Everyone FREAKED out in the UAE when it seemed the ol' 'visa run' from the UAE was ended, after a rather unhelpful PR piece by the UAE Government Visa guy just confused everyone.
"no re-entry??? But I fly in and out every day!. WTF??"
Ah. Exactly. The UAE Visa guys clarified: It only ever applied to those unfortunate people who have to pre-apply for a visa to visit the UAE in the first place! Naturally!
If you normally wouldn't even think about having to first get a visa to transit via the UAE, you are probably UNEFFECTED. You can come on down to Muscat, or go on up to Khasab, because you are a citizen of the....
Magic 34.
Photo: If this is home, you can exit and re-enter the UAE freely.If you are a passport bearing citizen of one of the 34 countries on the UAE's list, no worries. You are officially a member of the civilised world. Presumably also known as 'Places where the likelihood of you wanting to overstay in the UAE rather than going back home' is low. Rich countries. Nice countries. Countries where UAE people buy houses and go on holiday.
YOU can come and go as you please, Mr. GCC/American/Australian/UK/EU/etc,
You're OK. YOU can go to Oman from the UAE on a visit. As often as you want.
BUT,
you other people. No way. Get back in line.
Photo: The sort of people who's families can't visit Oman for a day or two when visiting the UAE.So, all clear now then! Thanks for that. Whew! For a while people thought the UAE would treat THEM like Indians/Pakistani/Afghani/...
Photo: Spot the difference kids!
Photo: The guys who really deserve the credit for the Burj I will always have been blessed by having that wonderful passport I was born with.
In case you were curious, and don't want to read the whole article, these are the UAE's 34 magic countries. Kids: ask your parents _ Do YOU have a passport from places on this list?
[Note: GCC Countries - like Oman - are not on this list because GCC citizens are a class above; able generally to pass across borders freely and own land in other GCC countries, have right of abode if you own said land, be able to be a business principal, easier work visas, etc. Thank goodness Oman is different!]
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Monaco
Netherlands (Holland)
New Zealand
Norway
Paraguay
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Vatican City
Hmmm. I predict a flood of dirt poor illegal Icelanders....
By the way, Here's the story from Gulf News:
Citizens of 34 nations exempt from UAE visit visa waiting period
Other visitors have to wait one month before applying again.
Dubai: Citizens of 34 countries do not have to wait one month before applying for a visit visa after leaving the UAE, a senior Interior Ministry official said.
Currently visitors who leave the UAE even after a day's stay have to wait for a month before they can apply for a visit visa again.
"Citizens of nations who need to obtain an entry permit into the country through any one of the residency departments will not be able to apply for another visa immediately after they leave the country," Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, acting Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Borders, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
Law
"Even if they stay here for two days and leave the country, they can come back after one month," he said. There is no multiple entry visit visa, Maj. Gen. Al Menhali stressed.
"If a visitor comes here, then goes on vacation to a nearby country and wants to come back, he should wait for one month before returning here," he said.
Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said these rules apply to people who need to apply for a visa prior entering the UAE.
"There are citizens of 34 countries who do not need a visa in advance. These citizens can get a visa upon arrival in the UAE," he said.
He said since the visa is issued upon arrival, these citizens can come back here any time they like.
"Citizens of these 34 countries need to show their passport to the immigration officer at any of the country's borders and they will have a new visa stamped. They can come and go as much as they want and at any time they want," he said.
Rules not new
"These rules are not new. But some people believe that they can come to the country and stay a couple of days and leave. They want to come back gain on the same visa believing that the visa has not expired yet, but they cannot. They have to wait for one month," he said.
Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said if a person stays for a day and leaves, the visa will be deemed expired even if the expiration date is later.
He said the one month waiting period is counted from the day the person leaves the country and not from the date of the visa expiration.
Multiple entry
Businessmen who need to enter and leave the country several times can apply for a multiple entry visa which is valid for six months, a senior Interior Ministry official said.
Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, acting Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Borders, said once this multiple entry visa expires, businessmen have to wait for a month before applying for another visa.
This waiting period does not apply to citizens of 34 countries.
Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said the residency department deals with issuing visas on a case-by-case basis.
"We study each visa application and if it needs to be issued before the end of the one-month period, we can do it but it will depend on the circumstances of the visa applicant," the interior ministry official said.
The citizens of these 34 countries also do not have to wait a month before applying for a visit visa.
List of 34 countries
Andorra
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Monaco
Netherlands (Holland)
New Zealand
Norway
Paraguay
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Vatican City
San Marino? And last but not least Vatican City!
ReplyDeleteIts really a pitty - some things in the GCC will never change - Citizens from Pakistan, India & Srilanka have played a vital role in the development of these GCC countries and are always rewarded with these new laws that slam them.
ReplyDeletePeople in the GCC should get out of their shell and smell the coffee!!!
In case you missed it, here's what the article says about business visitors -
ReplyDelete"Multiple entry
Businessmen who need to enter and leave the country several times can apply for a multiple entry visa which is valid for six months, a senior Interior Ministry official said.
Major General Nasser...said once this multiple entry visa expires, businessmen have to wait for a month before applying for another visa.
This waiting period does not apply to citizens of 34 countries."
So business visitors outside the magic 34 do have some relief in the form of a 6 month multiple entry visa, but upon its expiry, still need to wait a month for the next one?
UD
ReplyDeleteThis is too much dramatisation, and un-necessary UAE bashing. Oman has a similar list and similar laws, I dont see you lamenting about that?
And by the way, it has been proven that the pyramids, like Burj Khalifa, were not built by slaves.
This will change in near future. India is an emerging power while US and UK are bankrupt nations. For that matter even UAE is a bankrupt nation. Soon people with food will rule the world.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you are not aware UD, that in Oman the minimum waiting period between successive grants of visit visas for people not from "List 1" (which can be see here: http://www.rop.gov.om/english/dg_passport_countrylist1.asp ) is 90 days...
ReplyDeleteDA,
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad I wasn't born in Pakistan...
Dan,
I know there is a multi-reentry business visa, but it costs 100 rials.
Karim,
Unnecessary UAE bashing...LOL.
And, yes, I did know we have the same system... but its much more legal to criticise the UAE ;-)
And of course the Burj builders weren't slaves. Hell, they don't even get whipped...
Packman
I'm not so sure about near future. And the USA produces more food than anyone.
Twister
I didn't know it was 90 days here.
Virginia
ReplyDeleteYes, Oman has a list - so do all countries in respect of VISA requirements. The stupid thing with the UAE is that thay don't recognise EU countries as a whole. Poland is a very good example...
ReplyDeleteGet with the programme UAE.
Eh, most countries do this - It's amazing for when we have conferences in the U.S. and the hoops many people have to go through to get their visa to come if they aren't one of the visa waiver countries...
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would be smarter though if they would recognize the EU countries as a whole.