Eid Al Adha is just around the corner, and with Schengen visas in demand and taking a lot of time, Europe is out of the question for now. However, there’s one country you can visit swiftly as a GCC traveller- that’s the UK. UK has introduced a new Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA) for travellers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE. The ETA will cost AED45.50 per traveller and let you make multiple visits over a two-year period. Read on to know more.
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The Scheme Will Come In Place For UAE Travellers From February 2024
At present, GCC travellers are paying AED137 per visit to the UK by using the Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) option. However, now with ETA in place, the fee will reduce to AED45.50 per traveller. It will make travelling to Britain super affordable, making it perfect for a holiday with your family and friends. Are you wondering when the scheme will be in place? Well, Qatari nationals can make the most of this scheme from October 2023, and other GCC travellers can use it from February 2024.
The announcement was made on the United Kingdom’s government website. It said nationals from GCC states and Jordan will soon only be required to pay £10 to apply for an ETA. You can apply for ETA online- the process is simple and fast to complete. You will have to provide biographic and biometric details digital photograph, answer some questions, and your ETA will be processed.
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Recently, Oman also announced that travellers from 103 countries can now visit the country visa-free for up to 14 days. And if you plan to extend your stay, you can do so by paying the applicable extension fee.
The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has published a list of countries applicable for this visa. The countries are Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Georgia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Belgium, Romania and Slovenia. Countries like Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Cyprus, Ukraine, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, Ireland, United Kingdom, Poland, Slovakia, France, Netherlands, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil
and Japan are also a part of the list.
The remaining countries on the list include Thailand, South Africa, Russia, China, the United States of America, Turkey, South Korea, New Zealand, Iran, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore. Once the 14-day visa is over, travellers from these countries should apply for an E-Visa online for the extension. The cost is 20 Omani Riyals (52USD).
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