The United Arab Emirates (UAE) formally unveiled its five-year multiple-entry tourist visa for citizens of Pakistan. Announcing the facility, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi met Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori at the Governor House in Karachi on Tuesday.
This is the culmination of longstanding visa problems that had previously restricted the freedom of movement of Pakistanis to come to the UAE for tourism, business, or visiting their family. As Al-Zaabi reported, “Visa issues have been resolved, Pakistanis can get a five-year visa.” It was endorsed in a statement by the Governor House itself in a press release.
The five-year visa is a multi-entry permit valid for visiting the UAE multiple times in a span of five years without a host or local sponsor, as stated by Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs. It is meant for tourists, business travelers, and family members who frequently make trips to the UAE.
The visa provides for a 90-day stay per visit, which can, in turn, be extended to 180 days in a year. It is believed that this flexibility will also benefit professionals, freelancers, and entrepreneurs who wish to pursue business opportunities in the UAE.
The UAE boasts a population of well over 1.7 million Pakistanis—the world’s second-largest overseas population of Pakistanis. For Pakistanis, it is a hub of both social and economic importance, enjoying formidable bilateral trade, job, and cultural links. But in recent years, there have also been problems for some Pakistanis to get valid long-term visas due to shifting immigration policies and geopolitical tensions.
The expansion and reintroduction of this five-year visa are regarded as a significant milestone in relaxing mobility and enhancing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. For those with families in the UAE, regular travelers, and businesses, it means the possibility of easier, more predictable itineraries.
Al-Zaabi’s meet-up with Governor Tessori was not restricted to discussions on visas alone. Al-Zaabi and the governor also discussed current investments in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. Tessori expressed gratitude for the UAE and its investment and funding in developmental projects in the province. Al-Zaabi commended the governor on the progress of the initiatives, which pointed toward increasing the UAE footprint in the economic center of Pakistan.
Ambassador Al-Zaabi also invited Governor Tessori to visit the visa center of the UAE consulate in Karachi. It is symbolic of the deepened level of transparency and cooperation in consular affairs.
For Pakistanis willing to apply, the process will be simple. No guarantor is needed for the visa in the UAE, making the application easy. Procedures on how to apply can be accessed through the official channels of the UAE’s immigration departments and consulates in Pakistan.
With geo-political alignments in flux and nations reassessing their foreign and immigration policies, this gesture by the UAE sends a strong signal: the gateway to closer contact and regular interaction is open for Pakistan. In the larger picture, it is a win-win for both nations—more openness for Pakistanis and additional tourism, investment, and commerce coming in for the UAE. It is a realistic, forward-thinking move that can perhaps lead the way in further collaboration in trade, education, and infrastructure. For now, there is a valuable new choice available to Pakistanis: a five-year, multi-entry visa to one of the region’s strongest economic and cultural centers.
