At a great time: UAE introduces new Visa on arrival policy for Indian travellers

Mangalore Today News Network

UAE, October 18, 2024: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a new visa-on-arrival policy, easing entry for people holding permanent resident cards or visas from the United States, United Kingdom, or any European Union country.

This update was shared by the Indian mission in the UAE on Thursday via a social media post on X. As per the new policy, Indian citizens and their family members who hold ordinary passports will be granted a visa on arrival at all ports of entry in the UAE. This applies to holders of:

* A valid visa, residence, or green card issued by the United States of America.
* A valid visa or residence issued by the European Union countries and the United Kingdom.
* The passport’s validity period shall not be less than (6) months.

The above-mentioned persons have the option of obtaining a visa on arrival for 14 days, extendable for a similar period, or obtaining a visa on arrival for 60 days, non-extendable, after paying the prescribed fees in accordance with the applicable norms in the UAE.

India-UAE Relations

India and the UAE enjoy traditionally close and friendly relations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Since the formation of the UAE, there has been steady progress in the bilateral ties and from 2014 onward, this relationship has received special attention under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

People-to-people ties are the strongest link between India and the UAE, which hosts more than 3.5 million Indian nationals. India is also a top source of tourism for the UAE. Travel agents in the UAE have welcomed the move to provide more Indian nationals with visas on arrival in the country.

“We are expecting our business to go up by at least 15 to 17 percent with this move,” Praveen Chawdhary from Saffron Travel and Tourism, was quoted as saying by The Khaleej Times. “People who usually travel to the EU or the UK from India often prefer to transit through the UAE. Now that they have the option to get visa on arrival, most travellers will choose to spend at least one or two extra days here and explore the UAE before continuing with the journey.”

Safeer Mahamood, general manager at Smart Travels, told the Gulf outlet that they are “expecting the demand for our services to increase by at least 10 to 15 percent.”  “It comes at a great time, too, with the peak travel season falling between November and March. There are several groups of people who will be flying to Europe to visit their families. Now, these people will choose to transit through the UAE and stay here for a day or two.”