UK visa waiver plan to go live on Monday

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business

There is good news for UAE residents who frequently travel to the UK for business as well as leisure purposes. The new version of the UK’s Electronic Visa Waiver scheme (EVW II), which aims at making the system more foolproof to avoid any last-minute glitch, is all set to go live this Monday (May 23).
This new development is intended to make travelling to the UK much easier for applicants holding Emirati passports.
“I am a frequent traveller to the UK for both vacation and business purposes. Many times some easily avoidable issue erupts right at the moment of boarding. Most of the times it is due to clerical error that is made while filling the form. It leads to unnecessary harassment and wastage of time,” said Jumma Al-Mohammad, 48, who is running a general maintenance company in Abu Dhabi.
He added, “I have gone through the details of EVW II online and I believe it is aimed at making the system transparent as well as flawless.”
Unlike the first version of EVW, which relied on passengers entering their personal information exactly as it appears on their passport, the new EVW form asks passengers to upload a copy of their passport biographic data page so that details can be checked for accuracy prior to travel. This means that input errors can be picked up immediately, thereby significantly reducing the risk of issues when boarding or entering the UK.
EVW II also features a, simpler set of questions in both English and Arabic, making it easier for users in the UAE. EVW is valid for a single entry to the UK and passengers
need to obtain a new EVW each time they travel.
“Since the introduction of the scheme in 2014, tens of thousands of travellers from the United Arab Emirates have benefited from using an electronic visa waiver to come to the UK, which reflects the growing importance of our relationship with the region. The new EVW is quicker and easier to complete, while
remaining secure,” said UK Immigration Minister James Brokenshire, as per the official statement.
“We know that visitor numbers from UAE are continuing to rise, and we look forward to welcoming more travellers to the UK for business and tourism,” added Brokenshire. UAE passport holder can get a free EVW instead of a visa and it will let the holder to visit the UK for up to six months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment.
One must apply between three months and 48 hours before travelling. For applying one requires to have a valid UAE passport, an
address in the UK where one
will stay and details of the journey, including departure and arrival dates and times.
In early 2014, the UK introduced the EVW scheme, allowing passport holders from the UAE to travel to the UK for a visit of up to six months without having first to obtain a visa. Tens of thousands of travellers have since benefitted from the scheme, which removed the need to give biometrics, attend a visa application centre or hand in passports in
advance of travel.