The e-visa for Egypt will soon be available for Canadians again. Currently, travellers with a Canadian passport must apply for an Egypt visa at the embassy, which is relatively complicated. The Egyptian authorities hope that this will attract more Canadian tourists.
More complicated visa applications for Canadians
The Egyptian authorities decided in October 2023 to make it more difficult for Canadian nationals to apply for a visa. This was a response to a Canadian policy change. The Canadian government had previously tightened the visa requirements, making it more difficult for Egyptians to travel to Canada. Canada’s travel industry was afraid that the more difficult application process would lead to fewer Canadians travelling to Egypt, resulting in income losses for the Egyptian tourism sector.
Tourism in Egypt is booming
Egypt’s tourism industry has experienced a rapid growth since the outbreak of the coronavirus and the resulting crash in the number of travellers. 2023 was a record year, during which almost 15 million foreign travellers visited the country, spending USD 13.6 billion. This translates to almost 25 percent of Egypt’s GDP.
The provisional figures from 2024 seem equally promising. Egypt’s tourism industry earned an income of USD 6.6 billion in the first six months of the year, which is 5 percent more than in the same period in the previous year. There were also more tourist arrivals in this period, although there was only a modest growth of 0.1 percent. It is to be expected that Egypt’s tourism sector will break records by the end of 2024. The Egyptian economy could profit even more from Canadians who will soon be able to travel to Egypt more easily.
Reconsidering strict entry rules for Canadians
The announcement of loosening visa rules for Canadians came shortly after a meeting between the foreign ministers of Canada and Egypt. The conversation centred around developing a closer relationship between the countries, regarding tourism and other topics. It was revealed that the ministers talked specifically about the visa requirements for travelling between both countries. Egypt’s foreign minister, Bader Abdelatty, mentioned that the country would soon ease the entry requirements for Canadian travellers. According to the minister, Canadians will soon be able to use the e-visa again. However, it was not announced when this change will be introduced.
Het e-visum Egypte
The Egypt e-visa is probably the easiest way to meet the visa requirement. You can apply for the visa with an online application form. There is no need to contact the Egyptian embassy or consulate. You have to fill in some personal details and some travel details, e.g. the address of the place where you will spend your first night, as well as the phone number and the e-mail-address of your accommodation.
After filling in the form, you have to upload a scan or photo of the passport. The scan or photo must be sharp so that even the small letters are legible. There should not be any reflections. After submitting the scan or photo, your application is processed by the Egyptian immigration service. It takes 11 days on average for the application to be fully processed. You may travel to Egypt right after your visa is issued.