KEY STORY
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UAE authorities have temporarily suspended issuing visas on arrival for Indian nationals with a visa or residence permit issued by the US, UK or an EU Member State, Etihad Airways said on Monday. However, no reason has been provided for the suspension.
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“The UAE authorities have decided to temporarily suspend the Visa-on-arrival facility for passengers who are arriving from or been in India in the past 14 days. We’re working to update our website, please keep an eye on https://bit.ly/TravelGuideEN for the latest regulations,” Etihad Help tweeted.
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Last week, Etihad Airways had said that Indians with a visa or residence permit issued by the US, UK or an EU Member State could visit Abu Dhabi.
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“If you are an Indian citizen, you are now eligible to apply for a visa when you arrive in the UAE, including Abu Dhabi. To qualify, you must have a US visitor visa or green card, or holding a UK or EU residence valid for at least six months. And your passport must have at least six months validity,” the national carrier had said in a statement.
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Earlier, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has allowed passengers holding passports of several SAARC countries including India to enter the country on a tourist visa provided they haven’t visited or been in these countries in the last 14 days.
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The exemption is provided to passport holders of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Nigeria, reported Gulf News quoting flydubai website.
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This marks a departure from UAE’s travel policy allowing only transit passengers and UAE citizens or residency holders to enter the country as part of ongoing Covid-19 travel curbs.
CONCLUSION
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Approval of tourist visas for Indian passport holders, who have not been in the country in the last fortnight, comes as the UAE is slowly opening up its arrivals.
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All tourists are required to undertake a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test upon arrival in the country and also on the ninth day after entering the UAE.
