Egypt - Visa as of October 1, 2023

I feel your anxiety. Although our trip isn't until January, final payment for our tour is mid October and we've already bought our flights. We first learned on Thurday about the ban on Canadians getting visas on arrival; then the ban on evisas on Friday. The Embassy and consulate have both been incommunicado since the announcement. But I'm not sure if the Embassy is usually closed on Fridays anyway. Am going to try again starting on Tuesday, after the long weekend. Crossing our fingers that the Embassy isn't going to stonewall applicants in some kind of tit for tat act.

In theory one should be able to go into any Egyptian Embassy. But whether you could get a same day visa is unknown.

I emailed the consulate yesterday with the same questions. I don't have a trip planned yet, but we were thinking about doing it within the next couple of years. I'll report back if I learn anything.

I wonder if calling your MP will be helpful?

Here's info someone just shared. Certainly hope this is true. Anxiety level has just lessened.:
Good news Canadian passport holders! Celebrity replied to my Twitter DM:
Hello there, the following information has been by our agent in Egypt and is mentioned in our pre-arrival instruction which is as follows: "The normal procedure is that Ship’s documentation officer is collecting all passengers passports before arrival at Alexandria port and deliver them to the immigration officers who board the ship upon arrival (Estimated 02:00 am), the officers stamp ALL passengers passports with FREE QUICKTRIP stamp then redeliver such to the documentation officer who hand them back to passengers as NOBODY allowed to go ashore without his stamped passport in hand".
This service is included in the Immigration Fees charged to the ship.
All Passengers onboard will get a Quicktrip Visa upon arrival (Transit Visa) Except Israeli passport holders who will need to have a pre-issued visa from the Egyptian consulate in their homeland.
Of course, proceed with caution — but makes us feel a little bit better this morning about the situation!

A relief for those who have a day excursion on a cruise, I'm sure. Not much help for anyone arriving by land or air, unfortunately.

I contacted the a shore excursion Tour company in Egypt with the same concerns, below is their reply, should be OK

Ramasside tours

Till this moment this new decision won't affect the cruise travelers as for cruise travellers Egyptian entry visa obtainable onboard the cruise before pick up, that is operated by the Egyptian Immigration association. It would just be a stamp put into their passports
(Transit stamp it's not even a visa)

Here's the latest info I have from the Egyptian Embassy.

"For holders on an e visa issued before October 1, 2023, it is possible to enter Egypt throughout the validity period of the e visa, even if it extends beyond October 1, 2023."

The consulate emailed me back today. Ottawa, Gatineau and the western provinces apply to the embassy in Ottawa, everywhere else to Montreal.

Cost is $150 payable in cash or money order. Also send in your passport and photo. Here are the links from the email.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NMQQ-lc6v6cueMc_NZ52YofVUbgssvzi/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SzT9RZps6K1Ewr1PHU_2fp28pUkVsdn7/view?usp=drive_link

Thanks, Allan. I also received a similar email with the same link. Can definitely relax now. Appreciate all the responses.

Hello Barratt Roger
We were caught up in this as well - Fortunately the day after we shipped our passports to a visa company CIBTvisas (both our cruise line and Alberta Motor Association travel agency recommended them) they moved to allow e-visas applied for before October 1st, as you know. In case it changes again the CIBTvisa company was fantastic in that you submit online all the prior information, then when they approve the documents that they are correct (usually within a couple of hours), you mailed them your passport and they take all the documentation to Ottawa. It was costly ($400 for 2 people, which included the Egypt charge) - and to be honest I was a bit nervous mailing our passports since we leave Oct 28, but it was great. They received the passports overnight courier - and that day they contacted us to let us know that a) the turn around time at the Egyptian consulate went from 5 days to 15 within 24 hours of their announcement and b) that we could now use the e-visa version and if we wanted to go that route they would refund our money (minus the courier charges to return the passports). I was impressed. Hopefully nothing changes but for future use I thought I would share this information.

Sharon

Thanks, Sharon. I had heard of the company you mentioned. Great that is all sorted out now. Safe travels.

Please anybody just completed cruise to Egypt via cruise ship (especially Celebrity) advise if it is true that Canadians do not need to get visa prior to arriving to Egypt? I have cruise with Celebrity Infinity in February that will arrive Alexandria for over night stay. I do not want to send my passport to get actual visa from the Egyptian embassy. I have to make decision this month if I want to keep this cruise. I would really appreciate your inputs-The tour company Ramses Tours also confirmed that no visa needed for entering Eqypt from a cruise ship

From many reliable sources currently on Celebrity, you do not need to get a visa for Egypt. The cruise line will have this taken care of for us.