With big-ticket vacation plans hanging in the balance, Canadian travellers, and the travel industry, are still waiting for clarity on Egypt’s visa requirements.

As reported earlier, the official line remains that effective October 1 the Egyptian government will no longer allow Canadians to obtain visas through the online eVisa process. Instead, Canadians planning trips to Egypt will be required to obtain a visa from an Egyptian embassy or consulate. And as of October 1, eVisas for the country will no longer be valid.

Global Affairs Canada’s Egypt page outlining the October 1 change can be found here.

In the past few days rumours have been swirling as Canadian travellers, many with much-anticipated Egypt vacation plans worth tens of thousands of dollars, wait to see if there might be a reprieve.

Travel advisor Martin McQuillan with Ensemble Elite Travel in Gibsons, B.C. told Travelweek he heard that online visas issued before October 1, 2023 may be accepted for travel to Egypt – at least that was the unconfirmed report he got from his connection at Egypt & Beyond in Cairo.

Meanwhile tour operator Gateways International works with a local rep / DMC who indicated that an update on the visa confusion was expected this past weekend. But so far there’s been no official announcement.

Another Travelweek reader got in touch over the weekend to say that when she went in person to the Egypt consulate in Montreal on September 8, she and other would-be travellers waiting in line were told that holders of eVisas issued before October 1, 2023 would be able to enter Egypt throughout the validity period of the eVisa, even if it extends beyond October 1, 2023.

Travelweek tried to get confirmation on that, to no avail. The phone rang and rang unanswered at the Egypt consulate in Montreal. At the Egypt embassy in Ottawa, the voicemailbox was full.

Also last week, the Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) expressed its shock at the visa situation, and said it hopes that the Egyptian Authority will understand the importance of Canadian business in Egypt and recognize the role that tour operators play as partners to the destination and its tourism business.

CATO (CATO.ca) is also urging the Egyptian government to reconsider these restrictions and, if not upon arrival in Egypt, to at least allow an ongoing permanent online application form. CATO is also asking for more lead time with the changes.

“CATO is working hard to reach out to government officials and representatives at the Egyptian Embassy for a resolution to this situation that will benefit everyone impacted,” said Jean Hébert, Executive Director at CATO.