Indians Eligible For A Pre-Approved UAE ‘Visa On Arrival’ Must Apply Online As A 14-Day Visitor First

Even if you are eligible for a pre-approved UAE visa on arrival, you will need to apply for a visa!

by Shreya Rathod
Indians Eligible For A Pre-Approved UAE ‘Visa On Arrival’ Must Apply Online As A 14-Day Visitor First

UAE offers ‘visa on arrival’ to nationals of 87 countries, including Indian citizens. However, they are supposed to apply for a 14-day visa before arriving. And it must be approved by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Indians Eligible For Pre-Approved Visa On Arrival Must Apply For 14-Day Visa

uae visa on arrival indian citizens
Credits: Canva

Indian nationals with regular passports who possess a US green card or a resident visa in the UK or the EU must apply online in advance in order to obtain a pre-approved visa-on-arrival, which allows them to enter the UAE as visitors for a 14-day stay. The Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has announced that the short-term visa may be extended for an additional 14 days, but only once.

According to GRDFA, passengers need to have a valid passport, travel documents, a Permanent residence card by USA or UK and a personal photo. You may as well go through the terms and conditions on the GRDFA website. For a while, UAE airports offered visas on arrival to eligible Indian tourists. The visa is often stamped at the immigration desk after passengers get off the plane. Travellers visiting Dubai must now apply online in order to use the programme.

The 5-Year Multiple Entry Visa

uae visa on arrival indian citizens
Credits: Canva

Earlier, Dubai had a five-year multiple-entry visa that enabled ease of travel between India and the Gulf region. Under this visa category, visitors can spend up to 180 days annually in the UAE and visit the country several times over a five-year period. This permits 900 days in the United Arab Emirates overall over a five-year period, but not consecutively. To add to its ease, the visa is issued in a little 48 hours.

India ranked as the top source market in 2023 with 2.46 million overnight visitors to Dubai. The city saw 1.97 million visitors from India in 2019 compared to 1.84 million in the same time the previous year. Tourists may benefit from many entries and exits through this effort, which offers operational flexibility for leisure travel, business engagements, and seamless connection.

Also Read: Application Process, Payment Mode & More; Here’s How To Apply For Dubai Visa Via Emirates!

Earlier, a partnership was signed by Dubai’s Emirates Airline and VFS Global to provide a pre-approved visa-on-arrival service for certain Indian passport holders who travel on the airline.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva

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