ABU DHABI // Airports in Barcelona and Bahrain were among the first transit channels to see Emiratis travel to Britain without visas on Wednesday.
To date, 221 Emiratis have applied for Britain’s new electronic, visa-free scheme that allows visits of up to six months. They were joined by 184 Qataris and 146 Omanis.
“January 1 saw the very first Emiratis use the visa waiver to travel to the UK from airports both in the UAE and Europe,” said Matt Heath, the regional director for UK visas and immigration.
“I’m delighted that Emiratis seem to appreciate the scheme and are starting to use it.”
The airports that assisted airlines and travellers using the scheme on Wednesday included those in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain and Barcelona.
Dominic Jermey, the British ambassador to the UAE, said the scheme was an important part of British efforts to foster closer ties with the UAE.
"Like all important relationships, it is our people who are at the heart of the long-standing friendship between the UK and the UAE," Mr Jermey said.
“This visa waiver offers a great alternative to a visa and can make it easier for Emiratis to visit Britain. The UK looks forward to warmly welcoming more Emirati visitors for business and leisure.”
The British embassy in Abu Dhabi said it expected the number of applicants to increase in the coming months.
Travellers must complete their visa-waiver application online at least 48 hours before departure and present a printed copy on departure and on arrival in Britain. It is only valid for a single entry on the dates and time specified.
Mr Heath said it was important that the details on the visa-waiver document exactly match those in the passports being used.
“This includes making sure that all names in the passport are also on the electronic visa waiver document and that they are spelt correctly. If there are any errors they can simply create and print a new one,” he said.
Online applications can be completed by visiting www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/evw.
More information on the visa-waiver form can be found in Arabic and English on www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/Documents/EVW/EVWAdditionalGuidance.pdf.
Emirati, Qatari and Omani passport holders who wish to work, study or visit Britain for longer than six months must obtain a visa.
cmalek@thenational.ae
The years Ramadan fell in May
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