India to issue multiple entry biz visas for UAE residents
dubai — India plans to issue multiple entry business visas for five years to UAE citizens and resident businessmen and women from April, the country’s ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Suri told
Khaleej Times on Thursday. This would be extended to tourists from the UAE and other GCC countries, the envoy said.
Suri said these multiple entry visas would be made available only to “bonafide businessmen or their representatives” from the UAE.
Currently, UAE nationals are granted visas on arrival, but restrictions exist on business visas. “As a continuation of improving bilateral trade and investment between India and the UAE, multiple entry business visas will be available from April 1, 2017, onwards. It will be open to GCC nationals and nationals from a number of countries who are based here,” the ambassador said in Dubai. He was not specific about nationalities, but added that “details would be announced soon”.
“It will take a little more time to put in place the biometric sampling system and other requirements. I am pretty confident that in addition to the five-years multiple entry business visas, multiple entry tourist visas for residents in the UAE will also follow. We are waiting for the implementation of the new system from April 1, 2017 onwards,” the Indian envoy said.
Resident businessmen of other nationalities will also be eligible for the new multiple entry visas. “It will definitely improve the business and tourism travel to India. Removal of these restrictions will widely improve the bilateral flow of businessmen and tourists to India,” said T P Sudheesh, General Manager, Deira Travels and Tours.
Speaking about the prisoner exchange programme between the nations, the ambassador said the programme is high on the government agenda. “There is no lack of effort and the two governments will continue to discuss the issue in the spirit of friendship,” he said
Answering questions about India opening a second consulate in the UAE, he said: “Shortage of skilled diplomatic manpower has been a big problem facing India for some years.” One route used to solve this issue is outsourcing services.
“Our ambition is to be next to the Indian community’s doorstep. There is a fair amount of rush in the BLS outlet when I visited there,” the ambassador said.
The bilateral civil aviation agreement is also witnessing the next round of negotiations next month and the Indian side has raised a concern about getting landing facilities. The ambassador has also advised Indians against falling trap to recruiting agents who are recruiting Indians to risky locations in the Middle East including Yemen, where some cases of Indians getting trapped are reported. He said there is no update about the Indian priest who has been in the custody of terrorist group.
He said the recent visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was historic and strengthened the ties between the nations further. Also, India sending a UAE satellite to the space is one aspect of growing relationship. There is improved relationship in trade, investment, defence and many other areas, he said.