Dubai : Hotel booking documents and return ticket have been made mandatory to get tourist and visitor visa in Dubai. Dubai Immigration has issued notice to travel agencies in this regard. The new requirement is to submit the hotel booking document with QR code and a copy of the return ticket while applying for the visa. Otherwise, the visa process may be delayed.
Visa applications of many Malayalis who have not submitted such documents are half-way through. When traveling earlier, it was enough to show these two documents only if asked at the immigration at the airport. Also, AED 5,000 for 2-month visa and AED 3,000 for 1-month visa on credit/debit card is mandatory.
Joy Thomas, owner of Al Sora Travel Agency in Dubai, told Manorama Online that from this morning, when applying for a tourist visa online,they are being asked to upload hotel booking and return ticket documents on the immigration website.
Tourist visas can be applied for by travel agencies. Visitor visas can be applied for by trading companies, individuals and families. But the rules and conditions of both the visas are same.
Such conditions are already in place for citizens of Pakistan and some African countries when applying for visitor and tourist visas.
At the same time, there is no clarity on whether a non-resident in the UAE should submit a hotel booking and return ticket while applying for a visitor visa on behalf of his family.
