Dummy ticket for Egypt visa: the flight booking in a BLS application

Indian citizens require a visa for Egypt. The tourist application route described here uses BLS International on behalf of the Egyptian Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate in Mumbai. The checklist includes a flight booking and hotel details. A dummy ticket for an Egypt visa furnishes a verifiable itinerary without paying for the actual Cairo flights before the embassy's decision.

The route you can rely on: embassy visa through BLS

Egypt outsourced visa collection in India to BLS International, which runs Egypt visa application centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. BLS accepts tourist, business, entry and work visa applications and passes them to the Egyptian mission, which makes the decision. Tourist visas are issued as single or multiple entry, with a stay of up to 30 days being the norm for a holiday.

Fees are published on the BLS Egypt page in rupees, with a separate BLS service charge. Take the current figure from that page on the day you apply, as it has been revised more than once. Processing is commonly quoted at around a week to ten days, and it can run longer, so file at least three to four weeks before departure.

What the tourist checklist asks for

The BLS document list for a tourist visa is what you should work from. In outline it covers:

• passport valid for at least six months, with blank pages, and copies;
• completed application form and recent photographs;
• covering letter stating purpose and dates of travel;
• bank statements for recent months;
• flight booking showing entry to and exit from Egypt;
• hotel booking, tour operator confirmation or an invitation letter.

Several travel companies also report that Indian applicants are requested a letter of guarantee from an Egyptian travel agency, particularly on package tours. Whether it applies to independent travellers is not something we could confirm from an official page, so ask BLS before your appointment.

E-visa and visa on arrival: read this before counting on them

Egypt has an official e-visa portal, and a visa on arrival at Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh airports for many nationalities. For Indians the picture is mixed. Some 2026 guides say Indians can use the e-visa portal; older and some current sources say India is not on the eligible list. The only reliable test is the nationality list on the official portal itself on the day you apply. Avoid lookalike sites that take payment regardless.

Visa on arrival for Indian passport holders is widely described as conditional: available to those holding a valid, used visa from the USA, UK, a Schengen state, Japan, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, or a Gulf residence permit, and to members of organised tour groups. Airlines apply this strictly because they carry the cost of a refusal. If you intend to use it, get written confirmation from your airline, and carry a return ticket and hotel booking, which are among the supporting documents requested.

Flights that make sense on an Egypt application

EgyptAir operates non-stop flights to Cairo from Mumbai and from Delhi on several days a week. From other cities the usual connections are through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Jeddah, Muscat or Kuwait. Either is fine for the file, but keep the routing realistic for your home city.

A classic first trip is Cairo and Giza, then Luxor and Aswan by domestic flight, sleeper train or Nile cruise, sometimes ending at the Red Sea in Hurghada. Because of that, many itineraries are open-jaw: arrive in Cairo, depart from Luxor, Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh via Cairo or a Gulf hub. Indicate the international arrival and the international departure. If the exit airport differs from the arrival airport, mention the internal travel in the covering letter so the dates and cities connect.

Dates, cruise schedules and the 30-day limit

Nile cruises run on fixed weekly departures between Luxor and Aswan, typically three, four or seven nights. Fix the cruise dates first, then place the flights around them, so the hotel and cruise confirmations do not contradict the flight booking. Embassy staff read these documents side by side.

Keep the whole stay under 30 days on a single-entry visa. If you plan a side trip to Jordan or Israel and a return to Egypt, that is a second entry and needs a multiple-entry visa; say so in the application.

Reservation first, ticket after the visa

The checklist's flight requirement is about recording your plan, and paying for a non-refundable fare before the mission decides puts your money at risk. A held reservation covers that stage. For how it differs from the hotel side of the file, see proof of accommodation and onward travel.

FDT issues a genuine airline reservation with a PNR checkable on the airline's Manage Booking page, at ₹799 / $10 per passenger for one-way, return or multi-city reservations; open-jaw and multi-city itineraries have the same flat fee per passenger. It is delivered by email and WhatsApp approximately 10 minutes after payment and stays verifiable for up to 2 weeks, so order it a day or two before your BLS appointment. You can do that at /booking.html or through the chat assistant. No one can fly on it, as the fare has not been paid. Approval is the Egyptian mission's decision; purchase your flights once the visa is stamped. More on timing is in dummy ticket for a visa appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I submit an Egypt tourist visa application in India?

At a BLS International Egypt visa application centre. At the time of writing these are in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. BLS forwards the file to the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate, which decides it.

Can Indians get an Egypt e-visa online?

Sources disagree, and the position has changed over time. Check whether India appears in the nationality list on the official e-visa portal when submitting your application. If it does not, use the BLS route.

I hold a valid US visa. Can I get an Egyptian visa on arrival in Cairo?

It is widely reported that Indians with a valid, previously used US, UK or Schengen visa can. We could not confirm the exact wording from an official Egyptian source, so get your airline's confirmation before flying without a visa.

Should my flight booking include the Cairo to Luxor domestic leg?

It is not necessary. The application needs your international entry and exit. Explain internal travel in the covering letter and with cruise or hotel confirmations.

Is a letter of guarantee from an Egyptian travel agent compulsory?

Travel companies report it being requested for Indian applicants. Ask BLS or the embassy whether it applies to your application type before the appointment.