Visa Fee exempted for Kids in the UAE

In order to attract more tourism and families to the UAE in the holiday season, the UAE government has decided to exempt the UAE visa fee for children that are younger than 18 years old. This incentive given by the UAE government attracts tourists from South Asia, North Africa and beyond is another sign that the government is aggressively trying to make the oil-rich country’s economy more petroleum independent. This policy, however, will remain in place for just two months each year, that is, from the 15th of July to the 15th of September. These measures were taken when the UAE government realized that the number of passengers moving through the country’s luxurious airports, like Dubai International, has reached 32.8 million during the first quarter of this year.

The British passport holder does not require a visa before entering UAE. Usually, a British citizen is given a single entry visit visa upon arrival, with a duration of 30 days. This visa waiver is a relief for British citizens as well.

These waivers further encourage the tourists to visit the cities of Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi that are already packed with all sorts of tourism services and hotels. They provoke the globetrotters to overlook the hot weather of the country and join in the duty-free shopping sprees with their families. Last month, the UAE government has exempted the transit passengers from all entry fees for the first 48 hours, but an extension option is also available for a fee of only AED 50, for passengers transiting for up to 96 hours. While the Ski Dubai resort is blast freezing the artificial icy river and making it perfect for skiing, there is no reason to be worried about the weather. The hot climate has never been a deterrent to visiting the UAE because the entire city is virtually air conditioned. You might feel hot when you hop out of an air-conditioned car on the way into the air-conditioned malls and hotels of the UAE but, beyond that it’s A-OK!

Currently, a 14-day tourist visa costs around AED 497 per head and a 30-day multi-entry tourist visa cost AED 917, if the traveler purchases it online. Though the prices vary from country to country. That is a lot of money saved for a family of five, which can be spent on cosmetics, clothes, and electronics at the Dubai Summer Surprise Festival starting in the last weeks of July.