Dubai travel update on visa applications for the UAE

The demand for UAE visas appears to be climbing once again for some operators after strikes on the country led to a crash in applications. UAEVisaTravel.com, which facilitates visa applications, said overall enquiries climbed 30–50% in March and April compared with the dip it recorded in late February.

Week-on-week improvement was recorded through late March and continued into this month, reports Arabian Business. Despite the rise, it did not reveal whether applications have returned to pre-February levels. Requests for multiple-entry visas showed the sharpest rise of about 25–30 %, which the firm attributed to travellers seeking flexibility while conflict-related airspace restrictions persisted around the region.

The platform’s chief executive Imtiaz Nasir said they also noticed travellers were “shortening the planning window” and moving more quickly. The average lead time from application to departure fell from more than three weeks to between seven and fourteen days.

It also noted a 20–25% rise in add-on services, such as travel insurance and expedited processing, which suggested travellers were paying more to guarantee a level of security.

It comes after the financial hub in the UAE was hit with retaliatory drone strikes from Iran following the “massive” and ongoing attacks from the US and Israel on February 28.

Dubai International Airport was also damaged in what authorities called an “incident”, grounding thousands of flights at the world’s busiest airport for passenger traffic.

Before the war, about 240,000 Britons were living in the UAE, drawn by zero income tax, security, international schools, and the influencer lifestyle.

But official estimates have since suggested around 30,000 Brits have left since the start of the latest war in the Middle East, which represents about one in eight people.

The British Foreign Office still advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates, stating that regional escalation poses “significant security risks” and has disrupted travel.

It urged people to stay away from any security or military facilities and US or Israeli-linked locations, since the Iranian regime has publicly stated its intention to target locations associated with the United States and Israel.

It added: “Iranian strikes against civilian infrastructure across the region such as ports, hotels, roads, bridges, energy facilities, oil production sites, water systems, and airports, have decreased. However, the risk of renewed strikes remains, and further attacks could occur at short notice.”