TORONTO — Finally, at long last, there is clarity on the Egypt visa situation.

After a week of speculation, a new notice from the Egypt Embassy in Ottawa, forwarded to Travelweek by Gateways International’s Talia May (who in turn received it from a trusty travel advisor), indicates that Canadian citizens heading to Egypt, and in possession of an e-Visa issued before Oct. 1, 2023, will be able to enter Egypt throughout the validity period of the e-Visa, even if it extends beyond Oct. 1, 2023.

Here is the new notice (it’s also posted on the Embassy of Egypt in Ottawa’s Facebook page) …

Key in this information is that the Embassy makes clear this update is for Canadian citizens.

A previous Sept. 8 Facebook post by the Embassy included helpful infographics with step-by-step instructions for visas, however that FB post came with a heading that implied it was only for Canadian citizens of Egyptian origin.

This new information, posted last night, is for Canadian citizens, not just for Canadian citizens of Egyptian origin.

There will no doubt be a rush to the online portal for obtaining e-Visas before Oct. 1. As this new notice from the Egypt Embassy in Ottawa clearly states, no e-Visas will be issued for Canadian citizens as of Oct. 1, 2023. The notice also includes visa application information for travellers who don’t make the cut-off, and says a new application form will be circulated starting Oct. 1, 2023.

The notice backs up what several would-be travellers told Travelweek over the past 24 hours.

Readers said they received emails from the Egypt Embassy in Ottawa confirming that eVisas issued before Oct. 1, 2023 would still be considered valid throughout the validity period of the e-Visa.

Says one reader: “I am in a party of four travelling to Egypt on October 4th out of Toronto. We contacted the Egyptian Embassy in Ottawa and they replied today via email saying if our eVisas were obtained prior to October 1st, 2023 then they would still be valid.”

Another reader forwarded an email, also from the Egyptian Embassy in Ottawa and dated yesterday, Sept. 11, that says: “If you obtained an e-visa prior to October 1, 2023, the e-visa is still valid up until its expiry date.”

Global Affairs Canada’s Entry & Exit Requirements page for Egypt is here. A reader alerted Travelweek that the page was updated today and now reads: “Starting October 1, 2023, Canadian passport holders will not be able to obtain a visa online before travelling to or upon arrival in Egypt. You will be required to obtain a visa from an Egyptian embassy or consulate abroad. Electronic visas issued prior to October 1, 2023, will remain valid until their expiry date. If you are planning to travel to Egypt, you should contact the nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate before you go.”