Enter custom title (optional)
This topic is locked
Last reply was
2.5k

Two of us are planning to travel from India to UAE, Oman and Qatar for a total of about 10 days. We are both Canadians, however I also have a UK passport. Initially we were planning to fly in and out of Dubai, however given the outrageous cost of obtaining a visa we are reconsidering.

We are now thinking of flying into Qatar and then travelling through UAE and into Oman and flying out of there. We will be flying back to India as well. Given flight prices, it is likely that we will fly on Jet Airways for all flights in and out of the area.

1) I am a Canadian resident, but have a UK passport since my father was born there, am I still able to enter UAE on my UK passport and avoid the visa fee? I will be entering India on my Canadian passport if that makes a difference. My girlfriend unfortunately only has a CDN passport.

2) I've heard that you can obtain a transit visa for up to 96 hours. I was hoping to spend more than 4 days in the UAE, but if we can obtain a transit visa for much less we would heavily consider doing this.

3) I found a cheap flight on Expedia with Ethiad that goes from Muscat to Abu Dhabi, could we book this and make use of the reduced visa fee that Ethiad and Emirates offer when flying with them, even though we will be flying out on a different airline?

Thanks for the help.

Chris

Report
1

Ignore the tout at #1 - his website is badly out of date, and for your example, plain wrong.

Yes, you can use your UK passport. They wont be looking for an Indian exit stamp so theres no conflict.

Because of the Canadian passport issue, your original plan is not possible. For people that need to obtain a visa in advance, there is a compulsory minimum delay (I think 1 month) between the expiry of one visa and the issue of the next, so your partner wouldn't be able to enter the UAE twice in a 10 day time period. I'm not sure if the transit visa falls into that category but I wouldnt want to take the risk, so plan to only enter UAE once.

I also think that Etihad and Emirates require that you have a return flight booking before they will process a visa application, so whether you go for an airline sponsored visa or a transit visa, you'll need to enter and leave the UAE by air on pre-booked flights.

Report
2

Hello Chris

Since January 2011 Canadian passport holders have been cross of Visa on Arrivals VOA) both governments have not resolved their issues.

You will be fine as you’re a UK passport holder my advice will be just travel on your UK Passport but regarding your friend is best to apply for visa at UAE Embassy in Canada before you set on your travels.

Emirates airlines and Ethihad has cheap option regarding visa fee give them a call) I will enclose you theweb sites:

http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/ca/en/home/pages/home.aspx

http://www.emirates.com/ca/English/

Regarding carry two passports inside the UAE I am not sure about that I think other LP members will be able to answer that question, or speak with consular official in the UAE Embassy regarding that issue.

Edited by dan30

Report
3

Your girlfriend will need a visa to enter the UAE.

You won't, on your British passport.

May I ask why Qatar? How are you getting from Qatar to the UAE? You will need to fly as the road route through Saudi is off limits without a KSA visa and they are near impossible to get if you aren't a resident.

I've spent some time in Qatar for work and can assure you it's one of the most unremarkable places in the world. The UAE offers everything you will find in Qatar and much, much more. I'd devote the time allocated to Qatar to exploring more of Oman or the UAE.

Report
4

Qatar is worth a visit, Doha was a rather boring city but now it's an an interesting place for perhaps a two or three days visit. You can visit Souq Waqif, the museum of Islamic Art and Katara. The Iconic Corniche is a nice place for a walking and observing the skyline of the city. It has many nice resturants and is a laid back city compared to Dubai. The downisde is that you need to take a flight but there are some low cost options such as fly dubai and Air arabia. Oman on the other hand is has many things to offer because it's a large country with lots of heritage and wide range of natural locations. Unlike Dubai, our capital Muscat doesn't have lots of skyscrapers but it is a blend of modern and historical. I'm from the southern city of Salalah in Oman which is very differnet from Muscat becuase the climate is semi tropical.

Edited by: khalid_s

Report
5

I'd forget about Qatar altogether, it's very dull.

I would suggest flying internationally from Canada with either Emirates or Etihad and they will sponsor the visa for your Canadian passport holding girlfriend. With Emirates, you can apply for the UAE vIsa on Emirates.com once you have made a booking, and the cost is usually under US$100 for a 30 day tourist visa. You won't need a pre-arranged visa as you can enter the UAE on your UK passport.

Report
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner