In 2023, Gulf Corporation Council state nationals will no longer need a visa to travel to UK. This makes them the first countries to benefit from the UK’s new visa scheme, which the Home Office announced on Monday. When it starts in 2023, the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme will apply to United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.
Travel To UK With A Fully Digital Border System
The new fully digital border system for the UK is made for people who are visiting or passing through the country but don’t need a visa for short stays and don’t already have immigration status. Currently, people who want to visit the UAE must apply for a standard visitor visa or get an electronic waiver.
The UAE has wanted for a long time to give its citizens the same visa-free access to the UK as European citizens have to the Schengen zone. The Schengen zone comprises 26 countries that have officially stopped checking passports and other documents at their borders.
1\ The UAE will be one of the first countries under the ETA scheme. Emirati citizens will not need a visa to visit the UK from 2023 🇦🇪✈️🇬🇧
— Mansoor Abulhoul (@MansoorAbulhoul) June 27, 2022
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Ending The Cost Of Visa
It would be good for travel and trade if getting a UK visa before a trip didn’t cost money or take a lot of time. Emirati citizens can now get into 172 countries without a visa, and the passport has a high ranking in global mobility rankings.
In 2015, the UAE and the EU signed a visa-free agreement for the Schengen Area. This meant UAE citizens could travel through the Schengen countries and eight other states without a visa.
British authorities planned the new computerised border operation to manage 30 million admissions and departures yearly. This would be the first time the UK could keep track of everyone who enters and leaves the country.
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