Key Takeaways
- The United Arab Emirates has resumed issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens through registered travel agencies.
- Around 1.8 million Pakistanis live in the UAE, making it a significant destination for both tourism and remittances.
- Family visa applications have seen the most improvement, with smoother processing times.
The United Arab Emirates has resumed issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens through registered travel agencies, reducing months of uncertainty that affected travel between Pakistan and one of its most important overseas destinations. This development is significant for both tourism and remittances, as around 1.8 million Pakistanis live in the UAE.
Travel industry officials reported that family visa applications have seen the most improvement. Applications that previously faced lengthy delays are now moving through the process more smoothly. Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, chief executive of Aroma Travels and former chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, stated: 'The UAE embassy in Pakistan has started issuing visas to Pakistani tourists traveling with families, which is a positive development.'
Muhammad Hanif Rinch, an office bearer of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, also reported an improvement in visa approvals. He said family visa applications had recently achieved greater success after individual Pakistani applicants faced high rejection rates for several years. 'The situation has improved since last week and more Pakistanis traveling with families are getting visas,' Rinch added.
Passenger traffic to the UAE is gradually recovering, with immigration figures indicating that travel from Pakistan to the UAE is increasing. A senior Pakistani immigration official said that around 400 passengers were traveling from Pakistan to Dubai each day by the final week of July, up from about 170 passengers earlier this summer.
The official also noted that current traffic remains far below the roughly 1,000 daily passengers recorded two years ago. Stricter checks on visa applications followed documentation concerns and safety and security issues in some areas. However, applicants with complete documents can now submit their visa applications without difficulty, according to an official at the UAE embassy in Pakistan.
The improvement follows months of concern about the processing of UAE visas for Pakistani citizens. In April last year, Pakistan’s interior ministry said Islamabad and Abu Dhabi had agreed to take the necessary steps to make visa issuance easier. The agreement followed a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and officials in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE embassy official confirmed that authorities were issuing visit visas to ordinary Pakistani passport holders who applied through registered travel agents. 'I don’t have the complete information, but visas are open through travel agents for ordinary passports,' the official said. The official added that some areas had previously experienced processing delays due to safety and security concerns.
The resumption of visit visas is expected to boost tourism and economic ties between Pakistan and the UAE. Family visa applications now represent about 10 percent of Pakistani visitors traveling to the UAE, according to industry officials.
'The UAE embassy in Pakistan has started issuing visas to Pakistani tourists traveling with families, which is a positive development.'
Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, Chief executive of Aroma Travels and former chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan
'The situation has improved since last week and more Pakistanis traveling with families are getting visas.'
Muhammad Hanif Rinch, Office bearer of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan
