Beware Canadians Travelling to Egypt - New Process for Visa

[acadian_dad]

2 minutes ago, Lady Pubnico said:

I was there a couple of weeks ago!  Nice beach!  Let’s hope Lee doesn’t do it too much damage!  Halifax is out shopping in preparation.

Yeah - crazy us, we’re flying there tomorrow for an extended weekend !  😂   My wife needs her annual feed of fried clams and I need my haddock tips - 😆 

[Lady Pubnico]

Good choices … but mine would be Rappie Pie.  They sell it at the Sobeys in Nova Scotia, but not in New Brunswick (who knows why?).

[Oilersfan1969]

On 9/13/2023 at 8:02 AM, mr_cruiser8 said:

Just want to point out that, to avoid difficulties in your eVisa application, enter all addresses with just single space separating the words and not commas. Also postal codes not allowed.  For Host I used the Cruise Line name, address, email, ph #, etc.  Also your passport image to be uploaded should be labelled with numbers and not words i.e. 1.jpg and not word.jpg.

 

Note that single entry cost is US$25 and valid for 90 days, whereas multiple entry is US$60 and good for 180 days.  You pay a little bit more, but I opted for the multiple entry visa to take advantage of the extended validity and avoid hassles with any new visa application as there might be a chance of  returning to Egypt early in the new year.

 

Current turn around is very fast.  We received email payment confirmation the next day after submission, and our eVisas later the same day.  However this could change with the large numbers of visa applications expected in the next few days.  I would not wait until the last moment to submit your application as you might run into difficulties, network problems, the site down for maintenance, etc (Murphy's Law).

 

 

Can you please clarify the information used for this page:

 

so close to finishing!  Talked with my TA again and they indicated that Oceania is sticking with the 72 hours advice and gave no information on how to fill out the host page section.

 

While I have it documented that Oceania said that there is no need for a visa and that there will not be any issues, I would rather be safe so appreciate  the information in advance!!!

Edited September 15, 2023 by Oilersfan1969

[SparklyPinkCruiser]

17 minutes ago, Oilersfan1969 said:

Can you please clarify the information used for this page:

 

so close to finishing!  Talked with my TA again and they indicated that Oceania is sticking with the 72 hours advice and gave no information on how to fill out the host page section.

 

While I have it documented that Oceania said that there is no need for a visa and that there will not be any issues, I would rather be safe so appreciate  the information in advance!!!

I put down our tour company as host. If it's an excursion through ship, I'd probably just put down Oceania.

[mr_cruiser8]

1 hour ago, Oilersfan1969 said:

Can you please clarify the information used for this page:

 

so close to finishing!  Talked with my TA again and they indicated that Oceania is sticking with the 72 hours advice and gave no information on how to fill out the host page section.

 

While I have it documented that Oceania said that there is no need for a visa and that there will not be any issues, I would rather be safe so appreciate  the information in advance!!!

 

Hello, you are in the right direction.  Most/ all of Oceania's info should be found on their website/ correspondence/ confirmation/ docs sent to you.  If not, google "Oceania cruises address" or similarly, and you should see all the required info.  I got Oceania's info below, but you should confirm:

 

Host type: Tourism company

Host name: Oceania Cruises

Host phone number: +18555680187

Host fax number: **Leave this blank**

Host email: guestrelations@oceaniacruises.com

Host address: 7665 Corporate Center Drive Miami Florida

Who is paying travel ... : By the applicant himself/herself

 

 

 

[Lady Pubnico]

2 hours ago, Oilersfan1969 said:

Can you please clarify the information used for this page:

 

so close to finishing!  Talked with my TA again and they indicated that Oceania is sticking with the 72 hours advice and gave no information on how to fill out the host page section.

 

While I have it documented that Oceania said that there is no need for a visa and that there will not be any issues, I would rather be safe so appreciate  the information in advance!!!

The other responses are probably more correct, but Norwegian Gem as the host name, Port of Alexandria as the address and (I believe) my own phone number and email address.  It worked!

