Islamabad: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has resumed processing visit visas for Pakistani citizens applying through registered travel agents, a move expected to significantly ease the difficulties applicants have faced for several months. This UAE decision is expected to enable the release of visas that had been pending for a long time, and the news is being described as highly welcome.
According to travel agents and an official at the UAE Embassy in Pakistan, applications are now being processed faster than before ,particularly for Pakistani citizens traveling with family members or to visit relatives residing in the UAE.
Tourism and Employment in the UAE
The UAE is a major hub for employment, trade, and tourism for Pakistanis, with around 1.8 million Pakistanis currently residing there. This is why the easing of visa policy is being seen as significant progress for people-to-people ties and travel activity between the two countries.
For several months, many Pakistani applicants had complained of unusual delays and strict scrutiny in visa approvals, although the governments of Pakistan and the UAE consistently maintained that no formal visa restrictions had been imposed on Pakistani citizens. This situation was further disrupted during the Iran war, but the resumption of visa issuance is now expected to bring improvement.
Travel industry experts say that prospects for family visa approvals have visibly improved following this recent decision. According to them, campaigns to promote tourism activities have also resumed, while the number of flights in the region is gradually increasing as tensions ease.
Travel Agents’ Views
According to a Travel agent and an official of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP), the UAE Embassy is now regularly issuing visit visas to Pakistanis traveling with family, and applicants are receiving timely responses.
According to immigration officials, the number of daily passengers traveling from Pakistan to Dubai has also increased. At the start of summer, around 170 passengers were traveling to Dubai daily; by the last week of July, this number had risen to around 400. However, this rate remains lower than the roughly 1,000 Pakistanis who traveled daily two years ago.
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Embassy Official’s Confirmation
A UAE Embassy official in Pakistan also confirmed that ordinary passport holders can apply for visit visas through registered travel agents. According to the official, applications from certain regions had previously taken longer due to security reasons, but applicants with complete and accurate documentation can now submit applications through the normal process.
It is worth noting that last year, high-level talks between Pakistan and the UAE resulted in an agreement to improve visa facilities. Pakistani officials later said that visa application scrutiny had been tightened due to issues such as fake educational credentials, fraudulent employment contracts, unauthorized political activities, certain criminal cases, and misuse of social media , leading to more effective document verification and background-check processes.
