Can Indians extend their 14-day pre-approved visa in Dubai?

Some Indian passport holders travelling to Dubai via Emirates Airline can extend their pre-approved visa-on-arrival facility once during their visit, Khaleej Times (KT) reported.

This comes after Emirates Airlines on Wednesday, February 1, introduced a pre-approved visa-on-arrival facility for Indians with a valid six-month US, UK, or EU residency visa.

A 14-day single-entry visa will be issued by the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC) — VFS Global at a cost of Dirham 250.

The new initiative will enable Emirates passengers to skip queues when arriving in Dubai, simplifying their arrival formalities by breezing through customs before heading out to visit the city. 

It is reported that, the visa can be extended for an additional 14 days and processed at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) office in Dubai Airport Free Zone for a fee of Dirham 250.

Travellers can apply for a pre-approved visa 60 days or two days before arrival in Dubai, following Emirates’ guidelines for visa processing timelines.

How to apply for a pre-approved visa?

• Customers can book flights through the Emirates website or their preferred travel agent.

• After retrieving their booking through ‘Manage an existing booking’ on emirates.com, customers should click on the ‘apply for a UAE visa’ link.

• They will be redirected to the online UAE Visa application site powered by VFS Global Services, which sets out the requirements, terms and conditions to facilitate the visa application process.