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Typing errors invalidate UK e-visa application

British embassy urges Emiratis wishing to travel to Britain to ensure that personal details entered at the time of application exactly match those in passport.

The introduction of the UK Electronic Visa Waiver in January has come up against an unexpected snag as a number of Emiratis have been turned away at UK passport control due to minuscule typing errors made during the online application process.

As a result, the British Embassy here is urging all Emiratis wishing to travel to the country to ensure that personal details entered at the time of application exactly match those which appear on the traveller’s passport.

The new process, which allows Emiratis to travel to the UK about 48 hours after applying for a visa online, has some people querying the validity of the application process, where instances of unintentional human error means the difference between being allowed entry into the country and not.

Some UAE citizens are questioning why a simple system, allowing travellers to simply correct the error at border control, cannot be put in place.

When Khaleej Times got in touch with the British Embassy to gauge feedback on the situation, one spokesperson confirmed that there had “regrettably” been some instances where travellers had failed to fill in the forms correctly, and as a result “a small number of customers” had not been able to travel.

“We have been clear in our communications that the personal details on the EVW document must exactly match those shown in the passport being used to travel to the UK.”

They elaborated on the need for such intricate detailing. “We have a multi-layered approach to security at the UK border. In order for this to work, we need to be assured that the person travelling on an EVW is the same person as in the passport,” they said, emphasising that the personal details on the two documents must exactly match.-kelly@khaleejtimes.com