Get a visit visa in 10 minutes

abu dhabi — A new visa processing system has been launched that will eradicate the need for residents to visit service centres to obtain their entry permits and visas, the Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs said the new system, called ‘E-Channels’, will see residents obtain entry permits and visas in just 10 minutes.

The ministry said E-Channels will allow customers to have their applications completed without having to visit visa centres. “This is a pioneering step to ensure a speedy process and accuracy in the visa and residency services.”

The system will include new features that are not available in any other country, such as its ability to automatically read official documents electronically, use fingerprint technology to identify people, and process routine requests, such as auditing, accounting, governance and quality control.

Brigadier Mansour Ahmad Al Daheri, director of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Abu Dhabi, said the system will be effective for all customers and aims to cut the number of residents visiting visa centres by 80 per cent in 2018.

Customers will not have to provide hard copies of their documents under the new system. They

can simply scan the documents and provide all relevant information online.

Experts estimated the process to not exceed 10 minutes, according to tests and trials of the new system. Even if the visa application is made at a typing centre, it is estimated to only take five minutes extra. “Some entry visas could even be issued within a few minutes,” added the ministry.

He also said that the system will connect government authorities that provide visa and residence services, to promote cohesion between government authorities.

jasmine@khaleejtimes.com