The UAE Is Launching a New Tourist Visa Valid for Five Years
Prospective visitors to the United Arab Emirates, no matter their nationalities, will soon be able to obtain a five-year, multi-entry tourist visa. This new visa will replace the current system, which provided 30-day or 90-day visas that were either single or multi-entry.
The new visa system was announced on Twitter by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.
اعتمدنا اليوم تغيير نظام التأشيرات السياحية في الدولة .. لتكون مدة تأشيرة السياحة خمسة أعوام متعددة الاستخدام .. لكافة الجنسيات .. نستقبل اكثر من ٢١ مليون سائح سنويا وهدفنا ترسيخ الدولة كوجهة سياحية عالمية رئيسية .. pic.twitter.com/C4s26JjUE5
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 6, 2020
This new five-year, multi-entry visa is expected to launch within the next four months, with the aim of turning the UAE into a major tourist destination.
The new policy comes as Expo 2020 in Dubai this October is expected to attract a massive influx of visitors. The event, billed as “The World’s Greatest Show,” is an event where representatives from 190 countries gather to show off innovations in sustainability and mobility. Other openings, like the Museum of the Future and the Ain Dubai observation wheel (the world’s largest), are also expected to attract large numbers of tourists in 2020.
There has been no official announcement on exactly how much the visa will cost, but early reports suggest it will be affordable, at around $180.