Nearly a year after Cairo imposed stricter visa measures on Canadian passport holders, Canada has confirmed that Egypt will soon stop requiring cumbersome visas for Canadian tourists.
Last October, Egypt suspended the option for Canadians to obtain a visa online or upon arrival, which previously cost around $35 for a single individual. Since then, Canadians have been required to pay $150 and submit an application form, passport, and itinerary by post to obtain a visa.
Egyptian officials indicated that the tougher process was introduced following Canada’s actions to make it more difficult for Egyptian citizens to secure visas, although The Canadian Press was unable to verify these claims.
Global Affairs Canada reported that during a meeting on Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty informed Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly that Canadians would soon be able to use the simplified visa process again.
The Egyptian embassy in Ottawa has yet to respond to inquiries about the confirmation of this change and when it will take effect.
According to Canada’s summary of the Monday meeting, both ministers discussed “the possibility of waiving the requirement of prior-entry visas for Canadian citizens travelling to Egypt.” The summary noted that Minister Abdelatty agreed this step would be taken shortly and that an announcement would be made in due course.
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