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The Taba Border Crossing connects Israel with Egypt at the Sinai Peninsula. It’s the only land border between the two countries that handles tourists.
My experience at the Taba Border Crossing was to visit Saint Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai on an overnight trip from Jerusalem. I was with a tour group of 20 people plus our guide. The guide was able to take care of all the border fees for the group, which made things a bit easier.
Border Fees
Before I share my story, please note there’s an exit fee for Israel and entrance fee for Egypt. To exit Israel, the fee is ₪105 per person. To enter Egypt, it’s E£405 payable in cash. Both fees are current as of May 2023.
Furthermore, anyone entering Egypt and staying in the Sinai Peninsula for no more than 14 days can enter visa-free. If continuing on to another part of Egypt, you must purchase a 30-day tourist visa for US$25 (as of May 2023). It’s possible to apply for an e-visa ahead of time.
Exiting Israel
After a long bus ride from Jerusalem, we arrived at the Israeli border city of Eilat on the Red Sea. Our group was told to take only what we need for the overnight trip and leave anything we don’t need on the bus.
We walked to the border station where we were greeted by a friendly border guard who asked us to wait. Individuals crossing the border into Egypt have priority over large groups. After a few minutes, we showed our passports to another less friendly guard. Our guide paid the exit fee for the group and gave each one of us a receipt.
Next, we waited in line for a manual passport check. Some people in our group answered questions about where we’re going and how long we plan to stay there. After that, we passed the duty free shop and showed our passport and receipt to one more guard.
Egyptian Border Crossing
Immediately after exiting Israel, an Egyptian border guard asked to see our passports. He then waved us over to the border terminal where our bags got scanned. This is where things got messy.
Apparently, there was a new rule that took effect in mid-2022 prohibiting anyone bringing a camera with a zoom lens into Egypt from Israel. This rule is not posted anywhere but is strictly enforced. Of course I was the only person in the group with a DSLR camera. The guards pulled me aside and told me they have to confiscate my “professional” lens but I can pick it up the next day when I leave Egypt. No big deal – I still had my phone and not having my camera would lighten my load considerably.
One of the guards wrote some details in Arabic on a ticket and handed it to me. He then told me in his very limited English he would accompany me through passport control and to the customs office to turn in my lens.
From there, the guard walked me to another section where I had to fill out a customs form, let them know where I’m going, and get my passport stamped. It was a bit chaotic with people pushing and not forming queues, but the guard eventually got me through the crowd much faster than I would have on my own.
As I held my lens and the ticket in my hand, the guard explained my situation to the guy stamping passports. He left for a few minutes, came back, stamped my passport, gave me another ticket, and officially welcomed me to Egypt. Thankfully, our guide had already paid the border fee eliminating that step for me.
Customs Office
After quickly meeting with the rest of my group, the guard walked me to a building on the other side of the complex and took me to a window. I handed my lens to a customs officer who told me he would make sure my lens is safe, and to come see him before I cross back into Israel. The only negative was that I would have to pay a storage fee to get my camera back.
After this lovely encounter, the guard walked me back to my group. At the halfway point, he stopped and asked for baksheesh, or a tip for his services. I expected this as it’s the norm in Egypt and handed him a few dollars.
Entering Egypt
Finally, I was able to regroup with the others and leave the border complex. We walked to the gate, showed our passports to yet another border guard, gave him our tickets, and boarded our bus. We then had to wait about a half hour for a police escort before the bus could get us on our way to St. Catherine’s. All in all, the process took about two hours.
Leaving Egypt
The next morning, we returned to the Taba Border Crossing. I went straight to the customs office to get my lens back. Instead of paying for one day of storage, the officer told me I had to pay for two calendar days. I argued, explaining they had the lens for less than 24 hours, but he just smiled and told me the amount. Since I only had enough Egyptian pounds to pay for one day, I had to run and find the guide to change some dollars with him.
I ran back to the customs office, signed some papers, got my lens back, and returned to the passport control office. My group was already through. I got my passport stamped and had my luggage scanned. Something caught the guard’s attention on the scanner. He opened my bag and pointed to something inside. Apparently, it was my tin of Turkish delight that caused a fuss. I opened it and offered him some, we had a quick laugh, and he let me go.
Returning to Israel
Entering Israel was much faster and easier than leaving the day earlier. We waited in line, showed our passports to a border guard, and answered a few questions. Then, we had our bags scanned and searched, answered a few more questions, and waited in line again. After another passport check and more questions, we were finally back in Israel. Coming back to Israel, the entire process took about an hour.
My Thoughts
Overall, it was a stressful, frustrating, and at times intimidating experience. I have no plans on doing this land border ever again unless I really have no choice. My advice – if you can fly, do it!
