UAE unveils radical 5-year multiple entry visa valid for all countries

- Tourists from across the world will now be able to visit the United Arab Emirates using a tourist visa of five years

- The new tourist visa, which was unveiled during a cabinet meeting, will be introduced within the next four months

- The prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed, chaired the cabinet meeting

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As part of wider plans to prepare the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the next 50 years of development, the country has unveiled its first multi-entry five-year tourist visa.

The unveiling was done during the first cabinet meeting of the year chaired by the prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, The National reports.

The current multiple entry visa for the UAE is only valid for 90 days from the date of the first entry into the country.

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According to Sheikh Mohammed, the new visa will allow tourists multiple entries into the country for a period of five years.

Sheikh Mohammed said the visa would be available to all nationalities.

"The year 2020 will be different because it is the year of preparation for the next 50, the year in which we design the future of the Emirates."

An Abu Dhabi resident from India identified as Nitin Chivilkar expressed satisfaction over the new visa, saying he has family and friends who come to visit him from India.

He said: "I live with my wife and we have a resident’s visa but this is good news for my family and friends who come to visit from India.

“I have been here for 10 years and this is a big step forward. My sisters and friends usually have to reapply for a three-month maximum visiting visa every time they want to come and stay.

“It is easy to get and can be done within six days for about Dh300 (R1 100) but if this is a multi-entry visa for five years it is pretty good news for them."

Christopher Inciong, who has lived in the UAE for 11 years, said the new visa will afford him the opportunity to easily bring his parents to visit from the Philippines.

He said: “I will definitely get my parents to visit now. This makes it more realistic for them to come and enjoy the UAE.

“The requirements before were not easy because it depended on your position at work and your financials."

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Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy denied reports that it stopped giving Nigerians visas following the alleged robbery incident in the country.

The UAE commission in Nigeria described the news about denial of visas as inaccurate and advised that people should always source real information about its activities through its official channels only.

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Source: Briefly News