Indian nationals holding any type of valid visa can now travel to the UAE.
Ambassador of India to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor said in a tweet on Monday (August 10, 2020), “Very pleased to see the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India notification as per which both Indian and UAE airlines can now carry any Indian national holding any type of valid UAE visa from India to UAE.”
Earlier only residency visa holders were allowed to travel to the country on flights being operated as part of the repatriation drive, Vande Bharat Mission. Along with Indian airlines like Air India and Air India Express, UAE carriers such as Emirates and Etihad were also operating repatriation flights between the two regions under special arrangements.
Last week, Ambassador Kapoor had stated that they have recommended to authorities in India to consider allowing Indians with valid visas to travel to the UAE since the latter has recently started issuing new visas. However, he insisted on making the bookings only after a formal announcement was made.
Air connectivity enhancements between India and the UAE will play a crucial role in the coming months as the two nations have collaborated for the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, happening from September 19 to November 8, 2020, in the UAE.
In other news, Air India Express has opened bookings for flights from the UAE to 18 destinations across India. The flight services will start from August 16 and carried out until August 31, 2020.
Consulate General of India, Dubai tweeted:
