According to a tweet from Etihad Airways, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) temporarily stopped the issuance of visas-on-arrival for travellers arriving from or those who have visited India in the past 14 days. The airline did not give a reason for the suspension, but it did say that the information would be updated on its website.
“The UAE authorities have decided to temporarily suspend the Visa-on-arrival facility for passengers who are arriving from or been in India in the past 14 days. We’re working to update our website, please keep an eye on https://bit.ly/TravelGuideEN for the latest regulations,” Etihad Help tweeted.
The tweet was in answer to a passenger’s question on whether an Indian citizen with a US visa can fly to Abu Dhabi and obtain a visa-on-arrival, allowing them to travel to Dubai without quarantine.
Passengers were also requested by Etihad to “please keep an eye on https://bit.ly/TravelGuideEN for latest regulations”.
Etihad had announced earlier last week that Indians with a visa or residence permit issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, or a European Union member state are eligible for a UAE visa.
“If you’re an Indian citizen, you are now eligible to apply for a visa when you arrive in the UAE, including Abu Dhabi. To qualify, you must have a US Visitor Visa or Green Card or holding a UK or EU residence valid for at least 6 months,and your passport must have at least six months validity,” Etihad had stated.
The facility was extended to citizens of Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Uganda, in addition to India. The National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA), however, has declared unequivocally that all travellers will be subjected to a fast Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test on the day of their arrival and on the ninth day following their arrival in the nation.
In light of the evolving COVID-19 scenario, travel restrictions to and from the UAE have altered frequently in recent weeks.
Emirates Airline, based in Dubai, said on April 22 that its flights from India to the UAE would be banned for ten days. This ban was then extended multiple times.
The UAE relaxed its restriction on transit travellers from India on August 5 and Emirates, the UAE’s flag carrier, declared on August 10 that COVID-19 vaccination certificates are no longer necessary for entry for UAE residents flying in from India and five other countries.
– India’s new age travel digital media
