FAQ
All important topics at a glance
Topic: Questions about travelling during the "Corona" period
The travel information listed here is current and subject to change at short notice. Please check with the Foreign Office and your travel agency or airline before your trip!
Life in Hurghada largely goes on as usual. In public, as well as in public buildings, supermarkets, banks, etc., a mask must be worn. Some hotels and restaurants are still closed, but the streets are busy and you can move around without restrictions.
Hurghada gilt als relativ "Corona sicher". Strenge Hygieneauflagen wie Fiebermessen, häufige Desinfektion der Hotels, Maskenpflicht in öffentlichen Gebäuden und Verkehrsmitteln werden strikt umgesetzt. Alle Angestellten tragen einen Mundschutz. Bereits bei der Ankunft am Flughafen begibt man sich durch einen Fieberscanner. Kostenlose Behandlungsmöglichkeiten wurden durch das Tourismusministerium zugesagt.
Our dive center is open in the morning and afternoon at the departure and arrival times of the boats.
Diving centers on the Red Sea had to undergo an examination by the Egyptian state in advance. Our base has received the necessary hygiene seal and was therefore allowed to officially resume diving operations. Among other things, we have installed a Plexiglas panel on the office counter. Tables and chairs were arranged according to the minimum distance. Disinfection possibilities are sufficiently available.
In the James & Mac/Blue Water Transfer buses, wearing a face mask is mandatory.
There is a dispenser for disinfectant on each of our ships. A clinical thermometer is also available on each of our boats.
Upon return, our regulators are immediately disinfected by our staff in a chlorine bath and then rinsed in a water bath.
Das Arabia Azur Resort hat seit 1. November 2020 wieder geöffnet, das Arabella Azur ist seit dem 2. Mai 2021 offen. Das Bel Air Azur ist ab 01.Juni 2021 geöffnet. Der Tauchbetrieb im Blue Water Dive Resort findet normal statt. Gäste aus anderen Hotels holen wir kostenlos mit unserem Transferservice nd bring them back after the diving day.
Since the end of December 2020, there are again direct flights from Germany to Hurghada with EasyJet.
Direct flights from Zurich are offered several times a week with Edelweiß Air and FTI Switzerland.
Alternatively, you can travel with Pegasus from many German airports via Istanbul to Hurghada.
Other flight options are to Cairo with Egypt Air or Lufthansa with self-organized transfer to Hurghada.
Since October last year, the Turkish Airlines has also resumed flying three times a week to Hurghada via Istanbul.
For flight options with Condor, you can check HERE.
ACHTUNG: Ab sofort (20.05.2021) findet die Abfertigung von Condor Flügen in Hurghada wieder im "neuen" Terminal (Terminal 1) statt!
Since April 2021, Lufthansa has been flying directly from Munich or Frankfurt to Hurghada every Saturday.
Ab Mai/Juni fliegt die Sundair von einigen deutschen Flughäfen direkt nach Hurghada.
Die Tuifly (X3) fliegt ebenfalls wieder von einigen deutschen Flughäfen aus nach Hurghada
Air Cairo fliegt in einer Partnerschaft mit SunExpress von Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Nürnberg und Wien diesen Sommer nach Hurghada. Die Flüge werden mit der Flotte von Air Cairo durchgeführt. Man kann die Flüge über sunexpress.com und alle großen Reiseveranstalter buchen.
Here are some alternatives where you can have the test done. You will now have to see what would be most optimal for you: Hamburg: https:/www.centogene.comdecovid-19test-centerstesten-am-hamburger-flughafen.html Frankfurt https:/www.frankfurt-airport.comdereisevorbereitungcoronaviruscorona-tests-am-flughafen.html Munich https:/www.munich-airport.decorona-tests-am-flughafen-9494091#e6476111 (Actually uninteresting because in Bavaria everybody can get tested for free anyway and also very expensive! ) Who comes from the proximity of Rostock, can also go directly to Centogene https:/www.centogene.comdecovid-19test-centersabstrichzentrum-rostock.html Otherwise there is the possibility to get tested by your family doctor or in a "Drive In Testcenter", if available. You have to ask for the respective costs. In Bavaria, testing is free of charge. However, it sometimes takes 4 - 5 working days to get the results, so you may have to take that into account.
