India soon to allow 5-year multiple entry visa for Emiratis

Indian Government intends to issue five year multiple entry business visas to the UAE businessmen from next month onwards and within a couple of months the facility will be available to tourists from the UAE and other GCC countries.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Navdeep Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE said five year multiple entry visas will be made available to any bona fide businessman or his representative from the UAE. The UAE nationals had stringent visa requirements to visit India and many of them are used to visa on arrival facility in many western countries and the visa restrictions had affected many business visas,
"As a continuation of improving bilateral trade and investment between India and the UAE multiple entry business visas will be available from April 1, 2017 onwards. It will be open to GCC nationals and nationals from a number of countries," the ambassador said in Dubai, adding that the details will be announced soon. The details are being worked out.
"It will take a little bit of time to put in place the biometric sampling system and other requirements needed. I am pretty confident that in addition to five years multiple entry business visas, multiple entry tourists visas to tourists. We are waiting for the implementation of the new system from April 1, 2017 onwards," Suri said.
"No bonafide businessmen or business women from the UAE will have to think about applying for a visa every time they plan to make a business visit to India. This is continuation of measures taken to improve bilateral trade and investment relationship and tourism," Suri said.
Business visas are given to foreign nationals who intends to establish a business or industrial venture or to explore possibilities of setting up industrial business ventures in India. It is issued to business people of strong financial standing and specialized expertise in the intended field of business. The visa facility is not issued to business people who are indulged in money laundering or petty trade, according to the Indian Embassy.
"It will definitely improve the business and toruism travel to India. Many medical related visitors too face problems due to entry restrictions in India. Removal of these restrictions will widely improve the bilateral flow of businessmen and tourists to India. In many western countries UAE nationals enjoy visa on arrival facility and five year multiple entry business and tourists visas will be definitely welcomed by the UAE businessmen, frequently visiting to India," said T. P. Sudheesh, general manager, Deira Travels and Tours.
sathish@khaleejtimes.com