UAE issues new visiting visa guidelines: Passengers detained at airports

The immigration department has tightened inspections and checking at UAE airports to find job seekers who arrive in the country on visiting visas. Hundreds of passengers from Kottayam and Idukki districts in Kerala were detained at the airport as they didn’t have proper travel documents. The checking began at Kerala’s Kochi and Kozhikode airports. Checking has become stricter here after passengers were detained in UAE. More than 20 passengers weren’t allowed to board the flight at the Cochin International Airport on Wednesday alone. Meanwhile, up to five persons aren’t allowed to travel at the Calicut International Airport daily. Until now, at least 30 passengers in Kozhikode had to cancel their journey.

The airline companies have been strictly imposing the guidelines that visiting visa holders should possess documents of hotel booking as well as 5,000 dirhams (Rs 1.3 lakh) for their expenses. Hundreds of passengers who arrived at the airport with just a visa and air tickets couldn’t board the flights. They weren’t allowed to travel even after giving the visa details, phone numbers and addresses of the relatives and friends who were supposed to receive them in UAE. The passengers whose journeys got cancelled weren’t given any refunds; neither were they allowed to reschedule their journeys. Many of them waited at the airport for hours before returning home.

Indigo Airlines officials said that they received the directives regarding the hotel booking document and a margin of 5000 dirhams, besides the visa and return ticket, by Tuesday night. The guidelines warn that the airline companies would be responsible if passengers without proper documents land in the UAE. Moreover, the companies would be slapped with a hefty fine of 5000 dirhams per passenger. It is the first time that airports have adopted such stringent measures to monitor the passengers to the UAE. The passengers should carry or have in their account 3000 dirhams (Rs 68,000) for a month visa and 5000 dirhams for a month visa. Credit cards with these limits too would be allowed.

Here are a few guidelines issued by the immigration authorities for those who arrive in Dubai on a visiting visa.
1) The airport officials would inquire about the purpose of the visit, accommodation facilities and also about the amount of money for their expenses. Those who are not able to answer satisfactorily wouldn’t be allowed to leave the airport.
2) Those who arrive on a visiting visa and tourist visa aren’t allowed to work. It is illegal for travel agencies and recruitment agencies to promise employment opportunities to visiting visa holders.

3) Those who arrive on employment visas should complete the visa procedures on their entry permit that allow them to work in the UAE.
4) If the intention of the visiting visa holder is tourist activities, then they should provide information about the hotel where they stay, return ticket and the amount of money for expenses.
5) In case you have come to visit a relative or a friend, the officials may ask for copies of their visa and passport as well as details of their address, phone number and place of accommodation.