Berlin:
Centogene Testcenter am Berliner Flughafen
Frankfurt
https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/de/reisevorbereitung/coronavirus/corona-tests-am-flughafen.html
Munich
https://www.munich-airport.de/corona-tests-am-flughafen-9494091#e6476111 (Actually not very interesting because in Bavaria everybody can get tested for free and it is also very expensive! )
If you come from near Rostock, you can also go directly to Centogene
https://www.centogene.com/de/covid-19/test-centers/abstrichzentrum-rostock.html
Otherwise, there is still the option of being tested by your family doctor or in a "Drive In Test Centre", if available.
You have to ask for the respective costs. In Bavaria testing is free of charge. However, it sometimes takes 4 - 5 working days until the result is available, which you may have to allow for.
The PCR test, which must be done within 72 hours before entering Germany and Switzerland, can be done here in Hurghada at the Central Public Health Laboratories. An antigen test is also sufficient for entry into Germany, but this may only be 48 hours old. A test laboratory has been set up especially for all tourists at the Mamsha near the Grand Hotel.
You can book an appointment online in advance. We will help you of course, e.g. with a driving service or with the registration. We drive our guests there directly after the dive trip, so around 4 pm. We get the result the following day around noon. On the test result there is only the date of the sample name, but no time. This means for guests from Germany that they can do the test e.g. on Wednesday evening and get the result on Thursday noon, before they get on the plane on Thursday afternoon (Condor). So no diving day has to be cancelled.
Quite new are now also the offered rapid tests in the same laboratory. The cost is 20 dollars and after 20 - 30 minutes the test result is already available. The antigen rapid test is recognized in Germany without any problems, as has already been confirmed to us. Currently, only a copy of the passport is required from the guests for the PCR test. A copy of the hotel voucher and the flight ticket as previously required is no longer necessary.
For the guests from Switzerland it is even easier, because with them the test can be made 72 hours, so max. three days before return flight. You could, for example, take the test on Tuesday afternoon, receive the result on Wednesday and fly on Thursday.
If a test is positive, hotels provide guests with separate rooms for quarantine. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are free of charge. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, the treatment of seriously ill patients in hospital and the provision of medication are also free of charge. Whether the quarantine takes place in the booked hotel or in a separate quarantine hotel, we unfortunately do not know.
Seit Donnerstag, den 13. Mai 2021 gilt nun eine bundesweit einheitliche Verordnung, die die Einreise in Deutschland aus Risikogebieten, Hochinzidenzgebieten und Virusvariantengebieten regelt. Bisher war dies ausschließlich in der Hand der einzelnen Bundesländer. Die neue Verordnung soll diese Regelungen nun vereinfachen und auch eine Gleichstellung von Geimpften und Genesenen zu getesteten Personen schaffen.
Für die Einreise nach Deutschland mit dem Flugzeug besteht jetzt eine generelle Testnachweispflicht. Jeder muss sich nun also, egal ob er aus einem Risikogebiet kommt oder nicht, vor dem Rückflug aus dem Ausland testen lassen und das Ergebnis muss natürlich negativ ausfallen. (Ein Antigentest darf maximal 48 Stunden, ein PCR Test darf maximal 72 Stunden alt sein bei der Einreise.) Darüber hinaus muss man eine digitale Einreisemeldung noch am Urlaubsort ausfüllen.
