Earlier this month, I had written about the UAE making a decision to grant Indians Visa on Arrival into the Emirates. There was no date announced at that time, however, it seems that this went into quick implementation.

Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE has not notified this officially yet, various media outlets are reporting that the new Visa on Arrival will be available from May 1, 2017. Per Gulf News:

Indian passport holders with a valid American visa or a Green Card will be eligible to get UAE visa on arrival at all ports starting May 1, officials said on Tuesday.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) this week circulated a letter to authorities to grant the UAE visa to Indians with valid America visa or Green Card following a Cabinet decision last month.

Here is how the text will look like:

Citizens of the Republic of India who are holders of normal passports with a six-month, or more, valid green card or visa issued by the United States of America shall be granted entry visas to the UAE from all ports for a period of 14 days, subject for a single renewal for the same period upon payment of applicable fees

The validity of the passport must be not less than six months and the fee for an entry permit will be Dh100, working to about INR 1750.

This should surely help load up those planes for a quick weekend jaunt to Dubai, even if earlier people had to plan much in advance to get a Visa prepared beforehand.