Emirates-VFS Global offer Indians UAE visa on arrival service
Indian citizens need valid 6-month US, EU or UK residency visa
Emirates (EK) has partnered with Dubai-headquartered outsourcing and technology service specialist VFS Global to launch a pre-approved UAE visa-on-arrival facility exclusively for Indian citizens who booked their travel to the UAE with the Dubai-based supercarrier.
The new collaboration aims to enhance the travel experience for Indian passengers flying to the UAE with Emirates.
The initiative, fulfilled by the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC), offers the airline’s eligible Indian passengers a 14-day single-entry UAE visa, allowing them to bypass UAE immigration queues upon their arrival in Dubai.
Eligibility condition
The exclusive service applies to Indian passport holders with a valid six-month US, EU or UK residency visa.
The issuance of a UAE visa for eligible Indian citizens is at the discretion of the UAE’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs and not Emirates or VFS Global.
To avail themselves of the new service, Emirates’s Indian passengers must book their flights through emirates.com or travel agencies.
Upon retrieving their booking on emirates.com through ‘Manage an existing booking,’ Indian passengers can click the ‘apply for a UAE visa’ link. This link redirects to the online UAE visa application site powered by VFS Global Services, outlining the requirements and terms to facilitate a visa application process.
Dubai hotspot
Dubai emirate, located three hours’ flying time from most major Indian cities, is highly favoured by Indian travellers for business, sightseeing and shopping activities. Dubai is also home to a huge Indian community that resides in the emirate and surrounding emirates.
According to Dubai Tourism statistics, Dubai recorded two million overnight visitors from India between January and October 2023.
According to Booking.com, Indian travellers are expected to undertake five billion trips globally in 2030 – up from 2.3 billion in 2019 – with the UAE destination figuring prominently in Indians’ travel plans.
Emirates operates 167 weekly flights from Dubai to nine destinations in India, comprising Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
Featured image: Dubai is a top destination for Indian travellers. Image: Dubai Tourism
Last Updated on 10 months by Arnold Pinto
