Passengers arriving at Abu Dhabi International Airport can get tourist visas within 15 to 30 minutes, authorities have announced.
A new visa counter has been launched at the airport to facilitate the visa application process for both transit and arriving passengers to the UAE capital.
The new service, located at the Terminal 3 transit area at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), includes activation of the new four-day, or 96-hour, transit visa for all nationalities travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The announcement was jointly made by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, along with Abu Dhabi Airports, Etihad Airways and General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs – Abu Dhabi.
The launch of the new visa counter is part of the Life in Abu Dhabi initiative, in support of the Enriching Tourist Experience. Established in May 2017 as part of the Government Services Office at Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Life in Abu Dhabi is an annual gathering aimed at developing a number of public sector services for the government of Abu Dhabi.
The new counter will issue several types of mission and tourist visas available to travellers who do not fall under the current ‘visa upon arrival’ scheme. Passengers can now approach the visa counter in T3 to apply for, and obtain the relevant visa within a maximum 30 minutes.
In addition, the visa counter is now issuing the new 96-hour transit visa, which is a key part of Abu Dhabi’s ongoing efforts to attract more visitors to the capital.
The Dh300 visa can be used by passengers with planned trips from Abu Dhabi, or with intermediate flights through Abu Dhabi en route to their destination if their layover exceeds four hours. The transit visa can be applied for both at the new visa counter on arrival, or through the online designated portal, provided passengers meet the application criteria. Travellers can also request to change their transit visa to a tourist visa at the airport if they are planning to extend their stay in the capital.
Previously, the transit visa was only available for citizens of certain countries while other passengers had to apply through the official channels prior to their arrival to the capital.
Brigadier Mansour Ahmed Ali Al Dhaheri, Director-General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Abu Dhabi, said, “The launch of the new entry visa system strengthens the country’s efforts to maintain its regional leadership and position on the global map in the fields of tourism, economy and education. More info
By Staff khaleejtimes.com
