As of 1 October 2023, Canadian citizens will no longer be able to obtain a visa upon arrival in Egypt, according to the Canadian government. A similar statement was released by the Egyptian Consulate in Montreal on 31 August and published on its official Facebook page.
Holders of the Canadian passport are now required to apply for an entry visa through an Egyptian embassy or consulate. Canadian-Egyptians wishing to travel with their Canadian passport must also apply for visas before traveling to Egypt.
Before this change, Canadian citizens of Egyptian origin did not need visas to enter Egypt if they had Egyptian passports, national ID cards, or birth certificates.
Prior to the statement’s release, the issue was discussed in the Egyptian parliament after online reports circulated suggesting that Egypt had ceased issuing entry visas at ports to citizens from Canada.
According to Egypt Independent, Farid AlBayadi, an MP in the House of Representatives and vice-president of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, submitted an official inquiry to the Prime Minister’s office and to the ministers of foreign affairs and tourism requesting clarification in response to allegations circulating online.
Ghada Ajami, a member of the Parliament who represents Egyptians abroad, praised the decision, stating that Egypt “is not less significant than other nations,” and deeming the decision fair given how Egyptians are treated and the requirements they must meet to enter Western countries. She emphasized that tourism would not be negatively impacted if Egypt decided to implement stricter entry requirements.
“These measures will not adversely affect tourism, as some may imply, because those countries apply the same precautions, so why haven’t they affected tourism there? Additionally, entry fees or obtaining a visa are common practices in many countries worldwide,” she added to Al Masry Al Youm.
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