Dubai:
After the United Arab Emirates (UAE) mandated stricter requirements for tourist visa applications for Dubai, Indians looking to visit the Gulf city are reportedly witnessing an unprecedented rise in visa rejections. Earlier, almost 99 per cent of Dubai visa applications were approved, but now even the most meticulously prepared requests are being rejected by the UAE authorities, according to a report by Times of India.
Recently, Dubai’s emigration department introduced stricter requirements for tourist visas, mandating travellers to provide hotel booking documents with QR codes and a copy of their return tickets. For travellers staying with relatives, additional proof of accommodation is needed by the latter.
Rise In Dubai Visa Rejections
As per the report, since the new visa rules for Dubai came into force, at least 5-6 applications out of 100 are being rejected daily.
“Earlier, the rejection rate for Dubai visas was just 1-2%. This is before the new rules were enforced. We are now getting at least 5-6 visa rejections per day from nearly 100 applications daily. Even when confirmed flight tickets and hotel stay details are attached, the visa applications are being rejected,” Nikhil Kumar, director of Passio Travels Pvt Ltd told TOI.
The move is creating uncertainty among travellers, who are facing financial losses not just on visa fees, but also pre-booked flight tickets and hotel reservations.
“We are seeing unprecedented rejection rates (for tourist visa applications to Dubai). Earlier, almost 99 per cent of Dubai visa applications were approved. Now, we are experiencing rejections even for well-prepared travellers,” said Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels, according to the TOI report.
He said even the most meticulously prepared application, with all relevant documents like confirmed hotel bookings and flight details, attacked with it, is being rejected. “I had a family of four who meticulously prepared their application. Despite this, their visa application was rejected,” he said.
Vijay Thakkar, director of Hasmukh Travels, told TOI that two of their passengers, who were planning to stay with their relatives in Dubai, recently had their Dubai visa applications rejected.
“While applying for the visa, we had attached all the relevant documents as per the new visa requirements. Yet, their applications were rejected. This resulted in significant monetary loss for the passengers, as they had spent nearly Rs 14,000 on visa fees, and ticket cancellation cost was another Rs 20,000 and more,” he said.
Dubai’s New Visa Policy
The UAE has recently introduced a new policy, under which travellers are required to submit hotel booking documents and return tickets on the emigration department’s website when applying for a visa. These documents were previously only required if asked by airport officers.
Moreover, tourists are also required to provide proof that they have sufficient financial resources to stay in the city. Applicants must at least have AED 5,000 (approximately Rs 1.14 lakh) in their credit or debit accounts for a two-month visa, and AED 3,000 for a three-month visa.
