“Public services at the British Embassy in Cairo are suspended on Sunday 7th Dec…. We are not able to receive new visa applications at this time … Please do not come to the embassy building,” the statement said.
The reasons behind the decision to temporarily close the embassy were not disclosed.
The UK Foreign Office added that visa application centers in Cairo and Alexandria will remain open for urgent inquiries, such as returning passports. Applications for a visitor's visa can be made in any country with a UK visa application center, while for any other type of visa, applicants have to visit the neighboring United Arab Emirates or Jordan.
Egypt has been suffering unrest since the July 2013 military coup, when then-president Mohamed Morsi, linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, was removed from power following mass anti-government protests across the country.
Following months of confrontation between Islamist protesters and government forces, Egypt's ex-defense minister, Abdel Fattah Sisi, was elected as the new Egyptian president in May. Pro-Islamist protests in the country, however, continue.
