Not only are UAE nationals not given the privilege of a free visit visa upon arrival in these countries, but they are also subjected to what many respondents described as ‘time-consuming and rigid procedures’, before they are issued visas by the concerned consulates/embassies here in the UAE.

The time it takes for a UAE national to get a visit visa to these countries ranges from 24 hours to two weeks. The UAE, on its part, grants citizens of  many countries, including France, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Paraguay, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Canada, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, and United Kingdom, a single entry visa free of charge on arrival in the country. While some of these countries relax their rules for UAE citizens, many still follow the same old rules which require regular paper work and procedures that are a major inconvenience for UAE nationals who spend their vacations in these countries with their families every year.

Commenting on the issue, Reda H. Salman, a UAE national from Dubai, pointed out that like him, many nationals travel with their families to a number of popular European destinations every summer, and the visa procedures have been becoming tougher year after year. “Prior to 9/11, getting a visa to most of the European countries took 24 to 48 hours, but now, it could take as many as 15 days,” he said, adding that it would be fair on the part of these countries to treat UAE nationals the way their nationals are treated by the UAE. “The visa procedure applied by a country actually reflects on the confidence it has in the system and procedures that are in place in the applicant’s country. A UAE national would definitely not go to one of these countries either in need of work or as an immigrant, and as such, the existing visa requirements are a bit too inflexible and time-consuming,” he said.

For Jassim Hassan, the complicated and lengthy procedures involved in getting a visa to European countries meant a change in his choice of a holiday destination. “I now prefer to travel to the Far East rather than to Europe, and it is all because I find the visa part very inconvenient. For countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, I don’t even have to apply with their consulates here in Dubai as its possible to get a visa upon arrival,” he explained.

But the nature of his work as an engineer for a multinational company involves travelling extensively to various European and Western countries. “The problem with official trips is that one is not sure. It’s not possible to know well in advance if an official trip would be approved,” Jassim said, adding that at the same time, a visa for some European countries takes 15 days to process. He added that he has missed an important conference at least once due to visa processing time.

Several UAE national respondents said they would travel more often to certain European countries if visas were not such a hassle. Some of the problems mentioned by respondents included the length of an application form (seven to eight pages), to visa delivery timings (60 minutes), the lack of facility to electronically submit an application, and payment of visa charges at a bank rather than at the consulate itself.

Many feel that it is unfair to receive such a treatment, specially since UAE nationals are usually big spenders in those countries and their visits should be regarded as a boost to the tourism sector and economy of the destination countries. Besides, the chances of flouting the visa rules in those countries or staying illegally are non-existent. In response to calls from several readers, Khaleej Times investigated into the matter to gauge the opinions of diplomatic missions and to clarify the basis on which they grant visas to UAE citizens.

As many UAE citizens prefer to spend their summer holidays in Europe, the question was directed to David P. M. de Waal, Ambassador of the Netherlands to UAE, who is also President of the EU here in the UAE as part of a system of rotating presidency of the union.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, De Waal said most of the EU countries were following a uniform rule of granting visas which comes under the ‘Schengen visa’. He said this unified visa rule had made it easier for people travelling to several Schengen countries. He explained that some European countries, which are not part of the EU, had joined the Schengen. At present, there are 15 Schengen countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. All these countries, except Norway and Iceland, are EU members. De Waal said these countries had agreed to the guidelines on who should get a visa and that this should be a uniform procedure. However, he said these countries, though they try to expedite their issuance of visas to UAE citizens, were not acting on a reciprocal basis i.e. issuance of entry visas on-the-spot at the airport, but he did not elaborate on the reasons.

Clarifying the Schengen visa rules, De Waal said that if the applicant intends to visit only one Schengen country, he or she must apply at the embassy or consulate of that particular country. If the applicant intends to visit several Schengen countries, he or she must apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the country which is his/her main destination. Recently, two EU countries, Germany and France have decided to ease and expedite the issuing of Schengen visas to UAE citizens in one to two days to EU countries. Previously, it took up to 10 to 14 days for a Schengen visa to be processed. This has been welcomed and seen by many UAE citizens as a positive step that will surely contribute to the increase of not only UAE tourists, but more importantly, local businessmen as well to these European countries.

