(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The UK Home Office will launch a new visa waiver scheme early next year to make it cheaper and easier for business travellers and tourists to come to the UK from Oman, Qatar, UAE and Kuwait.
The new Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) will be free of charge and is a quick and simple alternative to a visa application.
The scheme, which was announced by UK Prime Minister David Cameron at the Lord Mayor of London's annual dinner on Monday evening, is expected to launch in Oman, Qatar and UAE in early 2014. Similar arrangements will be extended to Kuwaiti passport holders later in the year.
Applicants will need to submit an EVW online at least 48 hours before they are due to travel. This scheme will do away with the need to provide biometric information, attend an appointment at a visa application centre or hand in passports prior to travel.
The EVW will be available for visits of up to six months. However, those coming to the UK to work or study will still need to apply for visas in the normal way.
H E Jamie Bowden, UK's Ambassador to Oman, said, "I am delighted that this new scheme, which we have been discussing with Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for some months, will make it so much easier for Omanis to travel to the UK. We look forward to welcoming even more visitors from the sultanate in the country that so many regard as their second home.''
Further details on the scheme will be announced in due course; until then current visa rules will apply and visitors can check the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) website for the latest information on the UK visa service.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.