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Sinai

Guide · Taba crossing

Crossing at Taba: A No-Surprises Guide to Getting into Sinai

Everything worth knowing before you head down to your beach camp: what you pay and in which currency, the slip you must not lose, how to handle baksheesh, and what to leave at home. Fees and procedures at the crossing changed several times in 2026, sometimes with a day or two of notice, so take a quick look at the official sources right before you go.

Last checked: October 1, 2026

At a glance

Opening hours
24/7, except Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha
Israeli exit fee
₪120 per person (2026), best paid online in advance
Egyptian fee
$120 cash, US dollars only ($20 if you stay in Taba itself)
Documents
Valid passport (6 months recommended); free Sinai-only stamp for up to 14 days
Kids
Under 2s are exempt from both fees
Travel warning
Level 4 (Israel's NSC): avoid travel

  1. Step 1

    Before you leave home

    Half the job happens at home: passport, dollars, a prepaid exit fee and your camp's phone number.

    • Info

      A passport, not an ID card

      You need a valid Israeli passport; an ID card won't do. The Israel Airports Authority says at least 3 months of validity, but Egypt generally requires 6 months from the day you enter, so travel on a passport with at least six months left to avoid arguments at the border. Children and babies need their own passports too.

    • Info

      The Sinai-only stamp, no visa needed

      If you're staying in Sinai for up to 14 days (the Gulf of Aqaba coast from Taba down to Sharm, plus St. Catherine), you don't need an Egyptian visa and get a free entry stamp at the border. Heading on to Cairo or staying longer? You need a full visa, arranged in advance through the Egyptian embassy or consulate.

    • Money

      Bring clean, crisp dollars

      The Egyptian fee ($120 per person) is paid in US dollar cash only. Bring new, uncreased bills, since torn or marked notes can be refused, and have the exact amount for each person, because you'll rarely get change. Add a few dozen extra dollars in small bills for the taxi and surprises.

    • Tip

      Pay the Israeli fee in advance

      You can pay the exit fee on the website of Milgam, the Israel Airports Authority's payment operator, with no service charge. Paying at the counter in the terminal costs an extra ₪7 and sometimes means a queue. Keep the confirmation on your phone or print it.

    • Tip

      Book a driver and write down your camp's details

      Ask your camp to arrange a driver, and write the camp's name, area and phone number on a piece of paper. You'll need them for the form on the Egyptian side, and they come in handy at checkpoints and when your battery dies.

    • Info

      When to go

      The terminal is open 24/7 except on Yom Kippur and Eid al-Adha. On weekends, holidays and in summer the crossing can take several hours, while early mornings and midweek are usually quieter. Since June 2026, and for about 8 months, there's roadwork on the terminal access road, so expect possible delays.

  2. Step 2

    What to leave at home

    The Egyptian side has a long list of banned items, and even harmless-looking things sometimes get stuck there.

    • Heads up

      The official banned list

      According to the Israel Airports Authority, you may not bring into Egypt weapons or ammunition, knives, drugs (including licensed medical cannabis), pornography, dashcams, cooking gas canisters, drones, binoculars, satellite phones or GPS devices. A drone in your bag is the fastest way to get into trouble at the border.

    • Heads up

      Sea mattresses and inflatables

      Inflatable sea mattresses aren't on the official list, but travelers report that officers sometimes make an issue of inflatables, SUPs and bulky sea gear: stopping you, asking questions, arguing, with no written rule to point to. If you bring one anyway, keep it deflated, folded and out of new, sealed packaging (so it doesn't look like goods for sale), one per person. Easiest option: ask your camp first whether they have mattresses.

    • Info

      Camera gear and binoculars

      Lenses that look professional, binoculars and similar gear may be held by Egyptian customs until you leave, with a storage fee charged on pickup. If you don't really need them, leave them at home.

    • Tip

      Medication in its original packaging

      Bring regular medication in its original packaging, ideally with a prescription. Strong painkillers (opioids) are considered problematic, and medical cannabis is banned even with a license.

    • Info

      Food and alcohol

      Food in personal quantities is no problem. For alcohol the usual guideline is up to about a liter per person, though enforcement isn't always consistent.

  3. Step 3

    Eilat to the crossing, and back

    The short hop between Eilat and Taba can be the most frustrating part of the trip – it pays to arrive with a plan.

    • Info

      The bus stop isn't next door

      If you arrive by bus or park in Eilat's long-term lot, know that the bus stop toward the crossing is fairly far from the lot and the terminal. With suitcases, a cooler and a sleeping bag that's a real walk, so plan the time and what you carry.

    • Money

      Taking a taxi? Agree on the price first

      At the parking lot and the crossing, many drivers quote a fixed price to the border, sometimes per person rather than per ride, and taxi apps don't always manage to book there. Within Eilat a taxi is supposed to run the meter if you ask, so it's fine to ask for it. If you agree on a fixed price, settle it up front – for the whole taxi, in shekels.

    • Tip

      Alternatives that save money and nerves

      You can pre-book a taxi from an Eilat taxi company, share a cab with other travellers crossing with you, or ask your camp whether their driver also picks up on the Israeli side. Save an Eilat taxi company's number on your phone before you leave.

    • Info

      And on the way back

      Leaving the crossing for Ramon Airport, the parking lot or the central bus station is the same story: the stop is a walk from the terminal, and the waiting taxis tend to quote a fixed price. If you can, arrange the ride back in advance or team up with others heading the same way.

  4. Step 4

    The Israeli side

    The easy part: pay the fee, clear passport control and walk out toward Egypt.

    • Money

      Exit fee: ₪120

      In 2026 the fee is ₪120 per person, updated once a year on January 1 in line with the consumer price index. You can pay online with no service charge, at Israel Post's postal bank, or at the terminal counter for an extra ₪7. Babies under two are exempt.

    • Info

      Exemption if you stay in Taba

      If you're only staying in the Taba area, within one kilometer of the crossing (such as the hotels right by the border), you can be exempt from the fee by signing a declaration. If you signed and then went further, you must report it and pay on your way back. In September 2026 the Ministry of Transport advanced draft regulations to charge everyone and refund on return, but for now this isn't in effect.

    • Info

      How it works

      Show your passport and payment confirmation, go through border control (sometimes with a few questions), pass the duty-free shop and walk out of the building toward the Egyptian side.

    • Heads up

      Don't leave your car at the terminal

      Parking at the terminal is only allowed while you're inside it, and cars left longer are towed. If you drove down, park in Eilat and get to the crossing by taxi or bus.

  5. Step 5

    The walk between the terminals

    A short stretch on foot with all your bags, so make sure you can carry them comfortably.

    • Info

      You walk across

      After leaving the Israeli building you continue on foot with your luggage to the Egyptian building. It isn't far, but with a heavy suitcase, a cooler and a sleeping bag you'll feel it, so pack so you can carry everything yourself.

    • Tip

      Porters and helpers

      Right at the entrance to the Egyptian side people will offer to carry your bags or fill in your form. It's a paid service, not a requirement. Don't need it? A smiling "no, thanks" and keep walking.

    • Tip

      No photos

      Don't take pictures around the crossing: not the buildings, not the officers, not even a quick selfie. It's a security zone on both sides, and a camera in hand only invites questions.

  6. Step 6

    The Egyptian side

    This is where being prepared matters most: pen, dollars, passport, and holding on to the slip.

    • Tip

      Bring your own pen

      On the Egyptian side you fill in a short form with your personal details, passport number and destination in Sinai. There are hardly ever pens available, and anyone offering to help with the form expects baksheesh. A pen in your pocket saves the whole routine.

    • Info

      X-ray and bag checks

      Bags go through an X-ray, and sometimes they're opened and searched by hand. Pack neatly and be ready to explain any unusual gear you're carrying.

    • Info

      Passport control and the stamp

      Hand in your passport with the completed form and you'll get the Sinai-only stamp. Before you move on, check that the stamp is actually in your passport.

    • Money

      Egyptian fee: $120

      Since March 28, 2026 the fee is $120 per person, cash in US dollars only: $20 for the Taba area plus $100 if you continue further in. If you're only staying in the Taba area you pay $20, and babies under two are exempt. The fee went up several times in 2026 (it was $25 in January), so double-check right before you go.

    • Heads up

      The slip you keep until the end

      When you pay the fee you get a receipt, a proof of payment. Keep it with your passport until you're back in Israel: it's checked at roadblocks along the way and when you leave Sinai, and without it you can get stuck. Snap a photo of it the moment you get it, just in case.

  7. Step 7

    Baksheesh: what to do when someone asks for money

    Requests for tips are part of the scenery on the Egyptian side, but the only thing you must pay is the official fee.

    • Info

      What baksheesh is

      In Egypt it's customary to give a small tip for a service, and at the border you'll get requests from porters, form helpers and sometimes staff. It isn't an official charge, and you don't have to pay it.

    • Tip

      How to handle it

      Stay polite and calm. Don't need help? Decline with a smile. If you choose to take a service like carrying bags or filling in the form, agree on the price first, and keep small bills in a separate pocket so you're not pulling out a full wallet in front of everyone.

    • Money

      Official payments come with a receipt

      Official payments, like the entry fee or customs storage charges, come with a receipt. If someone asks you for money with no receipt and no clear explanation, you can ask what it's for, request a receipt, and say no.

