What changed for visitors to Sharm El Sheikh this autumn: the new visa fee from January, the clock change week, new flights and the big events coming up.
Here is what changed for visitors to Sharm El Sheikh this autumn, and what is coming next. Every item links to its source at the end of this page. We checked them all in October 2026.
The free Sinai stamp still applies
If you fly into Sharm El Sheikh and stay less than 15 days in Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, you still get a free entry stamp at the airport. The UK Foreign Office confirmed this in its update of 4 August 2026. If you plan trips beyond these resorts, such as Ras Mohammed National Park, Cairo or Luxor, you need a full visa. A visa on arrival costs 30 US dollars, paid in cash.
A digital visa on arrival in Cairo
Since 1 August 2026, travellers arriving at Cairo International Airport can also buy a digital visa on arrival, by card only, at self-service machines or online. It costs 36 US dollars, including a 6 dollar fee. This does not change anything at Sharm El Sheikh airport yet.
A new visa fee from 1 January 2027
A decree published in August sets a new fee of 15 US dollars on each entry and transit visa issued at Egypt's ports of entry from 1 January 2027. How this changes the total price you pay for a visa is not confirmed yet. We will update this page and our visa checker when the new price is clear. Reports in August also said a departure fee of 100 Egyptian pounds per person applies from 1 August 2026.
Clocks go back on 29 October
Egypt ends summer time at midnight at the end of Thursday 29 October 2026. From Friday 30 October, Sharm El Sheikh is on UTC+2. The UK changes earlier, on Sunday 25 October, so from 25 to 29 October Sharm is three hours ahead of the UK instead of two. If you arrive or leave that week, check your flight and pickup times in Egypt time.
UK travel advice for Sharm El Sheikh
The UK Foreign Office last updated its Egypt advice on 4 August 2026. It says travel to Red Sea tourist areas in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula is generally low risk, and Sharm El Sheikh is outside the areas it advises against. Our safety guide quotes the key lines, with dates.
New flights for the winter
easyJet starts Belfast International to Sharm on 25 October and Edinburgh on 10 November 2026, then London Southend on 4 January 2027. Wizz Air starts flights from Gdańsk, Katowice, Warsaw Modlin and Turin at the end of October. Corendon flies for Schauinsland-Reisen from Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn and Nuremberg from November. Jet2 returns on 11 February 2027 from seven UK airports, and Join UP! restarts Prague flights on 27 February 2027. Our flights guide lists every route with its flying days.
Events: a triathlon and a half marathon
- IRONMAN 70.3 Sharm El Sheikh takes place on 16 October 2026. The 1.9 km swim is in Naama Bay, the 90 km bike course runs along the Dahab road and the run is 21.1 km.
- The Sharm El Sheikh Half Marathon is listed for Saturday 28 November 2026 inside Ras Mohammed National Park, with 5 km, 10 km and 21.1 km races starting at 7:00. No official organiser website was found, so check the details with the race before you travel.
St Catherine: works stay on hold
In July 2026, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee asked Egypt to keep building works in the St Catherine area on hold until the Committee reviews, in 2027, the findings of a monitoring mission carried out in July 2026. It also urged Egypt to speed up its visitor management plan. No closures or new entry rules have been announced. The monastery's official opening hours are 8:45 to 12:45, only 10:30 to 11:30 on Fridays, and it is closed on Sundays.
Looking ahead: Ramadan 2027
Ramadan 2027 is expected to start on 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March, depending on the moon. Shops and restaurants may change their opening hours, so check before you go.
Useful links
- Flights to Sharm El Sheikh 2026/27
- Is Sharm El Sheikh safe? What official advice says
- Egypt visa checker
- Book a fixed-price airport pickup
Sources
- Sinai stamp, visa on arrival and Cairo digital visa, UK Foreign Office (updated 4 August 2026): gov.uk
- New 15 dollar visa fee from 2027, Arab Finance (31 August 2026): arabfinance.com
- Visa fee, La Presse (30 August 2026): lapresse.tn
- Departure fee from 1 August 2026, Al Khaleej (1 August 2026): alkhaleej.ae
- Egypt clock change, IANA time zone database: github.com/eggert/tz
- UK travel advice, warnings and regional risks (updated 4 August 2026): gov.uk
- IRONMAN 70.3 Sharm El Sheikh, Egyptian Streets (27 May 2026): egyptianstreets.com
- Sharm El Sheikh Half Marathon, World's Marathons: worldsmarathons.com
- St Catherine decision 48 COM 7B.4, UNESCO World Heritage Centre: whc.unesco.org
- Monastery opening hours, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: egymonuments.gov.eg
- Ramadan 2027 dates, The National (6 October 2026): thenationalnews.com
