TCF Canada in Beirut and Cairo (and e-TEF Canada in Egypt): calendars, deadlines and booking

Lebanon and Egypt both work from a yearly calendar. That sounds easy, but each date has a hard cut-off: a registration deadline in Beirut, and a short registration period in Cairo. If you miss it, the next date can be one month away in Beirut, or two to three months away in Cairo. This guide shows you the calendars, the steps, and how to plan backwards from your Express Entry deadline.

€215

TCF Canada in Beirut (2026 calendar)

7–11 days

Cairo’s registration period for each date

2 of 2

Run TCF Canada; only Cairo runs (e-)TEF Canada

The Institut français du Liban runs TCF Canada at its Espace des lettres, rue de Damas. Its 2026 calendar says “examens uniquement sur ordinateur”: every TCF here is taken on a computer. There is no TEF Canada in Beirut. The fee is €215 for TCF Canada. The calendar also lists a €50 re-mark per skill for speaking or writing, but France Éducation international has paused TCF re-marking for sessions from September 1, 2026.

*The calendar marks every deadline “en fonction des places disponibles”: a date can fill before its deadline. Earlier in 2026 the pattern was one TCF Canada date a month except January, May and August, with the deadline 2–4 weeks before. The 2027 calendar wasn’t online when we checked. We track every Beirut date on TCF Canada dates in Lebanon.

1. 1Choose a date on the yearly PDF calendarIt’s linked from the Beirut exams page of the Institut français du Liban. Note the “fin des inscriptions” date next to it.
2. 2Contact the language centre earlyEmail cdl.beyrouth@if-liban.com or call 01 420 272 / 01 420 273 to register. Don’t wait for the deadline week.
3. 3Pay the €215 feeThe calendar quotes fees in euros; ask the centre how to pay when you register.
4. 4Sit the exam on computerListening, reading and writing on screen, plus the speaking interview, over the dates of the session.
5. 5Collect your attestation in personPapers are marked in France, so results take about 6 weeks. You must pick up the attestation at the institute.

The Institut français d’Égypte (IFE) runs both exams at IF Mounira, downtown Cairo. TCF Canada is on the TCF calendar; TEF Canada is run as the computer-based e-TEF Canada. Each date has a short période d’inscription, and the IFE only accepts registrations through its Google Form during that period. Outside it, the page simply says inscriptions are closed.

The registration period closes 3–6 weeks before the exam, so you register for the December TCF in early November, not in December. The last 2026 e-TEF Canada date was 22 October; the next one will be on the 2027 calendar. Cairo’s dates are on TCF Canada dates in Egypt and TEF Canada dates in Egypt.

1. 1Check the IFE “Prochaines sessions” pageIt links the yearly calendars and the registration forms for TCF Canada and e-TEF.
2. 2Fill in the form as soon as the period opensUse the exact spelling on your passport. The form is only live during the registration period.
3. 3Upload your passport copyA valid passport is required.
4. 4Pay as the IFE instructsThe fee isn’t on the sessions page or the calendars, so confirm it with infoexamens@ifegypte.com or the WhatsApp line +20 12 8277 7956.
5. 5Wait for your convocationIt arrives by email with the time and place. On the day, note your candidate code: results are posted as an anonymous table on the IFE site about 4 weeks later.

In Beirut there is no choice: it’s TCF Canada. In Cairo, the choice is mostly about dates. TCF Canada runs about five times a year, e-TEF Canada about three, so the TCF gives you more chances. IRCC accepts both and converts them to the same NCLC levels. The formats differ: TCF Canada has three writing tasks and a 12-minute interview; TEF Canada has two writing sections and a 15-minute interview. Read TEF vs TCF Canada, or try the quick quiz below.

Results are valid for 2 years from the test date. Before you book, check the minimum score per skill with the target score calculator. A TCF Canada practice test shows how close you are.

Both countries have long gaps between some dates, especially Cairo for e-TEF. If you can travel, the UAE is the nearest region we track with both exams in two cities: see TEF and TCF Canada in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Check visa rules before you book a seat abroad. Our centre finder ranks the nearest centres from any city.