Canadians still need visa to travel to the UAE

Countries' foreign ministers agreed more than a month ago that rules would change within a month but no change has taken place.

DUBAI // Canadians have to obtain a visa before travelling to the UAE, despite the two countries agreeing to a deal last month.
On April 2, the Canadian foreign minister John Baird and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the visa requirement for Canadians would be removed within a month.
But a note on the UAE Embassy's website in Ottawa confirmed that "a visa for the UAE is still required for Canadian passport holders".
"The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates will update the information on this website when any visa requirement change occurs," it said.
The ministers last month said: "Just over a year ago we set out an agenda between our countries to strengthen and re-energise the Canada-UAE relationship.
"We will facilitate travel requirements to increase business, tourism and joint prosperity for our citizens by restoring the visa regime.
"We are pleased to announce that we have accomplished those goals, which will be formalised in the next month."
In January 2011, the UAE dropped Canada from a list of 33 countries whose citizens can obtain a free visa on arrival.
The move followed a diplomatic disagreement between the two countries over airline landing rights in Canada and the closure of its military base in Dubai.
Mr Baird said the announcement came after two years of talks to rebuild relations.
"Over the last two years of working to restore these constructive and cordial relations, the UAE Foreign Ministry said it will restore the old visa regime and is expected to do so by next month," he said.
But the UAE Embassy in Canada said: "Please kindly know that the new UAE visa regulations for Canadian passport holders is in process."
The regulations introduced in December last year state that a short-term single entry visa valid for 30 days costs 165 Canadian dollars (Dh585).
Long-term single entry visas valid for 90 days are priced at Dh1,167, while multiple-entry visas valid for six months with a maximum stay in the UAE of 30 days each cost Dh2,334.
Diplomatic and special Canadian passport holders can obtain any of the above visas at no cost while a new multiple-entry visa for diplomatic, special and UN passport holders will be issued for three months free of cost and without sponsorship.
The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi was not responding to calls for comment yesterday.
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