Muscat: Expatriates living in Oman can now get UAE visas for OMR13, a spokesperson for Emirates told the Times of Oman on Monday.
Airline officials said expatriates can apply for 48- or 96-hour UAE visas from Emirates and flydubai offices in Oman. While the 48-hour visa will cost OMR13, the 96-hour visa will cost OMR20.
Besides these visas, GCC residents can avail U.A.E. visit visas which cost around OMR26, and is valid for one month.
"The 48-hour visa is only applicable for transit passengers with onward confirmed ticket and a transit minimum 8 hours,” the official said. Besides this, their passport has to be valid for minimum 6 months and they should hold a confirmed hotel booking in the U.A.E.
But to obtain a 96-hour visa, you don't need to travel beyond U.A.E. "Passengers travelling with flydubai and Emirates can get a 96-hour visa if they hold a return flight ticket or confirmed ticket on a connecting flight," a travel agent said.
The processing time for these visas is two-to-four working days, and is applicable for only GCC residents. "However, no overstay is permitted and the overstay penalty AED5,000 (OMR525) and the visas are subject to approval by U.A.E. immigration," the travel agents added.
He also warned that the payments for these visas are nonrefundable in case of rejection of application. "We were notified about the changes only last week," an airline official said.