Egypt

Are you looking for (international) funding? Check our general funding page for different funding guides, grants and open calls, or the digital Cultural Mobility Funding Guide for the Netherlands for regional, private and international (mobility) funding.

In the Netherlands the means for international cultural cooperation are delegated to the national funds. The fund that works for your art form or discipline, has one or several subsidy schemes for internationalisation. To make sure the program fits your project, contact the advisors of the fund before starting the process of application. These are the national funds:

Design, Creative Industries, Architecture, Digital Culture

Creative Industries Fund NL
> International Vouchers
> Internationalization of the Design Sector Grant Scheme

Visual Arts, Heritage

Mondriaan Fund 
> Subsidy for International Art Presentation to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch(-based) artists or internationally recognized art organizations outside the Netherlands.
> Subsidy for International Art Fair/Art Book Fair to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch and non-Dutch galleries, publishers and non-Dutch art fairs.

Theater, Dance, Music

Performing Arts Fund 
> Grants for foreign organisations to invite Dutch(-based) artists
> Internationalisation grants for Dutch(-based) artists

Audiovisual media, Film, Documentary

Dutch Film Fund
The Film Fund has several subsidy schemes to support co-productions and distribution (film & documentary).

Literature

Dutch Foundation for Literature
The Dutch Foundation for Literature has several subsidies for internationalisation:
> Translation grants for foreign publishers
> Travel grants

Participation, Education, Communal arts, Cooperations, Projects with non-professionals

Cultural Participation Fund
> The international collaboration grant is available for all disciplines and designated for finding partners abroad.

Heritage

International Heritage Cooperation is part of the Netherlands’ international cultural policy. The embassies of the Netherlands in the partner countries have a budget for supporting local cultural heritage projects. DutchCulture manages a Matching Fund. Dutch legal entities (companies and registered freelancers) are able to apply for partial funding for an international heritage cooperation project.

DutchCulture supports sustainable Dutch-European heritage cooperation by supporting and facilitating (international) expert meetings and exchanges while underlining the European context of heritage. The Europe + Heritage programme offers advice, a travel grant scheme and a support grant scheme for European heritage cooperation.

More funds

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency is not a national fund but also offers on behalf of various ministries and the European Union subsidies for companies in the creative industries.

Egypt does not have a comparable system of art subsidies as The Netherlands. Independent cultural organisations and NGO’s are funded by private donors, business companies, private funds or foreign funds. However, due to regulations not every Egyptian organisation can accept financial support from abroad. Therefore we advise you to discuss the best way to apply for funding with your Egyptian counterpart.

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Cairo has an extensive network in the local cultural sector and in-depth knowledge of its cultural institutions, organisations and venues. The Embassy can advise you on opportunities for cooperation. In addition, they can provide grants to Dutch cultural organisations that collaborate with Egyptian counterparts.

Doing your research beforehand and finding local partners is essential. You can use the DutchCulture Database by simply going to the search option in the upper left corner, and search for Egypt or any city you are interested in. This way you will see which Dutch artists are already active in which areas.

DutchCulture also works closely together with On the Move. On their website you will find an elaborate mapping of funding opportunities for artists and cultural workers.

As an EU citizen, you do need a visa to be able to enter Egypt. Please make sure to apply for a visa at least 3 weeks before traveling to Egypt. For cultural exchange, it is likely that you will need a humanitarian visa or a work visa. However it depends on the situation which kind of visa you will need. You can read everything about the various types of visa, invitation letters and the application process on the website of Evisum Egypt.

Please inform the Embassy of the Netherlands in Cairo and DutchCulture about your visit, so we can assist you when you encounter problems when applying for your visa.

If you have a passport from outside the EU, it is wise to check the rules with your country´s representatives in the Netherlands, or ask the DutchCulture Mobility Info Point.

Find out exactly what the rules are that a gallery, stage or theatre upholds, before engaging in a cooperation. If you find obstacles on your way, you will have enough time to apply for permits or find other solutions.

Disclaimer: The information given above is mainly provided by the Egyptian authorities. In case of any doubt or further questions, please contact the Dutch embassy in Cairo.

It is a good idea to engage local professionals and publicists, that have an understanding of your art discipline, audience and region. Make sure to contact the Dutch embassy in Cairo to let them know about your projects. Do not forget to create a My DC account, where you can add your activities to our Cultural Database. This way you will be included in our database and become part of our network.

Through the DutchCulture database, you can find out which artists from the Netherlands have worked at which venues, and start your research there. Go to the search icon on the upper left corner of the website, and search by discipline, country, and city.

For residencies, DutchCulture's TransArtists is a great research tool. In order to successfully build an international career, and in order to find sustainable partners in a country, it is always wise to spend more than a few days somewhere. Residencies, which can last from a couple of weeks up to several months, can help you achieve this.

Facts

Processing the visa takes from 2-3 weeks in low seasons and 3-4 weeks in high seasons (summer). Appealing on visa rejections requires 90 day to be decided. Re-applying for a visa after being rejected can be done immediately after receiving the refusal letter. Visa applications are assessed by Visa Section in the Hague based on pre-set criteria. The embassy cannot therefore intervene nor influence the process, its pace, nor the assessment/ decision of the Visa Section. The fact that the applicant is travelling in the frame work of a project supported or organized by the Dutch government, the embassy, Dutch organizations does not guarantee or imply that:

• the applicant will be granted the visa,
• the applicant will obtain a visa with a longer duration, if any,
• the applicant will be exempted from any of the required documents or procedures.

VFS is now responsible for taking in the visa applications. To reach VFS and to set appointments and to verify the required documents, please log in here or call them on the following landline: 002 02 3332.30.10.

Recommendations

Please submit the visa application to VFS 3 to 4 weeks before travel date. Please contact VFS to take visa appointment at least 10 days before the optimum date to submit the visa application. If you fail, the embassy could then assist in scheduling prior appointments, should there be available slots.

• When seeking assistance of the embassy to schedule the appointment, please be clear about when all the required documents to complete the application will be ready. This will save time and effort wasted in scheduling and rescheduling appointments.

Please make sure that the passport is valid for at least 6 months. Please make sure that the file is complete while applying. In addition to all the documents indicated on the website (link below) please make sure that the following documents are ready before the visa appointment:

• Signed (and possibly stamped) invitation letter from the Dutch host (organization or project) indicating the name and passport number of the applicant, the purpose of the visit, its duration, where the activity for which the applicant is travelling will be held. Should the host or the project in which framework the trip is taking place be covering any of the travel costs for the applicants; please indicate in the letter all the items that will be covered for the applicants (hotel, flight, among others). Also please include the name of the hotel, if available.
• Should the applicant be travelling from one city to another in NL or to other European countries, then please add the program of the visit (date and place). This should match the submitted proof of hotel booking.
• Supporting documents are particularly necessary for artists and practitioners who have no steady income or previous travel history, among others.

The Embassy will do its best to assist applicants, within what is allowed and if given enough time to intervene. The Embassy can always be reached through kai-ca@minbuza.nl the emails will be answered within 48 working hours. For more details about the visa procedure in Egypt, please check& VFS, who are now responsible for taking in the visa applications. To reach VFS and to set appointments and to verify the required documents, please log in here or call them on the following landline: 002 02 3332.30.10.

Follow the Dutch embassy in Cairo on their social media channels.

For the most recent travel advice to Egypt, please see the website of the Dutch government (in Dutch).