Landing in Africa & Middle East
Africa & the Middle East isn't one landing — it's North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Gulf, and the Levant, each with its own entry rules, money, and ways of getting around. What holds across the region: check the rules for your specific country, land with a plan for cash and connectivity, and pick a city guide below for the first-hour detail.
Entry & Borders
There is no single rule for this region — entry varies by country, so check the rules for your passport before you book.
United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi).
US, UK, Canadian, Australian, and most EU passport holders get a free visa on arrival — typically 30 or 90 days depending on nationality. Passports should be valid at least 6 months from entry.
Egypt (Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh).
Most Western visitors need a visa: apply for an e-Visa online before departure, or get a visa on arrival at major airports — about $30 for a single-entry, 30-day tourist visa. Flying direct to Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab, or Nuweiba for a Sinai-only stay of up to 15 days gets a free Sinai stamp instead, but it does not cover Cairo, Luxor, or the mainland.
Morocco (Marrakech, Fez, Essaouira, Chefchaouen).
US, UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days, stamped in on arrival. Make sure the officer stamps your passport — travellers without an entry stamp have had trouble leaving. Carry a passport valid at least 3 months past arrival; 6 months is the safer target.
Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa).
Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) online before you fly — Kenya no longer issues visas on arrival. The standard eTA fee is about US$30, and you must also hold the mandatory inbound travel health insurance (about US$44 premium) to complete the application. Apply at least several days ahead.
South Africa (Cape Town, Johannesburg).
US, UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days. Carry a passport valid at least 6 months beyond departure with at least two blank pages, plus proof of accommodation and onward travel. Check current traveller-declaration requirements before you fly.
Jordan (Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum).
Most Western nationalities get a single-entry visa on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport and most land borders: 40 JOD (about $56), valid 30 days, passport valid at least 6 months. The Jordan Pass (70–80 JOD, bought online before you fly) waives the visa fee if you stay 3+ nights and bundles entry to 40+ sites including Petra. Note: visas on arrival are not issued at the King Hussein Bridge from Israel — pre-arrange for that crossing.
Israel (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv).
Visa-exempt visitors must hold an approved ETA-IL before boarding: 25 NIS (about $7–8), valid 2 years, up to 90 days per visit. Apply at least 72 hours before departure — airlines check it at check-in. Every traveller, including children, needs their own ETA-IL.
Vaccinations.
A yellow fever certificate may be required if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is present — check the requirements for your route before you travel. This is a border rule, not medical advice: confirm what applies to you with your travel clinic.
Money
Seven currencies cover the hub's main landings: UAE dirham (AED), Egyptian pound (EGP), Moroccan dirham (MAD), Kenyan shilling (KES), South African rand (ZAR), Jordanian dinar (JOD), and Israeli shekel (ILS).
Cards are widely accepted in the Gulf — Dubai is close to cashless, and tipping there is optional and increasingly handled in-app. Everywhere else in the region, carry cash: Egypt is heavily cash-based (markets, taxis, street food, and baksheesh all need small notes), Morocco's souks and petit taxis run on cash, and rural areas across the region are cash-first.
Get local currency from a bank ATM on arrival rather than an airport exchange booth, and always choose to be charged in the local currency, not your home currency. Keep small notes handy for tips.
Tipping: in Egypt, baksheesh is part of daily life — small tips for guards, attendants, drivers, and guides, and 10–15% in restaurants. In South Africa, tipping is customary, roughly 10–15% at restaurants. In the Gulf, tipping is optional — a small amount for good service is appreciated, never expected.
Staying Connected
The simplest setup for most visitors: buy a travel eSIM before you fly, install it on home Wi-Fi, and switch it on when you land. No registration is needed for a travel eSIM, and your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-compatible.
A local prepaid SIM is usually cheaper per gigabyte for a long stay in one country, but in the UAE and Egypt buying one means an in-store visit with your passport for registration.
In the UAE, note that voice and video calls inside apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime may be restricted — messaging, photos, and maps work, but keep your home SIM active if you need regular calls.
Check the coverage list before buying any eSIM — regional plans differ on which countries they include.
Getting Around
Distances in this region are big: domestic flights are the practical way to cover Cairo to Sharm El-Sheikh or Johannesburg to Cape Town, and flying between Gulf cities beats driving.
Dubai.
The Metro's Red and Green lines run driverless, air-conditioned, from about AED 3 a trip — buy a Nol card for metro, bus, and tram. Uber and Careem cover door-to-door trips the metro doesn't reach.
Cairo.
The Metro runs three lines for a few pounds per ride — clean, fast, and it ducks the traffic. For door-to-door trips, Uber and Careem give upfront pricing and let you pay cash or card; in a street taxi, insist on the meter or use an app.
Morocco.
Petit taxis are the city workhorses — legally metered, so insist on the meter before you ride. Grand taxis are shared cars on fixed routes between towns, leaving when full. ONCF trains link the major cities, including the Al Boraq high-speed line from Tangier to Casablanca. Careem works in Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier; elsewhere, use petit taxis. If you drive, stick to daylight and stay out of the medinas.
Jordan.
Arrange transport in advance for Petra and Wadi Rum — taxis and pre-booked drivers are the practical options, and the Jordan Pass covers site entry, not the ride.
Where to Land First
- Dubai — The easiest first landing in the region: visa on arrival for most Western passports, a metro from the airport, and everything in English.
- Cairo — The pyramids on day one, but land with cash and a ride app: the metro is cheap and Uber/Careem spare you the haggle.
- Cape Town — Visa-free for most Western visitors, with Table Mountain and the waterfront minutes from the centre.
- Marrakech — Visa-free, walkable medina, and petit taxis on the meter once you insist on it.
- Jerusalem — Ancient sights on foot in the Old City; sort your ETA-IL before you board.
- Tel Aviv — Beach city with a modern airport arrival; the ETA-IL rule applies here too.
- Amman — Visa on arrival at Queen Alia, then the Citadel and downtown within an hour of landing.
- Doha — Compact Gulf hub with a modern metro and an easy airport arrival.
- Nairobi — Safari gateway; get your eTA and health insurance sorted before you fly.
- Zanzibar — Island arrival: Stone Town on foot, beaches a short ride away.
Country Guides
Country-by-country landing pages are on the way — one page per country covering entry, money, SIM, and transport, linking down to the city guides. This hub is the starting point until they arrive.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, and experiences linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.