Es gibt besondere Test- und Nachweispflichten sowie eine Quarantänepflicht für Reiserückkehrer nach einem Aufenthalt in einem ausländischen Risiko-, Hochinzidenz- oder Virusvariantengebiet. (Ägypten zählt zu den Hochinzidenzgebieten). Bezüglich der Quarantänepflicht besteht, außer bei Virusvariantengebieten, die Möglichkeit zur Freitestung durch Vorlage eines negativen Testnachweises bei der zuständigen Behörde. Nach einem Aufenthalt in einem Hochinzidenzgebiet wie Ägypten kann man sich frühestens fünf Tage nach der Einreise testen lassen, hierbei zählt der Einreisetag nicht mit. (Gilt nun auch für NRW). Ohne Freitestung muss man sich für 10 Tage in Quarantäne begeben. Nach einem Aufenthalt in einem Virusvarianten-Gebiet müssen 14 Tage Quarantäne eingehalten werden ohne Möglichkeit zur Freitestung. Die Quarantänepflicht gilt vorerst bis zum 30.06.2021.
Neu ist nun, dass sogenannte Impf- und Genesenennachweise ein negatives Testergebnis ersetzen und den Reisenden von der Quarantäne befreien können. Das gilt für Risikiogebiete und Hochinzidenzgebiete (Ägypten), nicht aber für Virusvariantengebiete. In einfachen Worten heißt das: Immer wenn ein Corona Test verlangt wird, kann man anstatt dessen seinen Impf- oder Genesenennachweis vorzeigen. Als vollständig geimpft gilt man laut Robert-Koch-Institut 14 Tage nach Verabreichung aller notwendigen Impfstoffdosen. "Genesen“ sind Personen, die eine Covid-19-Erkrankung durchgemacht haben. Der positive PCR-Befund muss mindestens 28 Tage und darf höchstens 6 Monate alt sein.
Ausführlichere Informationen findet man auf der Seite des Bundesgesundheitsministeriums, hier kann man sich auch die Verordnung und die digitale Einreiseanmeldung herunterladen. Diese ist für alle Einreisen per Flugzeug obligatorisch. Weitere Infos gibt es auch auf der Seite des Außenministeriums.
Für die Schweiz gilt ab 31.05.2021:
Es werden Geimpfte und Personen unter 16 Jahren für sechs Monate von der Kontaktquarantäne und der Reisequarantäne ausgenommen. Sie müssen bei der Einreise keinen Testnachweis oder Kontaktdaten vorlegen. Voraussetzung ist laut dem Bundesrat eine vollständige Impfung mit einem in der Schweiz oder durch die Europäische Arzneimittel-Agentur zugelassenen Impfstoff. Die Ausnahmen gelten nicht für genesene und geimpfte Personen, die aus Ländern mit besorgniserregenden Virusvarianten einreisen. Alle weiteren Infos zur Quarantäne bei einer Einreise in der Schweiz findet ihr HERE.
Wir bitten euch aber in jedem Fall, euch vor eurem Urlaub genau über die geltenden Regeln zu informieren und euch diesbezüglich abzusichern. Unsere Angaben sind wie immer ohne Gewähr.
The PCR test before entering Egypt must not be older than 72 hours, with the exception of Frankfurt. Here the test must not be older than 96 hours. (Information; Ministry of Immigration and expatriate affairs, current status September 17)
The PCR test before the return journey to Germany must not be older than 48 hours, the PCR test before the return journey to Switzerland must not be older than 72 hours.
For entry into Egypt, a Declaration Form (certificate of health) is also required, which you must fill out yourself and then hand in. The form can be downloaded here and filled out in advance at home.
We were told that if you enter the country without a test, you have to stay on the plane until everyone else has gotten off. You then get off the plane in groups, e.g. row 5 to 10, then 11 to 15, etc.
Once everyone has disembarked, those taking the test here on site are led in a group to a waiting area. Here, if guests from other planes are on before, you have to wait a little longer. If the previous plane is through, you first go to one of two counters where you pay (30,- US $). You get a receipt, which is then copied at the next point, together with your passport. On the copy the booked hotel is noted and, if one has, a telephone number. Then one goes to the "sampling".