[Fouremco]

16 hours ago, acadian_dad said:

Yeah - crazy us, we’re flying there tomorrow for an extended weekend !  😂   My wife needs her annual feed of fried clams and I need my haddock tips - 😆 

John's on Pleasant Street over in Dartmouth was always my favourite for a feed of fried clams when we lived in Halifax.

[acadian_dad]

4 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

John's on Pleasant Street over in Dartmouth was always my favourite for a feed of fried clams when we lived in Halifax.

Guess we’re getting a little off topic here 😂

 

Oh yeah, John’s Lunch has always been one of our goto spots - but lately we’ve been going to the Pleasant St Diner which has a bit more room.  Hint - if you ask for no fries, they give you more fish !!

 

Sanity prevailed and we rebooked for a couple of weeks out.

Edited September 15, 2023 by acadian_dad

[Fouremco]

49 minutes ago, acadian_dad said:

Guess we’re getting a little off topic here 😂

 

Oh yeah, John’s Lunch has always been one of our goto spots - but lately we’ve been going to the Pleasant St Diner which has a bit more room.  Hint - if you ask for no fries, they give you more fish !!

 

Sanity prevailed and we rebooked for a couple of weeks out.

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind for our next trip!

 

Thread drift terminated...

[Emptybucket]

Hi , 

I am sharing an article here written by Michael Pihach of PAX news dated Sep 12 giving update regarding Egyptian visa requirements for Canadian travellers.  
https://news.paxeditions.com/news/buzz/canadians-egypt-e-visa-issued-oct-1-get-pass-global-affairs-updates-page

 

 

 

[Emptybucket]

19 minutes ago, Emptybucket said:

Hi , 

I am sharing an article here written by Michael Pihach of PAX news dated Sep 12 giving update regarding Egyptian visa requirements for Canadian travellers.  
https://news.paxeditions.com/news/buzz/canadians-egypt-e-visa-issued-oct-1-get-pass-global-affairs-updates-page

 

 

 

According to above article by Michale P, Celebrity said Canadian cruisers can still continue to get the 72 hr transit visa on arriving an Egyptian port, beyond Oct 1 this year, the same as the Americans, Australians, etc.  Well, when I talked to Celebrity just this morning, I wasn't offered that option.  I was simply told by them that since our sailing is not until Feb 2024, we have ample time to apply for our visa from Ottawa or Montreal!  (By the way, we live in Vancouver, and the processing time for a visa, as noted by the Egyptian embassy in Ottawa, will take 2-3 weeks.  )   Anyway, I would like to caution you to take Celebrity's info provided to Michael P with a grain of salt.

[SparklyPinkCruiser]

35 minutes ago, Emptybucket said:

According to above article by Michale P, Celebrity said Canadian cruisers can still continue to get the 72 hr transit visa on arriving an Egyptian port, beyond Oct 1 this year, the same as the Americans, Australians, etc.  Well, when I talked to Celebrity just this morning, I wasn't offered that option.  I was simply told by them that since our sailing is not until Feb 2024, we have ample time to apply for our visa from Ottawa or Montreal!  (By the way, we live in Vancouver, and the processing time for a visa, as noted by the Egyptian embassy in Ottawa, will take 2-3 weeks.  )   Anyway, I would like to caution you to take Celebrity's info provided to Michael P with a grain of salt.

I would just wait to see what happens with the cruises to Egypt that are starting in 10 days. All will be answered! 

[travelordie]

Just now, Emptybucket said:

According to above article by Michale P, Celebrity said Canadian cruisers can still continue to get the 72 hr transit visa on arriving an Egyptian port, beyond Oct 1 this year, the same as the Americans, Australians, etc.  Well, when I talked to Celebrity just this morning, I wasn't offered that option.  I was simply told by them that since our sailing is not until Feb 2024, we have ample time to apply for our visa from Ottawa or Montreal!  (By the way, we live in Vancouver, and the processing time for a visa, as noted by the Egyptian embassy in Ottawa, will take 2-3 weeks.  )   Anyway, I would like to caution you to take Celebrity's info provided to Michael P with a grain of salt.

