Dubai: Are you an Indian planning to visit the UAE? If you have a permanent resident card (green card) issued by the US or a residence visa in the United Kingdom or European Union countries, you can get an entry visa for a period of 14 days when you come to the UAE.
Dubai’s immigration authority, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFAD) provides a service through which you can apply for a pre-approval of this visa and streamline your immigration process once you land in the UAE.
Here’s how you can use the service.
• a visit visa issued by the US or,
• a green card issued by the US or,
• a residence visa issued by the UK or,
• a residence visa issued by the EU,
… provided that the visa or the green card is valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in the UAE. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into the UAE.
How to apply for pre-approval of visa on arrival
Option 1: Do it yourself
If you have a UAE Pass account or an online account with the GDRFAD website, you can apply for this pre-approval yourself, by following these steps.
1. Visit the GDRFAD website – gdrfad.gov.ae, and log in using your UAE Pass or the online account details.
2. Click on the tab for ‘all services’ and then select ‘Port services'.
3. Select the option ‘Issuing visa via land, seaport or airport’ and then click on ‘Visa on arrival for citizens of the Republic of India residing in (America, Britain, European Union countries)’.
4. Fill in the form with your personal details and details of your trip, like where you are going to stay.
5. Next, select the type of visa you hold – EU residency, US green card etc.
6. Attach the required documents to support your application, including your passport and visa copies.
7. Pay the application fees and submit the request.
As per the GDRFAD website, the pre-approval process can take up to 48 hours, and when the visa is approved, you will receive an online copy on your registered email address.
Option 2: Apply for it through an agency
If you do not have a UAE Pass or an online GDRFAD account, you can also request a travel and tourism agency registered in the UAE to apply for the visa on your behalf.
“Even if people are staying in the US or UK, they may not want to apply for it themselves. In such cases, agencies can help them with the application process,” Husham Kattingeri, an outbound travel supervisor at Regal Tours Worldwide, told Gulf News.
In such cases, you would need to provide the documents to the travel agent and pay for the visa, as well as service fees that the agency would charge.
Option 3: Pre-approval for Emirates passengers
If you are flying with Emirates airlines, you can use their pre-approved visa-on-arrival facility, which was launched earlier this year. For a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the service, read our detailed guide here.
Documents required
1. A valid passport or travel document to enter the country,
2. Permanent residence card (green card) issued by the US or a residence visa issued by UK or European Union countries.
3. Personal photo (white background)
Cost
Dh253
You may need to pay additional service charges if you are applying through an agency.
To apply for the pre-approval through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), read our step-by-step guide here.
