Multi-entry UAE visa applications rise up to 30% in April as ceasefire holds

[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.]

Multiple-entry visa applications to the UAE have risen by 20-30 per cent in April compared to March, according to insights from visa consultancy UAEVisaTravel. This suggests that travellers are choosing options that offer greater control over their travel schedules when entering the country.

A multi-entry entry visa allows one to enter and exit a country multiple times within a specified period. According to the General Directorate for Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), it can be given to a foreigner to visit a relative or friend without a host or guarantor for a period of 30, 60 or 90 days.

Travel demand to the UAE has also recovered by 30-50 per cent of pre-war levels. According to the consultant, which is operated by Pinoy Tourism, the initial uncertainty faced throughout the war was short-lived, with demand gradually stabilising and improving through late March and April.

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Leisure bookings up 30%

UAE travel agents say that travel demand has shown a strong rebound following the ceasefire, with leisure bookings increasing by around 30 per cent, Rashida Zahid, vice president of operations at musafir.com, told Khaleej Times.

However, it is still in a recovery phase and has not yet fully stabilized, she said. “Travel demand typically rebounds once risk perception improves, often within months after stability returns,” she added, saying that a measured recover over the next several months is expected, should the ceasefire hold and conditions return to normal.

Outside of leisure summer plans, Zahid said that people are using this period of relative stability to visit relatives and friends abroad.

The agency is also seeing increased demand for visa assistance, both for travel to the UAE and for guests planning holidays to Europe and other visa-required destinations, the VP added.

Flights remain limited 

Malou Prado, founder of MPQ Travel & Tourism, said her agency, located in both Dubai and Pasay City, Philippines, has seen encouraging signs that travel demand is slowly returning to normal, especially from eager Filipinos itching to either return to the UAE or go back home.

At the same time, however, flights remain limited between the two countries, making it more challenging to travel at the same ease as before the Iran war.

“While the demand is building, we are still working within those constraints in terms of actual confirmed bookings,” she said.

She said she is optimistic, but realistic at the same time. “If the ceasefire holds and airlines restore fuller schedules on the Dubai-Manila route, I believe we could be back to pre-war levels within three to four months. The demand is already there; it is really a matter of supply catching up," she said.