How to Claim a Tax Refund at Hurghada Airport

Foreign visitors can claim back the 14% Value Added Tax paid for purchases with a total value of at least EGP 1 500 on their electronic invoices, as long as their stay does not exceed three months. The conditions to be eligible for the refund are: your passport number must be included in full on the e-dispatch issued at the time of purchase; the goods purchased must be unused, in their original packaging and kept with you on your flight out of the country. Once your application is approved, the refund will be converted into the foreign currency of your choice and transferred to your debit or credit card.

The first step in the refund process is to choose sellers that carry the “VAT Refund” label when shopping in-store, and to ensure that the e-dispatch you receive from the seller correctly shows the date, amount and your passport number. After checking the accuracy of the e-waybill, you should keep the products unused and in their original packaging; you should take into account that uninvoiced, unpackaged or opened products are not accepted for return.

On the day of your flight, you must go to the VAT Refund office at Hurghada International Airport Terminal 1 Departure Hall at least two hours before departure time. Here, you will present your passport, e-dispatch notes and goods that will pass customs control to the authorities; once compliance is confirmed, your form will be stamped with a customs stamp and the refund process will be initiated. Once you submit the approved form and your passport details and hand over your bank card where the refund will be made, the office staff will complete the process to transfer the amount to the card. You can obtain the return form and other documents from the “Tax Refund Forms” section on ETA’s website, and you can instantly track the status of your e-dispatch note via ETA’s “Tax Refund” mobile application to speed up your transaction.

For all questions regarding tax refunds, you can call the Egyptian Tax Administration’s 24/7 call center at 16395 and get support in English or French

For all up-to-date procedures, sample forms and step-by-step guides, please visit https://eta.gov.eg/en/tax-refund. By planning these steps thoroughly, you can easily receive your tax refund when you leave Hurghada.