(Ottawa) Canada says Egypt will soon stop requiring cumbersome visas for Canadian tourists, nearly a year after Cairo imposed the measure on Canadian passport holders.
Last October, Egypt suspended the ability for Canadians to obtain a visa online or upon arrival in Egypt, which costs about $35 for a single person.
Since then, Canadians have had to pay $150 and mail in an application form, their passport and itinerary to obtain a visa.
Egyptian officials told media they imposed the more arduous process after Canada made it harder for Egyptian citizens to obtain visas, although The Canadian Press could not confirm the reports.
Global Affairs Canada says Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told his counterpart Mélanie Joly during a meeting Monday that Canadians will soon be able to use the simplified process again.
The Egyptian embassy in Ottawa did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the change and when it will take effect.
Canada’s report of Monday’s meeting states that the two ministers discussed “the possibility of waiving the pre-entry visa requirement for Canadian citizens travelling to Egypt.”
“Minister Abdelatty agreed that Egypt will take this step very soon, and it will be announced in due course,” the report said.