Lifestyle

New Dubai Visa Rules Spark Record Rejections for Indian Travelers

Getting a visa has become much more difficult for Indian visitors visiting Dubai due to recent changes to the regulations. Travel agencies and Indian tourists are thus suffering significant losses. The number of visa rejections has increased significantly, according to travel agents, going from 1-2% to 5-6%. The new regulations are making it difficult for travelers who had previously made plans to get their visas granted, which has resulted in the loss of pre-paid airfare and hotel reservations as well as the forfeiture of visa payments.

Although the precise beginning of this problem is unknown, the Times of India said that since the new rules were implemented, the situation has quickly gotten worse. Proof of hotel reservations, return airline tickets, and information on lodging for family members are now part of the revised criteria for a Dubai tourist visa. Due to their ignorance of these new rules, many tourists have their visa applications rejected.

“The number of visa rejections has never been this high,” stated Rishikesh Pujari, Director of Bihar Travels. Applications for tourist visas to Dubai are being denied at an exceptional rate—something that has never occurred before. Previously, about 99 percent of applications for Dubai visas were granted. Even well-prepared tourists are now being turned away. In several instances, the visa was denied even though all the necessary paperwork was in order. According to Pujari, a party of 35 people suffered a large financial loss when they were forced to postpone their vacation to Dubai after a family member’s visa was denied.

The director of Hasmukh Travels, Vijay Thakkar, said that despite submitting all required paperwork, the visas of two of his clients were denied. “The visa applications for Dubai for two of our passengers were denied. In Dubai, they were to stay with family. Their applications were nonetheless rejected even though we filed the paperwork by the new regulations,” he clarified.

The rejection rate used to be as low as 1% to 2%, according to Nikhil Kumar, Director of Paisio Travels Private Limited. This was before the new regulations being put into effect. We now handle 100 visa applications per day, and at least 5–6 of those applications are rejected. Visa applications are being denied even when they have verified airline tickets and information on the hotel stay.

Dubai visa rules include:

Confirmed return flight tickets: In order to demonstrate their desire to depart Dubai following their stay, tourists are now required to present a copy of their booked return airline tickets. This was previously only necessary upon request from airport officials.
Proof of accommodation: Travelers must show proof of a hotel reservation or other proof of their intended lodging in Dubai.
Financial resources:Bank statements or a letter of sponsorship are examples of evidence that travelers have enough money to meet their expenditures while traveling.
Submission by authorized travel agents: Authorized travel firms or internet platforms are available for processing tourist visa applications. The same documentation requirements apply to both visa types, however trade businesses, individuals, and families can still apply for visit visas.

Indian visitors now find it much harder to come to Dubai because of these additional regulations, which has led to a greater rejection rate as well as huge financial losses from canceled trips and non-refundable reservations.