Thirteen EU Countries Added to Visa-on-Arrival List

Thirteen European Union member states have been added to the United Arab Emirates’ visa-on-arrival list, according to a recent announcement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beginning on March 22, 2014, eligible nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia will be able to obtain a visa-on-arrival when making short-term visits to the UAE. A consular visa will no longer be required.

Visas-on-arrival allow for an initial stay of 30 days that can be extended once in country for an additional 30 days.

The expansion, which follows an EU decision to allow UAE nationals visa-free access to the Schengen Area for stays of up to 180 days, brings the visa-on-arrival list to 46 countries, including all EU member states.

However, short-term visitors remain prohibited from engaging in profit-generating or hands-on work activities during their stay. Neither may they enter into an employment relationship with a local entity without obtaining the appropriate work authorization.

What This Means for Employers

The addition of the 13 countries to the visa-on-arrival list is welcome news for employers and qualifying foreign nationals. It will streamline travel for many, since eligible visitors may avoid the processing delays of obtaining a consular visa when making short business trips to the UAE.

How Fragomen Can Assist

Fragomen can assist with assessing eligibility for visitor status generally in the UAE and for visas-on-arrival. Fragomen also offers the subscription-based online Business Visa Matrix that enables business travelers to assess when their cross-border trips require work authorization in over 100 destination countries.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].