If you are a foreigner living in Cairo, there is a solid chance you will have a date with the Mogamma. This is the giant white building that lords over Tahrir Square downtown, and its where all visas are issued.
Usually, the process is quite easy. Sign some documents, hand over some money, and come back a few hours later to pick up your newly-stamped passport.
But sometimes, the bureaucratic gods are out to get you. Sometimes, Egypt likes to make it difficult.
And at times like that, it pays to speak a little bit of Arabic.
Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining….how to get a tourist visa as the Mogamma.
Vocabulary
Hello, where is the mogamma? : “suLAWM awLAYkome. Fane mooGAWmuh elTAWHreer?”
سلام عليكم. فين مجمع التحرير
It’s at Metro Sadaat. You exit and it is next to Tahrir Square. : “gamb metro elsawdEHT. EHTlaw hehtLAYEEoo fee meeDAWN elTAWHreer.”
جمب مترو السادات. اطلع هتلاقيه في ميدان التحرير
The big white building. : “elMEBnaw elAWbeeawdth elkawBEER.”
المبنى الابيض الكبير
….at Tahrir Square. : “…fee meeDAWN elTAHWHreer.”
في ميدان التحرير
Normally, the Mogamma is open from between 9 AM to 3 PM. These hours are subject to change day-to-day, but this six hour window is generally correct. If you want to get things down, it’s best to go quite early.
If you show up at 11 AM, you have one miserable day ahead of you. Even so, odds are you are going to come across a line.
Is this the line? : “HOOuh daw eltawBOOR?”
هو ده الطابور
Are you waiting in line? : “Entaw WEHiff feel tawBOOR”
انت واقف في الطابور
You have to wait in line here. : “LEHzim TEHuff feel tawBOOR HEnuh”
لازم تقف في الطابور هنا
Usually, if you have a bag with you, the people at the front want to look inside of it. Security is quite lax (you will go through another metal detector and put your bag through a scanner on the second floor, but there are doubts whether this actually does anything), but they do check bags at the entrance.
Do you want the bag? : “EYEizz tawSHOOF elSHONTUH”
عايز تشوف الشنطة؟
Once you are inside, here are your go-to phrases. Keep these in your back pocket, as they will be useful for the duration of your trip. As soon as you are confused about what to do, or somebody asks you a question that you don’t quite understand:
I want to apply for a tourist Visa. : “EYEizz EH’dumm awlaw feezuh seeAWhuh”
عايز اقدم على فيزا سياحة
What do I need to do? : “llmawFROODTH AW’mll ay?”
المفروض اعمل ايه؟
The first step of the process is to get passport-size pictures taken. This is so they have two pictures to attach to your visa application and can sort it from all the rest. Here’s a fun fact that’s not so fun: the Mogamma does everything by hand. Nothing is digitized, and there are stacks upon stacks of paper everywhere you look in the offices.
Where do I take a picture? : “eltawSOOR fane?”
اتصور فين؟
Where are the pictures for the passport? : “fane sOWurr elbassBOOR?”
فين صور الباسبور؟
You will usually wait in line outside the little “picture office”, after which they will call you in one by one. The lady will instruct you where to sit, as well as how to tilt your head. These aren’t really that important to learn. You will probably only use “which angle should I put my chin” one time in your life. Still, here are some good phrases that can be used universally:
Is that good enough? : “kehdaw tawMEM?”
كده تمام؟
Is that it? : “khuhLAWSS KEHduh?”
خلاص كده؟
Do you need anything else? : “fee HAga TEHneeuh mawtLOObuh?”
في حاجة تانية مطلوبة؟
Am I done? : “ana KEHduh khuhLAWST?”
انا كده خلصت؟
After you get the pictures taken, you will wait outside. You leave your passport with them, so they know who to match the pictures with, and then call you when it’s ready. This should cost you less than ten Egyptian pounds.
Once you have your pictures, the next step is to fill out an application. This happens in the “main area” on the second floor. It’s a large, two page document that you use to fill in your information. Things like name, passport number, address in Egypt (even just the hotel you are staying at), etc. You will find these applications on big tables, usually being handed out by military personnel. Everything is in Arabic and English, so no need to learn them, but just in case you are curious:
Name : “elEHsmm”
الاسم
Age : “elSIN”
السن
Nationality : “elginSEEuh”
الجنسية
Phone number : “RAWkmm eltellyFONE”
رقم التليفون
Address : “elahwnWAWN”
العنوان
In case you get lost (justifiable in the monster that is the Mogamma), you can bust these phrases out:
I need to fill out an application. : “ana EYEizz EHmluh ehlTAWlb”
انا عايز املا الطلب
Do you know where the application is? : “TUW’ruff fane elTAWlb”
تعرف فين الطلب؟
Can you please give me the application? : “moomkin EHkhud elTAWlb”
ممكن اخد الطلب
Once you have the pictures and filled out application, it’s time for your first true “Mogamma worker” interaction. Usually (unless things have changed in the five months I have been living outside of Egypt), it will be the same woman in the hijab and glasses. Your window is at the very end of the hall, and you will be able to see the proper label (“Tourist visas”) attached above.
It’s important to know that Mogamma experiences are all over the place. This mostly (unfortunately) depends on the mood of the government workers for that day. Whether or not the process is quick and effective is essentially a result of the last time they have had a cup of tea. It sucks, but it’s true. Anyway, this first hurdle is the most important. She speaks a little bit of English, but busting out some charming Arabic can only help:
Good morning. How are you today? : “suhBAWH elKHARE”
صباح الخير. عامل ايه؟
I am good. : “ana KWAYiss”
انا كويس
Thanks be to God. : “elHOMdooleeLAW”
الحمدلله
She will probably say “Thanks be to God,” and you can respond with the same. Lots of thanking god in Egypt. Let’s get down to business:
Can you please help me? : “moomkin tisawEHDnee”
ممكن تساعدني
I want to get a visa for three months. : “EYEizz FEEsuh TEHlit shawHOOR”
عايز فيزا ٣ شهور
I only want to stay for three months. : “Ana EYEizz AWawd TEHlit shawHOOR bess”
انا عايز اقعد ٣ شهور بس
Somebody told me that I apply for that here. : “HUD EHlee AW’dum awLEEhaw HEHnuh”
حد قالي اقدم عليها هنا
She will know what you are talking about, and will likely appreciate your attempts at her language. She will also know that you are a foreigner. This plays in your favor. She will fill some stuff out, then tell you to get the stamps.
You need to get the stamps. : “mehTAWG tawGEEB ekhTEHM dehmawGHEHT”
محتاج تجيب اختام/دمغات
At window… (followed by a number) : “shuBECK…”
…شباك
The stamps are basically for proof that you have paid money for your application, and will be right around the corner. You wait in line (could be minutes, could be hours), then pay the dude. Tell him you want a three month visa, just in case he doesn’t understand (see above):
Peace be upon you. Can I get the stamps here? : “suhLAWM awLAYkome. MOOmkin awGEEB dehmawGHEHT men HEHnuh?”
سلام عليكم. ممكن اجيب دمغات من هنا
Look, I have everything. : “Buss, ana mawAWuh KOLEuh HAguh”
بص، انا معايا كل حاجة
How expensive is that? : “beeKEHM?”
بكام
You will pay the fee, then can ask him where you go from there. It’s basically just back to the first window you were at, but just in case you wanted to chat him up:
And what do I do now? : “AW’mll ay dehlWAH’tee?”
اعمل ايه دلوقتي
Do I go back to the first window? : “AIRgaw elshawBECK elOWllEHnee?”
ارجع للشباك الاولاني
Once you are to the first window, you will hand the stamped ticket and stamps you have just received to the woman in the glasses. If all goes according to plan, that is pretty much it. You leave your passport there, along with the filled out application, passport pictures, and stamps, and then come back later in the day.
Is that it? : “khuLAWSS’ KEHduh?”
خلاص كده
Yes. Come back tomorrow. : “Ah. tawEHlee BOHKraw.”
اه، تعالى بكرة
When should I come? : “EHgee EHMtaw?”
اجي امتى
At 1:30/2/2:30 PM. : “elSAW’uh WAHhid w NOSS/ itNANE wuh NOSS.”
الساعة واحدة و نص / اتنين و نص
Assuming you have gone in first thing in the morning, your application will be ready later in the day. This will be a fun experience, as you will be thrown into a massive group of foreigners all standing in front of the same window. They will put your passport up to the window, (attempt to) say your last name, and then hand the passport out to the crowd. Be sure to call out when your passport is called.
Here! : “HEHnuh!”
هنا
I’m here! : “ana HEHnuh / ihFUNdom!”
انا هنا/ افندم
Excuse me! : ‘BAW’d IHZnuck!”
بعد اذنك
Here are some complaints that you might make. This is for when you are angry and tired that it’s taking so long, or if you want to complain to a friend that might be helping you out:
I hate the Mogamma. : “Ana BEHkruh elmooGAWmuh.”
انا بكره المجمع
This is the worst place in the world. : ‘Daw OWhehsh meeKAWN feel AWluhm.”
ده اوحش مكان في العالم
Everybody is so lazy. : “elNEHSS KEHSSluhNEEN OWee.”
الناس كسلانين قوي
My God! : ‘yaw deen OHmee!”
يا دين امي
And, of course, considering the visa is quite important and that you don’t want any problems due to language barriers, here are some things you might say:
Can you speak English? : “bihTAW’ruff tehtKEHlim inGLEEzee?”
بتعرف تتكلم انجليزي
Sorry, my Arabic is still not very good. : “ehsiff, elARuhbee biTEHee mish kwAYiss.”
اسف العربي بتاعي مش كويس
Once you have your passport, you are good to go. If they have done it right (no guarantees), you will have a full page sticker in your passport, good for three months. It will say “Not valid for work,” but that never stopped anybody. The majority of foreign workers in Cairo work on a tourist passport, and hardly ever have problems.
Congratulations. You made it out alive.
Cultural Insight
As much fun as we had creating this post, it might be useless. A lot of foreigners don’t seem to know that you can pay a fine at the airport for overstaying your visa. This might be more expensive, but saves you a ton of time and the frustration that Mogamma visits invariably cause.
We are, of course, not responsible for any weird border issues you might have at the airport, and take no responsibility if the airport workers decide to give you trouble. That being said, this seems to be exceedingly rare. The Egyptian government really just wants your money.
Good luck with all that bureaucracy. 🙂
…..
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
