A long time ago, the UAE had issued new visa rules which allowed Indian passport holders to arrive in the UAE and obtain a visa on arrival. However, the UAE suspended this provision, given the pandemic. However, the UAE is now ready to allow visitors from India again on a Visa on Arrival. Here is everything you need to know about the Abu Dhabi Visa on Arrival and Countries which can use the facility for their citizens.

Visa on Arrival now available for arrivals from 70 countries into Abu Dhabi

Etihad Airways has recently updated travel rules for passengers arriving from the green list and other countries on its website. It says,

You can enter Abu Dhabi if you are a UAE national or resident, or if you are eligible for a visa on arrival. Pre-arranged visas issued by any emirate and arriving from green list countries are permitted entry into Abu Dhabi. Pre-arranged visas issued by Abu Dhabi are permitted entry regardless of origin.

All other visa services are currently suspended. If you are travelling to Dubai or another emirate via Abu Dhabi as a tourist, your visa must be issued in Abu Dhabi, unless you are travelling from a Green list country.

You can check out the list of the 70 countries whose citizens will be provided with a Visa on Arrival. It includes Canada, the US, UK and France, amongst others.

Visa on Arrival for Indian Passports on arrival into Abu Dhabi

The statute for providing a Visa on Arrival for Indian passports has also been revived simultaneously. In 2016, the UAE had launched a Visa on Arrival programme for Indians. Passengers travelling from India are at this point only permitted to enter the UAE if they are:

•  A UAE National, Golden/Silver Visa holder or a diplomat
• Medical personnel
• Education sector workers
• Students studying in the UAE
• A fully vaccinated resident of the UAE – you must have proof of having received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine within the UAE no less than 14 days before travel.
• Travelling for medical reasons
• A federal government agency worker

However, with the revival of the Visa on Arrival for Indian passports at Abu Dhabi airport, it means you are now eligible to apply for a visa when you arrive in 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.

Your visa will be valid for a maximum stay of 14 days and costs AED 100. You can extend the duration of your visit by an additional 14 days once only by paying a renewal fee of AED 250.

You should check out our experience with Visa on Arrival in Abu Dhabi. It is very simple, as long as you have the suitable stickers on your passport.

For Dubai, there is no clarity yet from the emirate about when will they start offering Visa on Arrival for Indian passports again. For now,  even their visa-on-arrival list is minimal. But the Abu Dhabi move might motivate them to change that.

Bottomline

You can now arrive in Abu Dhabi with a visa-on-arrival provision, as long as you have all the suitable sticker visa/s on your Indian passport.

Anybody planning a trip to Abu Dhabi soon, then?

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