How many days can you stay in Egypt visa-free before you need a visa?

One approach: stay 14 days visa-free, then go to the airport to get a one-month visa, then extend it by another 2 months. After that period you still need to exit Egypt at some point (e.g., a trip to Israel and back).

The 15-day free-entry rule only applies to travelers who entered without a visa at all — if you already got the 28-day visa on arrival, this rule doesn't concern you.

Days are counted by calendar date (00:00–23:59), not from your arrival time. So if your departure falls on day 16 of your stay — even on an early morning flight — border control will register it as a new day, meaning you'll technically need a visa.

If your departure falls exactly on day 15 of your stay (inclusive), no visa is needed — this is confirmed both by border control practice and traveler experience. Debate only arises around day 16.