Two-month free tourist visa for kids under 18 in UAE

Photo Courtesy: IG/nuchienuchiee

The UAE has announced a change in visa rules for tourists and free transit visas to all passengers flying through Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The Emirate has introduced a new two-month exemption for dependents of tourists travelling to the country on holidays. Now, tourists can also obtain a fee-free visa for children under the age of 18 years during the summer period from 15th July to 15th September of each year.

The UAE government has also announced that it will be setting up several express counters at the passport control halls at airports across the Emirates to allow passengers to collect the transit visa. At present, a 96-hour transit visa to Dubai costs approximately Rs 3,000, with a processing time of up to four days. It has also been approved to exempt transit passengers from all entry fees for the first 48 hours. Transit visa can be extended for up to 96 hours for a fee of only Dh50.

The UAE had adopted a decision to grant people overstaying their visa a chance to leave the country voluntarily without a ‘no entry’ passport stamp. A new 6-month visa will be introduced for job seekers who overstayed their visa but wish to work in the country.

The number of passengers travelling through the country’s airports reached 32.8 million during the first quarter of this year.