On the tourist inflow from the UAE to the Netherlands and vice-versa, the ambassador said: “Frankly, there are fewer tourists from the Netherlands than from the UAE. This shows that more and more UAE citizens are interested in visiting the Netherlands and other European countries. Calls were also made on European countries outside the EU and the Schengen countries — which many UAE citizens frequently visit — to treat UAE citizens reciprocally, or at least expedite the issue of their visas.

Here in Dubai, Vicky LeeGorton from the British Consulate said: “UAE nationals wishing to apply for a tourist visa to the UK are simply required to complete a short application form, and submit this along with their passport and two recent photographs. UAE nationals can apply for visas, entitling them to unlimited visits to the UK for up to 10 years. Further details about the application process, including downloadable application forms, can be found in Arabic and English on the British Embassy website — www.britain-uae.org.”

Ms LeeGorton added: “We offer a same day service to all visa applicants. Applications lodged before 11am will be available for collection that afternoon. UAE nationals are not required to visit the embassy in person and we offer a ‘fast track’ service to all applications from UAE nationals. All UK visas are issued through our overseas missions. It is not possible for a visitor to collect visa on arrival at UK ports of entry. We, therefore, make every effort to ensure the process of applying for visas at our overseas missions is as simple and as quick as possible.”

Ms LeeGorton also expressed gratitude for the excellent service provided by the UAE authorities to British Nationals entering the UAE. “This is one of the reasons why British visitors now form the largest national group of visitors to the UAE. We do our best to ensure the process of applying for entry to the UK through our embassies is equally as easy and flexible for UAE nationals visiting the UK. This includes a same-day service, multiple entries for up to 10 years, a simplified application process, a ‘fast track’ service, not having to attend the embassy in person, and a ‘drop box’ facility for applications after 11am,” said Ms LeeGorton.

Evelyn McNally, Education Office Manager, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, said: “The New Zealand Immigration Service advises that a citizen of the UAE can travel to New Zealand for a visit of up to three months without applying for a visit visa.  They will receive a visa stamp on arrival in New Zealand.” Ms McNally also added that any UAE visitor to New Zealand must have a return ticket, a passport valid for six months, and sufficient funds to support themselves while in New Zealand. “If a UAE citizen wishes to travel to New Zealand for longer than three months, then they must apply for a visa,” said Ms McNally.

Hilary Olsin-Windecker, Counsellor for Press and Cultural Affairs in the US embassy said: “By law, visas for the US must be issued overseas. The US does have agreements with some 25 countries for visa-free travel. This is called the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The country would have to be a part of this programme for its citizens to travel to the US without visas. Participation in this programme is determined on a government-to-government basis. All governments have their own laws to protect their citizens. Our visa officers try their best to adjudicate the law fairly for all visa applicants.”

According to the US consulate web site in Dubai, all applicants for US visitor visas must have an interview appointment, which sometimes could take a couple of weeks to arrange. Also required are two copies of bank receipts, showing the non-refundable payment of Dh370 for each application, paid at selected branches of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Applicants must present their passport at the bank when paying the visa fee. A passport must be valid for at least six months from the planned date of entry into the US. One photograph (5 cm. X 5 cm.), taken within the last six months, with a white background, and supporting documents is also a must. The US Immigration and Nationality Act requires that your eligibility for a non-immigrant visa be determined on the basis of strong, well-established ties to a residence outside the United States, as well as on the basis of reasonable, credible plans for your visit to the United States. The officer might ask to see one or more of the following documents (translated into English) such as an original, current letter of employment with job title, length of service and monthly salary, personal bank statements for the last six months, photocopies of current trade licence and current audited financial statements for the past two years showing status of business, property deeds, and current letters of invitation from American companies or conference organisers.