Airport guide
Sharm El Sheikh Airport guide
Landing at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) or flying home? What happens step by step, how far each area is, and when to leave your hotel for your flight.
- Airport code
- SSH (ICAO: HESH)
- Terminals
- Terminal 1 and Terminal 2
- To Naama Bay
- About 15 km, 15 to 25 min
- Local time
- UTC+2, UTC+3 in summer
Arriving
After you land: step by step
What happens at Sharm El Sheikh airport after you land, in order.
Visa or free Sinai stamp
Staying only in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba for up to 15 days? Go straight to passport control and ask for the free "Sinai only" stamp. For anywhere else, buy a visa for US$30 in cash at the bank counters before passport control, or apply online at least 7 days before you fly. Check the visa rule for your nationality
Passport control
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months and have a blank page. Bring the printout if you have an e-visa.
Bags and customs
Collect your bags and go through customs. Cash worth more than US$10,000 must be declared, and drones need permission in advance.
Money
ATMs and a bank exchange counter are in the arrivals area, so you can get Egyptian pounds as soon as you land.
Meet your driver
With a Sharm Connect transfer, your driver waits in Arrivals with a sign showing your name.
To your hotel
Most hotels are 10 to 30 minutes away by road. Taxis wait outside the terminal: agree the fare before you get in. Uber does not list Sharm El Sheikh.
Distances
From the airport to every area
Road distance from the airport, the usual drive time and our fixed transfer price per car for up to 4 people. A minivan for 5 to 7 people is $5 more.
| Destination zone | Distance | Drive time | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soho Square10 to 20 min | 10 km | 10 to 20 min | $20 |
| White Knight Beach10 to 20 min | 10 km | 10 to 20 min | $20 |
| Sharks Bay15 to 25 min | 11 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Nabq Bay15 to 25 min | 12 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Domina Coral Bay15 to 25 min | 12 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Montazah15 to 25 min | 13 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Ras Nasrani15 to 25 min | 13 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Garden Bay15 to 25 min | 14 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Naama Bay15 to 25 min | 15 km | 15 to 25 min | $20 |
| Old Market20 to 30 min | 20 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
| Tower Bay20 to 30 min | 21 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
| Sharm El Maya20 to 30 min | 22 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
| Hadaba20 to 30 min | 23 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
| Ras Um Sid20 to 30 min | 25 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
| El Fanar20 to 30 min | 25 km | 20 to 30 min | $20 |
Flying home
When to leave your hotel for your flight
We recommend being picked up 3 hours before your flight. Enter your flight time to see your pickup time, then book it in one step.
Departing
At the airport when you fly home
The usual order at Sharm El Sheikh airport when you leave.
Security at the door
Expect a passport and ticket check at the terminal door, then a scan of all bags. Only passengers with a ticket can go in, so say goodbye outside.
Check-in
Desks usually open about 2 hours before departure and close 40 to 60 minutes before. easyJet needs a printed boarding pass at Sharm and a document check at bag drop, even without bags.
Passport control and security
Show your passport at passport control, then go through a second security check before the gates.
Shops, cafés and lounges
There are cafés in both terminals and duty-free shops after security. Pearl Lounges in both terminals are open 24 hours and accept Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass.
Good to know before you fly home
- Coral, shells and petrified wood may not leave Egypt, even if you bought them in a shop.
- Anything that could count as an antique needs an export licence.
- You can carry up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds in cash into or out of Egypt.
- Arrived on a scheduled flight? Do not book a one-way charter flight home: German and Austrian travel advice says such passengers have been refused boarding.
Frequently asked
What is the airport code for Sharm El Sheikh?
SSH. The ICAO code is HESH, and the full name is Sharm El Sheikh International Airport.
Which terminal will I use at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Sharm El Sheikh has two terminals. Terminal 1 is the newer building and takes many international flights. Terminal 2 takes the flights from Cairo and some international flights. Your booking or your airline app shows your terminal.
How far is Sharm El Sheikh airport from Naama Bay?
About 15 km by road, 15 to 25 min.
Can I get a visa at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Yes. A visa on arrival costs US$30 in cash and allows a stay of up to 30 days. You buy it at the bank counters before passport control. If you stay only in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba for up to 15 days, you may get a free "Sinai only" stamp instead.
Is there an ATM at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Yes. ATMs and a bank exchange counter are in the arrivals area.
Is there Uber at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Uber does not list Sharm El Sheikh or its airport (checked October 2026). Taxis wait outside the terminal: agree the fare before you get in, or book a fixed-price transfer before you fly.
How early should I get to Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Check-in desks usually open about 2 hours before departure and close 40 to 60 minutes before, and at Sharm security starts at the terminal door. We recommend being picked up 3 hours before your flight, which gets you to the airport at least two and a half hours before take-off.
Can I use my phone as a boarding pass at Sharm El Sheikh?
Not with easyJet: it lists Sharm El Sheikh among the airports that do not accept mobile boarding passes, so print yours and go to bag drop for a document check, even without bags (checked October 2026). With other airlines, check your airline's rules.
Is there a lounge at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Yes. There are Pearl Lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, open 24 hours, and they accept Priority Pass, LoungeKey and DragonPass. A stay is limited to 3 hours.
Is there duty free at Sharm El Sheikh airport?
Yes. Duty-free shops are in the departure area, after security.
Can I take shells or coral home from Sharm El Sheikh?
No. Egypt bans taking coral, shells and petrified wood out of the country, even if you bought them in a shop.
What time zone is Sharm El Sheikh in?
Sharm El Sheikh uses Egypt time: UTC+2, and UTC+3 in summer. The clocks go forward on the last Friday of April and back on the last Thursday of October.
Checked in October 2026 against government travel advice from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Canada and Australia, Egypt's e-visa portal, airline, bank and lounge pages and flight data. Rules change: check with your airline and your government's travel advice before you fly. Sharm Connect is a private company, not the airport.
Photo at the top: JHenryW (Justus Weiss), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Book your transfer, 60 seconds
A driver waiting with your name on a sign. Fixed price per car. No surprises.