Solo travel to London anyone? UAE nationals no longer need a pre-entry visa to UK

The visa waiver programme kicks in from February and travellers can apply for it at the start of the month

by Gulf Business

January 30, 2024

Image credit: Getty Images

In just about three weeks, citizens of five GCC countries will be able to head to the UK without the need for a pre-entry visa. Starting February 22, UAE nationals as well citizens from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia will simply need an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) to enter the country.

Electronic Visa Waiver

The EVW programme has multiple benefits – from reduced charges – the fee for the EVW is GBP30 (Dhs140 based on daily exchange rate) – to being able to visit the UK an unlimited number of times during a two-year period. Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE Ambassador to the UK, noted that the electronic system, developed over four years, signifies the commitment to fortifying the longstanding relationship between the UAE and the UK.

يمثل 1 فبراير 2024 بداية جديدة في العلاقات بين دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة والمملكة المتحدة. سيتم إعفاء المواطنين الإماراتيين من الحصول على تأشيرة دخول مسبقة للسفر إلى المملكة المتحدة و سيمكنهم تقديم طلب للحصول على تصريح سفر إلكتروني (ETA) وفقًا لبرنامج تصريح سفر جديد. pic.twitter.com/wZ4odj3snI

— UAE Embassy UK (@UAEEmbassyUK) January 24, 2024

Additionally, this initiative between the UAE and UK comes at a time that solo travel as a trend has increased dramatically in 2023. Searches for ‘solo travel’ rose by 761.5 per cent last year, according to Google trend data for the US. Top search terms included ‘solo travel to London’ and ‘solo vacation packages’.

Similarly, the search term ‘solo travel’ reached pre-pandemic numbers in the UAE, according to Google trend data.

Flight tickets to London

If you are looking at flying to the UK after the EVW goes into effect, round trip flights on a low cost carrier such as Pegasus is Dhs1,600 while a full fledged carrier such as British Airways is charging Dhs2,645 while a ticket on the UAE’s flag carrier Emirates will cost you Dhs3,000.

UK entry requirements for UAE nationals

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises visitors to apply for the EVW three days in advance of the expected travel date along with restricting the journey duration to six months.

You can get an EVW instead of a visa if you are a national of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the UAE. The fee for an EVW is GBP30.

Under the EVW, a UAE national can visit the UK for up to six months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment. If you’re planned trip does not fit into these categories, then you might need a visa instead.

To apply you need:

Your current passport
An address in the UK where you will stay
Details of your journey (Itirenarary),
Departure and arrival dates and times

You can apply for the EVW here.

It is important to note that an EVW is separate from a pre-entry visa. A pre-entry visa needs to be applied between three months and 48 hours before you travel.

Also read: Travelling from Abu Dhabi to London? Now you have a chance to fly on Etihad Airways’ A380