The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has resumed issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens applying through registered travel agents, according to travel industry representatives and a UAE embassy official. The development comes as a major relief for travelers after months of uncertainty and delays that had impacted travel to one of Pakistan’s most significant overseas destinations.
Home to nearly 1.8 million Pakistanis, the UAE remains one of the largest sources of remittances for Pakistan. The easing of visa processing follows months of complaints over lengthy processing times and stricter scrutiny, despite repeated assurances from both Islamabad and Abu Dhabi that no official visa ban had been imposed on Pakistani nationals.Travel industry representatives said the biggest relief has been for families, with applications that previously faced weeks-long delays now being processed more efficiently.
Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, Chief Executive of Aroma Travels and former Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP), said the UAE Embassy in Pakistan has started issuing visit visas to Pakistani tourists traveling with their families, describing the move as a positive development.He added that applicants traveling with family members or visiting relatives already residing in the UAE are now receiving faster responses. Sharif also noted that tourism promotion activities have resumed, while passenger traffic, which had declined during recent regional tensions, is gradually returning to normal.
