Prime Highlights:
- UAE residents are waiting for long durations for Schengen visas, and in the process, UK travel is attracting interest.
- The UK offers a super-fast visa service with a decision within a day.
Key Facts:
- Schengen appointments in the UAE are largely unavailable until the months of May or June.
- The UK’s Super Priority visa service guarantees a decision in the following working day.
- The standard UK visitor visas take around three weeks after the provision of biometrics.
Key Background :
With higher travel demand this year, the majority of residents in the UAE are struggling to get Schengen visas due to a lack of appointment availability and long waiting times. Popular Schengen destinations like France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy reportedly have blocked-out calendars with no appointment slots available until late spring or summer. The backlog is making travelers who intend to travel to Europe furious.
The United Kingdom, however, has become a very sought-after destination alternative because of its efficient visa process. The UK offers a “Super Priority” visa service that guarantees applicants are informed within 24 hours of having their biometrics taken. If the biometric appointment is however on a weekend or a UK bank holiday, the decision will be released on the following working day. This accelerated service costs an extra premium fee of £1,000, on top of the standard visa fees.
For quicker processing but at a lesser cost, the UK also provides a “Priority Visa” service, which takes five working days to decide, for £500 plus the standard fees. Normal visitor visas that permit six-month stays normally take three weeks from the date biometrics are provided.
Besides the normal six-month visitor visas, the UK also has longer-term visitor visas of two, five, and ten years. These visas have multiple entries but one stay cannot exceed six months. These visas range from £475 to over £1,000, depending on the duration of the visa.
Applicants must apply online, schedule a biometric appointment at one of the UAE UK visa application centers, and can choose premium services such as lounge access and courier delivery as optional add-ons to enhance convenience further.
With delays in processing and challenges associated with Schengen visas, more UAE residents are now setting their sights on UK travel because of the speed, reliability of its visa procedures, and flexibility offered by its visitor visa schemes.
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