    • Heads up

      When they claim to have found something in your bag

      In 2022 and 2023 Israeli media reported cases where Egyptian security staff claimed to find a bullet or drugs in a bag and demanded money to make it go away. To lower the risk: pack your own bags, close them, don't carry anything for anyone else, and keep your eyes on your bag during the search. If it happens, stay calm, ask to speak to the supervisor, and if needed contact the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Situation Room at +972-2-530-3155.

  8. Step 8

    After the border: taxi, money and SIM

    You're out of the terminal, and now you need to reach your camp with cash and a signal.

    • Tip

      Arrange your taxi in advance

      The easiest option is to ask your camp to send a driver or give you the number of one they work with. That way you know the price upfront and don't have to haggle outside the terminal when everyone's tired.

    • Money

      Roughly what it costs

      According to a price list published a few years ago, a small taxi from Taba to the beaches around Nuweiba cost about $45 and a large one about $60, per taxi rather than per person. Prices change with the season and the dollar, so check before you go. Agree on the fare before you get in, and confirm it's for the whole taxi and in which currency.

    • Tip

      Share the ride

      Traveling solo or as a couple? Look for people crossing with you who are heading to the same area. A large taxi splits nicely between several people.

    • Money

      Money in Sinai

      There are exchange booths and an ATM in the terminal, but they don't always work and sometimes run out of cash. Bring cash from home and ask your camp in advance which currencies they accept. There's a limit on taking Egyptian pounds out of the country, so don't change more than you need.

    • Info

      SIM cards and signal

      The SIM sold at the crossing and in Taba is usually Orange, which gets weaker reception at the camps than Vodafone. The most convenient option is an eSIM that runs on Vodafone, bought before you leave Israel, so you're online while you're looking for your driver. Reception in the camp areas is much weaker than in town – our SIM guide has the details.

    • Info

      Checkpoints on the road

      There are Egyptian security checkpoints along the coast road. Keep your passport and fee receipt within reach, not at the bottom of your bag.

  9. Step 9

    The way back

    Coming back is usually simpler, but a few things are worth remembering.

    • Info

      No fee on the way back

      There's no fee heading back to Israel, on either the Egyptian or the Israeli side. Still, like everything at this crossing in 2026, keep a few dollars aside in case something has changed.

    • Tip

      Egyptian side: passport, X-ray and receipt

      Leaving Egypt you go through passport control and an X-ray. Keep your fee receipt handy, and if customs held any of your gear, the paper you got for it too (and be ready to pay a storage fee).

    • Heads up

      What you can't take out of Sinai

      Coral, shells, fossils and other natural items may not be taken out. Even if it's just a shell from the beach, leave it there.

    • Info

      Israeli side: border control and customs

      On the Israeli side you go through border control and customs as usual, under the Israel Tax Authority's duty-free allowances. If you took the Taba-only exemption from the exit fee and then went further into Sinai, you need to declare it now and pay.

    • Tip

      When to head back

      At the end of holidays and weekends everyone comes back at the same time. If you can, leave your camp early or return a day after the crowd.

  10. Step 10

    Safety and insurance

    What the official information says about security, and what to check in your policy.

    • Heads up

      The official travel warning

      Israel's National Security Council lists Egypt, including the Sinai Peninsula, under a Level 4 travel warning: a high threat, with a recommendation to avoid staying there entirely. The NSC repeated the recommendation ahead of the September 2026 holidays. The current wording is on the NSC travel warnings page on gov.il.

    • Info

      NSC advice for Israelis abroad

      The NSC's general advice includes not sharing your live location on social media, avoiding conspicuous Israeli symbols and keeping emergency numbers on your phone. The NSC hotline runs 24/7 at +972-2-666-7444, and the Foreign Ministry's Situation Room is at +972-2-530-3155.

    • Info

      Travel insurance

      Some insurers offer medical coverage in Sinai even under a travel warning, subject to the policy terms, but security-related incidents are usually not covered. Read that clause in your policy, and if you're diving or trekking, add extreme-sports and rescue coverage.

    • Tip

      Let someone at home know where you are

      Leave someone in Israel your camp's name, its phone number and your return date.

Don't forget at the border

  • Valid passport, ideally with at least six months left
  • Israeli exit fee confirmation, on your phone or printed
  • $120 per person in clean, intact bills, exact amount
  • A few dozen extra dollars in small bills for the taxi and tips
  • A pen
  • Your camp's name, area and phone number, written on paper
  • Your driver's phone number
  • The Egyptian fee receipt, kept with your passport until you're home
  • An eSIM or an active data plan
  • Medication in original packaging, and no drone, binoculars, gas canister or dashcam
  • An Eilat taxi company's number, and a plan for getting to the crossing and back
Full packing list

FAQ

Collected from public sources and travellers' experience. Procedures and prices change – check with the official authorities before you go.

Sources (34)
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