{"id":7912,"date":"2026-01-10T22:13:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T20:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manramu.lt\/worth-knowing\/changes-at-egyptian-airports-in-2026-will-also-affect-lithuanian-travelers\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T15:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T13:51:04","slug":"changes-at-egyptian-airports-in-2026-will-also-affect-lithuanian-travelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manramu.lt\/en\/news\/changes-at-egyptian-airports-in-2026-will-also-affect-lithuanian-travelers\/","title":{"rendered":"Changes at Egyptian airports in 2026 will also affect Lithuanian travelers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Changes at Egyptian airports in 2026 will also affect Lithuanian travelers <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Egypt is completely abandoning paper landing cards<\/em> and moving to a digital platform from the end of January 2026. The e-visa becomes the preferred method of entry into the country. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Arab Republic of Egypt, long a popular tourist destination for Lithuanian travelers, is entering a new, technology-driven stage of development in 2026. The country, whose economy is inextricably linked to tourism flows, is initiating an unprecedented reform of migration control, visa issuance and airport management. According to statements by the Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh El-Hefny and official government documents, 2026 will be the year when the traditional, often bureaucratic and paperwork-based entry system into the country will be replaced by a fully integrated digital ecosystem. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Geopolitical and economic context<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To understand the scale and significance of the changes that will come into effect in 2026, it is necessary to consider the regional context. Egypt faces increasing competition from neighboring countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which is aggressively investing in the tourism sector through its Vision 2030 program, and Turkey, which maintains its leading position in the Mediterranean region. To remain competitive, Cairo has had to address long-standing problems: long lines at airports, an outdated passenger data processing system, and inefficient baggage management. The decision to completely abandon paper landing cards<\/i> in January 2026 and move to a digital platform is not just a technical upgrade; it is a strategic move designed to improve the country\u2019s image and ensure security through the use of modern biometric technologies. <\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For Lithuanian tourists, who make up a significant portion of those arriving in Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh during the winter season, these changes represent a significant change in the arrival experience. If earlier the start of the trip was associated with chaotic filling out of paper forms on the plane or at passport control, then from 2026 the process should become “invisible”, integrated into the digital space even before the passenger leaves Lithuania. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) factor<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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One of the key catalysts accelerating the digital transformation is the full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). This monumental project, located near the Giza Pyramids, is expected to attract millions of new visitors who will combine leisure tourism with cultural exploration. The government understands that the old airport infrastructure and paper bureaucracy would not be able to cope with such a flow without critical disruptions. Therefore, the digital visa and entry system, which will be launched in 2026, is directly linked to the goal of ensuring the smooth functioning of the \u201cgateway to Egypt\u201d. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has directly indicated that all airports in the country must be fully prepared to process tourist flows through the e-visa and express visa systems by 2026 to avoid reputational damage when GEM opens.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Digital migration reform: from paper cards to digital data<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A major change that Lithuanian travelers will experience from the end of January 2026 is the complete abolition of paper entry and exit cards. This measure, announced by Minister Sameh El-Hefny, marks the end of a decades-old system where every foreigner was required to manually fill in statistical and migration data on physical media. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Architecture of the new digital platform<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In place of physical cards, Egypt is implementing a centralized digital platform that integrates passenger data from multiple sources. Although often referred to in the public sphere as simply a \u201cdigital arrival card,\u201d technically it is a complex fusion of Advance Passenger Information<\/em> (API) and Passenger Name Record<\/em> (PNR). <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The system will operate on the following principles:<\/p>

  1. Pre-registration: <\/strong>Passengers are likely to have to fill in their details on a special government platform or mobile app while still in Lithuania. This will include passport details, flight number, hotel address and destination. <\/li>
  2. Integration with e-visa: <\/strong> one of the main innovations is the integration of the arrival form with the e-visa portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg). If a traveler submits a visa application online, they will no longer need to fill out a separate arrival declaration \u2013 the data will be automatically transferred to the migration system. <\/li>
  3. Self-service kiosks<\/strong>: For those who have not checked in online, self-service kiosks<\/em> will be installed at airports. Here, passengers will be able to scan their passport and enter missing details, thereby generating a digital record on the spot. <\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Process optimization and time savings<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The main goal of this reform is to speed up passenger flow through the terminals, especially during peak hours. The old system required a border officer to physically take the card, check the handwritten data (which was often illegible or incorrect), and manually enter it into the computer. This created long queues, especially for the arrival of large aircraft with a capacity of 200-400 passengers. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    In the digital system, the officer, after scanning the passport, will immediately see on the screen all the information that the passenger has provided in advance. It is expected that this will reduce the screening time for one passenger from 2-3 minutes to 30-45 seconds. This is critically important for the airports of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, which operate at maximum capacity during the season. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Visa policy in Egypt in 2026: what Lithuanian citizens need to know<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Despite the technological leap, the legal grounds for entry remain conservative \u2013 a visa is mandatory for Lithuanian citizens traveling to Egypt for tourist purposes (with one regional exception). However, in 2026, the methodology and availability of visas will fundamentally change. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    E-visa (electronic visa): priority choice<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The Egyptian government and the Ministry of Tourism are clearly signaling that the e-visa is becoming the preferred method of entry into the country. The system, which has previously been criticized for technical glitches, is being modernized and integrated with the new entry control in 2026. <\/p>

    Conditions for Lithuanian citizens:<\/strong><\/p>