Permit for foreign nationals

Border area adjacent to Gaza (El-Arish, Rafah)

Permit for foreign nationals · Egypt

Other zones: Egypt Check a route

In short

For visitors: permit required.

No boundary — routes will not see this zone
Checked against the act on 21 October 2026
Local name: المنطقة الحدودية المتاخمة لغزة (العريش، معبر رفح)

Who may enter, and with what

Rules by group of people, as the source states them, with dates. We give no assessments of our own.

Foreign nationals — permit required. According to press summaries (official text not obtained), foreign delegations need prior approval to visit the border area adjacent to Gaza, including El-Arish and the Rafah crossing; requests go via Egyptian embassies abroad, foreign embassies in Cairo or organisations' representatives to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.Issued by: Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (on official request)
Original wording
no visit requests outside the established framework would be considered
Apply · Anadolu Agency (aa.com.tr) — report on the Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement · as of 11 June 2025 · checked 21 October 2026

Legal basis

Questions

Permits and restricted zones — FAQ

Do you need a permit: Border area adjacent to Gaza (El-Arish, Rafah)?

For visitors: permit required. According to press summaries (official text not obtained), foreign delegations need prior approval to visit the border area adjacent to Gaza, including El-Arish and the Rafah crossing; requests go via Egyptian embassies abroad, foreign embassies in Cairo or organisations' representatives to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Where do I get the permit?

Issued by: Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (on official request). The link to the official application page is in the rule above.

Will the planner see this zone on my route?

No: we have no boundary for this zone, so the planner cannot see it. Check your route against the rule above.

Other zones: Egypt

Border forbidden and restricted areas (Decree 444/2014)Desert areas of Bahariya, Farafra, White Desert and Black Desert South-west Egypt near the Sudan and Libya borders (Gilf Kebir, Uweinat)

Visas by passportWhere you can go without a visa, and for how long.AI plannerA day-by-day route, with permits and zones along the way.Zones mapZones and military areas on the world map.