‘Early decision’ expected on UAE entry of Indians in all visa categories: Envoy

dubai — An ‘early decision’ is expected on allowing all categories of valid visa holders to travel from India to the UAE, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE has said.

Pavan Kapoor announced on his Twitter handle on Wednesday: “Since the UAE has recently started issuing new visas, we have recommended to authorities in India to consider allowing Indians with valid visas to travel to the UAE. We are hopeful for an early decision.”

Consul-General of India in Dubai Dr Aman Puri said that once revised, those with families in the UAE and those with new residency visas that have not yet been stamped into the passports will be allowed to travel into the UAE. However, the exception does not extend to those planning to travel for the purpose of ‘seeking jobs’.

The announcement from the ambassador comes as a respite for scores of UAE expatriates who are still stranded in India. Many desperately waiting to be reunited with their loved ones and return to their jobs in the UAE.

On Monday, the ambassador announced that the temporary India-UAE travel corridor, which began on July 12, will be extended until August 31.

However, the agreement is limited only to those with valid residence visas stamped in their passports. The passengers also need to acquire pre-travel approvals from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA), and a valid Covid-19 negative PCR test result from government-approved laboratories.