UAE visit visa for Pakistanis becomes easier after major policy relief
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has relaxed its visit visa policy for Pakistani citizens after months of uncertainty. Travel agents and immigration sources say the approval process has become faster, especially for applications submitted through registered travel agencies.
According to travel agents, Pakistani families and people planning to visit relatives living in the UAE are now receiving visit visas more easily than before. Applications submitted through registered travel agencies with complete documents are seeing a much higher approval rate.
Around 1.8 million Pakistanis currently live in the UAE, making it one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities. The UAE is also one of Pakistan’s biggest sources of workers’ remittances.
During the past several months, many Pakistanis faced long delays, extra security checks and visa rejections. However, both the Pakistani and UAE governments repeatedly said that no official visa ban had been imposed on Pakistani citizens.
Travel agents now say visit visas for ordinary Pakistani passport holders have started returning to normal. They believe this is an encouraging sign for travellers after a difficult period.
People travelling with their families or visiting relatives in the UAE are among those benefiting the most from the latest changes. Officials say approval rates for family applications have improved noticeably.
Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, Chief Executive of Aroma Travels and former chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP), welcomed the development. He said the return of visit visas for Pakistani families is a positive step that will help restore travel confidence.
Also read: Pakistan launches e-passport for UAE-based citizens from July 20
He also said tourism activity has started picking up again. Passenger numbers, which had dropped in recent months, are now gradually increasing.
Immigration data shows that at the start of the summer, around 170 passengers travelled daily from Pakistan to Dubai. By the last week of July, that number had risen to around 400 passengers a day.
Although this is still below the nearly 1,000 daily passengers seen two years ago, travel experts believe the rising numbers show that the situation is improving.
Muhammad Hanif Ranch, an official of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, also confirmed the change. He said visa approvals have improved since last week, especially for applications submitted through registered travel agencies.
An official at the UAE Embassy in Pakistan also confirmed that ordinary Pakistani passport holders can obtain visit visas if they apply through registered travel agencies with complete documents. The official said some delays occurred because of security checks, but applicants with correct paperwork can now submit their applications without major difficulties.
Last year, Pakistan and the UAE agreed to work together to improve visa facilities. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said stricter checks had been introduced because of fake educational certificates, fake employment contracts, criminal activities involving some individuals and the misuse of social media.
The latest development is expected to strengthen tourism, family visits and business ties between Pakistan and the UAE. It could also make it much easier for genuine Pakistani travellers to obtain UAE visit visas in the coming months.
The latest changes show that cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE is improving. If the current trend continues, more Pakistanis may find it easier to travel for family visits, tourism and business, while both countries could benefit from stronger people-to-people connections.