I’m playing it safe and assuming that Celebrity is wrong and that both the Egyptian Embassy in Canada and Global Affairs Canada have now posted the most up-to-date information.  We will be in an Egyptian port on an Azamara cruise in October of this year so will be applying for an e-visa before October 1st.  Sending our passports to the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate is not an option since we are currently travelling on other cruise lines and cannot give up our passports in the interim.

 

During our last visit to Egypt which was on a Viking cruise in February 2023, our e-visa was sufficient for boarding but it has now expired.  Viking did not offer Canadians an Egyptian transit visa on board  in February so I’d be surprised if Celebrity is now offering one.

[fannym123]

57 minutes ago, SparklyPinkCruiser said:

I would just wait to see what happens with the cruises to Egypt that are starting in 10 days. All will be answered! 

I'm cautious like you too. Did Celebrity offer this 72 hours transit visa to Canadians before this change in October? Thought Canadians still applied eVisa not 72 hours transit visa. I'm like you, not comfortable to mail my passport to Ottawa/Montreal. Also, It is more costly to get Visa plus registered mail. Our cruise is Feb 2024 as well. Let us know if you hear more on the upcoming cruises to Egypt in October. Thanks

[SparklyPinkCruiser]

7 minutes ago, fannym123 said:

I'm cautious like you too. Did Celebrity offer this 72 hours transit visa to Canadians before this change in October? Thought Canadians still applied eVisa not 72 hours transit visa. I'm like you, not comfortable to mail my passport to Ottawa/Montreal. Also, It is more costly to get Visa plus registered mail. Our cruise is Feb 2024 as well. Let us know if you hear more on the upcoming cruises to Egypt in October. Thanks

Before this happened, Celebrity wasn't clear which is why I got an evisa. I will definitely let you know what transpires. It's like a soap opera at this point 🤣

[Lady Pubnico]

On 9/16/2023 at 7:30 PM, Emptybucket said:

Hi , 

I am sharing an article here written by Michael Pihach of PAX news dated Sep 12 giving update regarding Egyptian visa requirements for Canadian travellers.  
https://news.paxeditions.com/news/buzz/canadians-egypt-e-visa-issued-oct-1-get-pass-global-affairs-updates-page

 

 

On 9/16/2023 at 7:30 PM, Emptybucket said:

 

 

[Lady Pubnico]

On 9/16/2023 at 8:53 PM, travelordie said:

I’m playing it safe and assuming that Celebrity is wrong and that both the Egyptian Embassy in Canada and Global Affairs Canada have now posted the most up-to-date information.  We will be in an Egyptian port on an Azamara cruise in October of this year so will be applying for an e-visa before October 1st.  Sending our passports to the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate is not an option since we are currently travelling on other cruise lines and cannot give up our passports in the interim.

 

During our last visit to Egypt which was on a Viking cruise in February 2023, our e-visa was sufficient for boarding but it has now expired.  Viking did not offer Canadians an Egyptian transit visa on board  in February so I’d be surprised if Celebrity is now offering one.

Hi All,

My second cup of coffee hasn’t kicked in, so there are some empty posts from me below.

Was trying to reply to Empty Bucket.

A couple of weeks ago, I’d emailed the Canadian Embassy in Cairo looking guidance, and pointed out (among other things) that I’d arrive by cruise ship and would be in Egypt less than 72 hours.

I just got a response telling me to consult Egyptian authorities.  It went on and quoted the current info on the Global Affairs page.

Absolutely no mention at all of a 72 hour cruise exemption.

[TeamCan]

On 9/12/2023 at 4:41 PM, mr_cruiser8 said:

It's a convoluted process, not really straight forward.  From what I remember: When you log back in, click on "DOWNLOAD DRAFT APPLICATION" and view your saved application, it is a pdf.  Review it very carefully to ensure that all your details are correct. If changes are needed, click on EDIT.  If everything is good, click on the CONFIRM button.  Do not click on the "SAVE/UPDATE APPLICANT" as that resets everything.  Instead click on the NEXT button, which takes you to the PAY screen.  Note that you might have to click on the + near the application reference number to open up the fields. You don't have to do everything at once, you can always log out and log back in anytime, to continue.  Hope that helps.

