Spike in Dubai visa rejections for Indians after UAE imposes new rules: Report

There has been a spike in visa rejections for Indian tourists who are looking to visit Dubai after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed stricter rules, according to a media report.

The increase in visa rejections has resulted in financial losses for travellers who had planned to visit the Gulf nation during the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) from December 8 to January 14, a report in Times of India said on Sunday (December 8).

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Rishikesh Pujari, director of Vihar Travels, told the newspaper that they are witnessing “unprecedented rejection rates”.

“We are seeing unprecedented rejection rates (for tourist visa applications to Dubai). Earlier, almost 99% of Dubai visa applications were approved. Now, we are experiencing rejections even for well-prepared travellers. I had a family of four who meticulously prepared their application, attaching all relevant documents like confirmed hotel bookings and flight details. Despite this, their visa application was rejected,” Pujari said.

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“In just one week, I have seen nearly eight rejections,” he added.

As per the report, a group of 35 individuals found its plans ruined after a family member’s visa application was rejected. This has resulted in financial losses due to visa fees, non-refundable/partially refundable pre-booked air tickets, hotel reservations and other bookings on activities in the UAE.

According to visa services company VFS Global, the fee for a 30-day tourist visa to UAE is Rs 6,710 (inclusive of service charge and tax).

As per the rules, travellers have to submit confirmed return air tickets, and hotel booking confirmation among other documents. Those who wish to stay with their relatives in the UAE, need to provide proof of accommodation including documents like the host's rental agreement, and Emirates ID.

Nikhil Kumar, director of Passio Travels Pvt Ltd, was quoted as saying in the report, “Earlier, the rejection rate for Dubai visas was just 1-2%. This was before the new rules were enforced. We are now getting at least 5-6 visa rejections per day from nearly 100 applications daily. Even when confirmed flight tickets and hotel stay details are attached, the visa applications are being rejected.”

Vijay Thakkar, director of Hasmukh Travels, told the publication, “Two of our passengers recently had their Dubai visa applications rejected. They were planning to stay with relatives in Dubai. While applying for the visa, we had attached all the relevant documents as per the new visa requirements. Yet, their applications were rejected. This resulted in significant monetary loss for the passengers, as they had spent nearly Rs 14,000 on visa fees, and ticket cancellation cost was another Rs 20,000 and more.”