Effective 15 May, individual tourists arriving in Egypt will be required to apply for a visa at an Egyptian Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival in Egypt, according to a press statement sent out on Tuesday by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry.

Tourists groups are still allowed to obtain visas to Egypt upon arrival to the country. These visas, issued in Egypt, must be obtained for the tourist groups by Egyptian Tourist Agencies only.  

A late 2011 initiative to require visas prior to arrival was canceled after it caused public uproar, as many officials said it would negatively impact tourism. "This is a security measure and we have asked for it," one security source told Reuters back in 2011, hinting that the increased restrictions on visas would reign in on suspicious behavior from foreigners.

Traveldocs will continue to monitor this situation and will update the new visa requirements as information becomes available.