Generally speaking, people don’t mind when they have a layover at Dubai and have to kill some time at the airport. It’s well known that Dubai airport is among the busiest but also one of the best in the world for travelers in transit. There are already great shopping options, quick immigration clearance procedures in place as well as interactive experiences to keep traveler boredom at bay. Now there are more reasons that make Dubai layovers even more attractive for travelers.
Those in transit to destinations other than Dubai were required to stay within the airport terminal for the duration of their layover. This could stretch from a couple of hours to a many hours and even more case of a connecting flight delay.
Earlier transit travelers were confined to the airport terminal. Now however with the new Transit Permit Scheme, travelers can leave the terminal and sightsee around the city. The scheme was put in place to encourage more people to take in the top attractions of the city in a short time. While people may not be able to take in all of the many attractions of the city, they can view some of the top architectural marvels, take a whistle stop tour of the old city and so on.
While transit visas otherwise may cost money (depending upon which country passport the traveler has), Indians can now take advantage of a free two day transit visa. Several airports will also feature express counters to expedite the issuance of such transit visas.
If one feels that 48 hours or two days isn’t quite enough for Dubai, this can be extended to 96 hours for the payment of Dh 50. Since Dubai receives maximum number of visitors from India each year this is good news for Indians.
25% of international Indian travelers use UAE airlines to travel out of India, and up to 75% of Indians transit through either Dubai or Abu Dhabi so this is great news for Indians . Now Indians who use airlines such as Etihad and Emirates or have stopovers in Dubai or Abu Dhabi will be able to utilize their layover time more effectively by getting out and doing some sightseeing.
In addition there are other visa changes put into place recently. Highly skilled professionals may be granted ‘residence’ or work visas of up to ten years. A six month visa will be granted to those who originally got a shorter visitors’ visa could have the option of extending their visa for 6 months in order to work in Dubai. Visas can be renewed without leaving the country; merely by paying a fee.
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