Egypt you have to use a scheduled airline toleave the countyr but it does not have to be EgyptAir, just not a charter.
Akshar, hello,
I would be interested to know the source of the above information as that is not my understanding. The reality is that charter flights rarely offer more than a few weeks duration in Egypt, so those staying longer are required to seek a scheduled flight. I was unaware it was a legal requirement to use a scheduled flight. Thanks.
what used to happen is that people who came out here for several months. I know lots of people that come for the winter. They would buy 2 return charter tickets. They would go out on one and return on the other one. losing both inbound and outbound legs but still working out much much cheaper than scheduled. As Ayisha says the government stopped allowing this about 18 months ago and i heard of some people who were actually stopped from boarding a plane at Hurghada. Now however everyone knows about this and doesn't fall into the same trap.
The same rules apply to Egyptians, they can not use charter flights.
I have no idea why it was brought in, maybe in increase EgyptAir flights maybe not.
Posted by Egyptian_batman (Member # 11915) on :
what's the differnce between Egypt air and others?
Posted by SayWhatYouSee (Member # 11552) on :
Many thanks, Ayisha and Akshar,
This is news to me but luckily I use Egypt Air anyway. I won't advise anyone to use the buying two return ticket charter flight technique until this changes!
Posted by SayWhatYouSee (Member # 11552) on :
Batman,
Egypt Air is the only direct flight, scheduled option to some Egyptian cities. Charter flights are favoured by many package tour operators and tend to be less expensive (but not always by much.) Charters are more cramped, less comfortable than scheduled. They bundle accommodation in with most sales, which affects time limits.
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but it is a little different from most countries as you can keep on staying here by extending the "Tourist Visa" for well past the period that anyone would be here as a pure tourist...for several years in fact. So I guess its just a way of combining a number of different reasons for staying in the country on a temporary basis under one visa. When you go to renew it, the notices in the immigration office now state that the visa is for touristic or other purposes.