Then you continue on your way and go to passport control and then to the baggage carousel and then leave the airport in the direction of the hotel or apartment. The hotel or the person will only be notified if the test is positive. If it is negative, you will not hear anything about it. The duration is about 30 - 45 minutes. Then there is a normal transfer to the hotel.
Attention! Some airlines require the PCR test proof as a prerequisite for boarding the plane in the country of departure. Please check before departure what the current conditions are for your flight!
Seit dem 1. Mai 2021 gelten wieder die normalen Visa Bestimmungen für Hurghada. Das Touristenvisum ist 28 Tage gültig und kann vor Ort im Immigration Office verlängert werden. Es kostet 25 US Dollar und wird direkt nach der Ankunft am Bankschalter im Flughafen von Hurghada erworben und bar bezahlt.
Alternativ kann man sich ein Visum über die ägyptischen Botschaften in Deutschland vorab besorgen oder online ein E-Visum erwerben.
You are welcome to book in advance online in our shop, but please do not pay for any bookings until your trip is 100% complete! With today's online money transfers, this can be done quickly. If something comes up, we can simply cancel the booking after receiving an email from you (free of charge).
You are welcome to book in advance online in our shop, but please do not pay for any bookings until your trip is 100% complete! With today's online money transfers, this can be done quickly. If something comes up, we can simply cancel the booking after receiving an email from you (free of charge).
Topic: Booking
No, they can freely be splitted over the holiday period.
The dive package still remains cheaper than the same service booked on site. In case of a serious illness we usually cancel the dive package on site and count the transferred amount as a deposit.
!!! EXCEPTION: Not made dives during a Minisafari can not be refunded !!!
In case of cancellation of the trip we will transfer the total amount back. Inform us by mail with the account details for the refund.
No, only the current price list applies
Just book an available diving package in our Red Sea Shop, the ½ day will be put at the end of the holiday and is compensated by an additional payment
Yes, max. 2 full day trips can be changed into 4 half day trips on site for a surcharge.
No, that can be used only on the on-site prices of dives and equipment.
Prebooking in our Red Sea Shop
The ½ day trip is the acclimatisation dive on the first day of diving.
Yes, parents can share a dive package.
Because it is charged per person per day on site depending on the dives made.
2 or 3 full day trips will be taken from your dive package plus the appropriate on-site surcharge depending on the type of Minisafari.
No, house reef dives can only be booked on site. Just contact our office.
Topic: Rental Equipment
Our tanks have DIN - valves. Adapters from INT to DIN are sufficiently available.
Free diving bags are available.
Yes, free storage is possible.
On your USB stick, your SD card etc.
Topic: Training
No, because learning on the PC alone lacks practical relevance, is more expensive and hardly saves any time.
Duration 3 days (1 day ashore, 2 days on the boat) including theoretical and practical emergency management training, resuscitation, effective first aid, accident management, stress detection and self-rescue. Minimum requirement is AOWD or equivalent, first aid certificate, max. 2 years old, recommendation: at least 40 dives, age from 18 years. Mostly it is a one-to-one course (1:1) and can only be carried out at short notice after availability of a diving instructor.
Topic: Medicine and health
It's actually part of diving. Usually the signature on the medical health questionnaire on site is sufficient for us, if your health and fitness condition is not restricted by any diseases If, for example, you take medication regularly and from the age of 60, a medical certificate is required. However, this could also be done on site at short notice.
In general, we advise you to take out diving accident insurance at home before your holiday. An offer of the company Hypermed can be concluded on site in our office. Hypermed offers a diving support programme for a period of 4 weeks, which covers up to 3 treatments in the decompression chamber in the unlikely event of a diving accident (decompression sickness or air embolism).
Topic: General Info
A copy goes to the authorities for the permits.
Because the ships are not allowed to return to port after dark for official reasons.
About 21-23 degrees.
Very variable, depending on the wind.
Yes, unless you have been in the water recently and/or are an experienced diver and do not need rental equipment.
