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Moving to the UK from Egypt: Guide

A guide for Egyptian nationals moving to the UK, covering the work, study and family routes, the documents each asks for, and the published Home Office fees.

Checked 3 September 20266 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team
Section
Moving to the UK From...
Reading time
6 min
Last checked
3 September 2026
Source
The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
Rowan does not
Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.

In short

  • Egypt is a visa national country: a visit needs a Standard Visitor visa, not an electronic travel authorisation.
  • No tuberculosis test: Egypt is not on the Home Office list.
  • An approved English test is needed on most routes: B2 for a new Skilled Worker application, A1 for a first partner visa.
  • A criminal record certificate is only required for some Skilled Worker jobs, not for every application.
  • The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds and gives no Egyptian pound price.

Egypt is on the UK's visa national list, so an Egyptian passport holder needs a visa to come to the UK, including for a visit. Egypt is not on the tuberculosis testing list, so no test is needed unless you have been living in a listed country. This guide covers the main routes, the documents each one asks for, and what the Home Office publishes as the fee.

Visa Routes for Egyptian Citizens

Egypt is on the UK's visa national list, so an Egyptian passport holder needs a visa for any stay, including a short visit. The £20 electronic travel authorisation is not open to visa nationals. The main routes are:

  • Skilled Worker visa. Requires a job offer from a licensed sponsor at the minimum salary of £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation code if that is higher. Since 22 July 2025 a new applicant's job must sit at degree level (RQF 6), unless the occupation code is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. A job on the Immigration Salary List has a lower salary floor of £33,400 and a lower visa fee, but the full going rate still applies; roles reached through the Temporary Shortage List cannot bring dependants.
  • Health and Care Worker visa. For eligible health and care roles with a licensed sponsor. The fee is £324 per person for up to 3 years or £628 for more than 3 years, and no healthcare surcharge is payable.
  • Student visa. £558, with a confirmation of acceptance for studies from a licensed institution. See the student visa guide.
  • Family visa. See the spouse visa guide. The minimum income requirement is £29,000 a year for a new application.

The Youth Mobility Scheme is not open to Egyptian nationals: Egypt is not one of the countries or territories listed on it.

Document Requirements

  • Valid Egyptian passport.
  • No tuberculosis test. Egypt is not on the Home Office tuberculosis testing list. A certificate is only needed if you have lived for 6 months or more in a country that is on that list and were living there within the last 6 months.
  • English language test. An approved secure English language test at the level the route requires: B2 for a new Skilled Worker application since 8 January 2026, A1 for a first partner visa. Only a test taken with a provider on the Home Office approved list counts.
  • Criminal record certificate. Not needed for most applications. GOV.UK asks for one from a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK whose job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. The Egyptian document is a criminal record extract from the Ministry of Interior.
  • Certified translation. Documents in Arabic must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

What It Costs

The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds. It does not publish an Egyptian pound price, and the exchange rate it applies is the rate on the day you pay, so this guide gives no conversion.

  • Skilled Worker visa, applying from outside the UK: £819 for 3 years or less, £1,618 for more than 3 years
  • Health and Care Worker visa: £324 for up to 3 years, £628 for more than 3 years, with no healthcare surcharge
  • Healthcare surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants and anyone under 18
  • Student visa: £558
  • Standard Visitor visa: £135 for 6 months
  • Settlement: £3,226 for each person

GOV.UK publishes no price for an English language test; the test providers set their own. See our UK visa fees guide.

Healthcare

Paying the healthcare surcharge does not make the National Health Service free. It buys care on the same basis as a UK resident, so you then pay what a resident pays. In England that is £9.90 for a prescription and dental charges of £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10 depending on the band of treatment. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Decision Times

GOV.UK publishes one service standard for each route, not one per country: 3 weeks for work, study and visitor visas applied for from outside the UK, and 12 weeks for a partner, parent or child visa. The priority service costs £500 and the super priority service £1,000 where they are offered.

The Egyptian Community in the UK

Egyptian communities in the UK are concentrated in London, particularly west London, with smaller groups in Manchester and Birmingham. Coptic churches, mosques and Egyptian cultural associations serve them. The Home Office does not publish a count of Egyptian nationals resident in the UK, so this guide gives none.

After Arrival

Path to Settlement

After 5 years on a qualifying visa, apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain), which costs £3,226. Twelve months after receiving settlement, apply for British citizenship, which costs £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee. The UK does not require you to give up another nationality.

Next Steps

For official information, visit the British Embassy Cairo page and the GOV.UK Skilled Worker visa page.

Questions and answers

Do Egyptian citizens need a tuberculosis test for a UK visa?

No. Egypt is not on the Home Office list of countries where a tuberculosis test is needed. A test is only needed if you have lived for 6 months or more in a country that is on that list, and were living there within the last 6 months.

Do Egyptian citizens need an English language test?

Yes, on the routes that carry an English requirement. Egypt is not on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so an approved secure English language test is needed. A new Skilled Worker application has needed level B2 since 8 January 2026. A first partner visa is A1.

Do I need an Egyptian police certificate for a UK visa?

Only for some applications. GOV.UK asks for a criminal record certificate from a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK whose job is in education, healthcare, therapy or social services. Where it is needed, the Egyptian document is a criminal record extract from the Ministry of Interior. Neither the Home Office nor the ministry publishes a processing time on GOV.UK, so this guide gives none.

How much does it cost to move to the UK from Egypt?

The Home Office publishes its fees in pounds only. A Skilled Worker visa applied for from outside the UK costs £819 for 3 years or less and £1,618 for more than 3 years, plus the healthcare surcharge of £1,035 a year (£776 for students, their dependants and under-18s). A Health and Care Worker visa is £324 or £628 with no healthcare surcharge. A Student visa is £558 and a 6-month Standard Visitor visa is £135.

This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.

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