 

 

Just wanted to report back... we finally got our e-Visas... 6 days after we applied.  Yes, 100% agree it is a convoluted process!... took an hour on my husband's cell phone(he was away and didn't have his laptop)...didn't know about no postal code thing, no caps on passport#. etc.   This past spring we applied for 3 e-Visas for our Asia trip and e-Visas for OZ/NZ. Very easy and not glitchy in comparison to the Egypt software.  Our OZ e-Visa was instantaneous.

Apply for your e-Visa now as soon as possible as turnaround time is much longer now as e-Visa processing is inundated with so many applications.  Good luck everyone!

[2Cruisehoppers]

Just want to thank everyone here for being so helpful!   We took your advice, applied for our eVisa on Saturday and got it today, 1 business day turnaround time is not bad at all!

 

Glad we found this post!  Cheers!  Enjoy your trip in Egypt!

Edited September 18, 2023 by 2Cruisehoppers

[mjox32]

THINGS THAT HELPED fill out the e-visa.   I thought I would put these two comments from @mr_cruiser8 both together.    ALSO I had a problem with my address.   Use one line only for your whole address. No comas or extra spaces.  Do not fill it out like you would address an envelope.  I did not use my postal code.   

 

It's a convoluted process, not really straight forward.  From what I remember: When you log back in, click on "DOWNLOAD DRAFT APPLICATION" and view your saved application, it is a pdf.  Review it very carefully to ensure that all your details are correct. If changes are needed, click on EDIT.  If everything is good, click on the CONFIRM button.  Do not click on the "SAVE/UPDATE APPLICANT" as that resets everything.  Instead click on the NEXT button, which takes you to the PAY screen.  Note that you might have to click on the + near the application reference number to open up the fields. You don't have to do everything at once, you can always log out and log back in anytime, to continue.  

 

 

Hello, you are in the right direction.  Most/ all of Oceania's info should be found on their website/ correspondence/ confirmation/ docs sent to you.  If not, google "Oceania cruises address" or similarly, and you should see all the required info.  I got Oceania's info below, but you should confirm:

 

Host type: Tourism company

Host name: Oceania Cruises

Host phone number: +18555680187

Host fax number: **Leave this blank**

Host email: guestrelations@oceaniacruises.com

Host address: 7665 Corporate Center Drive Miami Florida

Who is paying travel ... : By the applicant himself/herself

 

Thanks to everyone who commented on this process.  Now we will wait and see what happens in Nov. when we board the ship.  We also fly through Cairo on the way home so I did apply for the multi entry visa.  

[mr_cruiser8]

☝️ One another peculiar thing is, you would enter your passport ID in capitals, but the process changes all capital letters (eg AB123456) to lower case letters (ab123456). Do not be alarmed by this, your eVisa will also be printed with the lower case letters (ab123456) but that seems to be perfectly acceptable. 

[TeamCan]

17 minutes ago, mr_cruiser8 said:

☝️ One another peculiar thing is, you would enter your passport ID in capitals, but the process changes all capital letters (eg AB123456) to lower case letters (ab123456). Do not be alarmed by this, your eVisa will also be printed with the lower case letters (ab123456) but that seems to be perfectly acceptable. 

Lol! My husband was alarmed by this at first.... all these little peculiarities. 🙃

[travelordie]

So the first step in applying is to verify your email address.  When we attempted to apply on the website, the message on the site stated..." We sent you an email to _________ with a button to verify your email address."  However, they did not send an email so now we're stuck and can't proceed.

[mr_cruiser8]

1 hour ago, travelordie said:

So the first step in applying is to verify your email address.  When we attempted to apply on the website, the message on the site stated..." We sent you an email to _________ with a button to verify your email address."  However, they did not send an email so now we're stuck and can't proceed.

Check your spam/ junk inbox for the e-mail 

 

[2Cruisehoppers]

Hello All,

 

Before you start your eVisa application for Egypt, you may want to watch this video first, it has step-by-step instructions which are very helpful, at least to us. You may want to gather all info and take a good picture of your passport(s) first before you start filling in the application.  We found doing in a pass would cause less trouble.  Remember no punctuation, no double spaces, no ending in numeric.  Also, enter the full address in one line and put the country at the very end. Good luck!