Thursday 19 / September / 2024
GCC expats need to get e-visa before UAE visit
Rahul Das
Dubai: It's official, as of this Friday more than 1.5 million expatriate residents of Oman will need an e-visa to cross the border into the UAE whether by land or air.
Speaking exclusively to Times of Oman, Captain Khalil Ibrahim, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, said that effective April 29, 2016 all GCC residents/permit holders will need to pre-apply for an on-line visa prior to their travel to UAE. This will be applicable at all airports in the emirates plus border entry points from Oman, he said
He also warned that people will be turned away from the border or from the airport if they don’t have an e-visa. “This we have clearly communicated with all the immigration officials at the borders and at the airports,” he said.
He explained that the goal of the new system is to cut down queues at the borders and airports.
Though only exception to the rule are nationalities of around 46 countries who have a treaty with UAE, such as the United Kingdom or European Union countries. Citizens of these countries have a choice between visa on arrival or applying for a visa online.
“If they want they can apply for the e-visa or they can take it from the entry points at the border or at the airports,” said Captain Ibrahim.
Out of the 4.1 million visitors already from January to March this year, Dubai welcomed 322,000 visitors from Oman, a jump of 32 per cent on the year before, according to data issued by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).
Captain Ibrahim’s statement was echoed by senior airline officials which are operate in UAE that serve Oman.
“We are left with no choice other than to follow it,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice president for Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), flydubai said.
Oman’s national carrier Oman Air has also confirmed that GCC expatriates flying to United Arab Emirates (UAE) have to possess an e-visa before boarding the aircraft from April 29.
“The implementation date for the electronic visa required by all UAE airports is the 29th Of April. This will be applicable to all airlines and Oman Air will be enforcing the same,” said Saleem Amanulla, Vice President Airport Operations, Oman Air.
Immigration officials said that they experienced some technical glitches when it was introduced last year. “However things should be working well this time,” officials said adding that under the rules, regardless of the profession, expatriates have to apply online for an e-visa. Earlier, expatriates holding a certain professional status were eligible to get visa-on-arrival in the UAE.
