Pakistanis can now obtain visitation visas from the UAE through authorised travel agencies.

After months of uncertainty and protracted processing delays, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started granting visitation visas to Pakistani nationals who apply through registered travel agencies.

Representatives from the travel sector and a UAE Embassy official said that the ruling represents a major improvement in the processing of visas, especially for families whose applications had previously been subject to protracted review and delays.

With about 1.8 million Pakistanis living there, the UAE is one of the most popular foreign locations for Pakistani expatriates. The most recent action is anticipated to increase travel between the two nations and make family visits easier.

Families have benefited the most, according to travel executives, as visa applications are now handled more quickly and judgements are made more quickly.

The UAE Embassy in Pakistan has begun granting visitation visas to Pakistani tourists going with their families, according to Muhammad Nadeem Sharif, chief executive of Aroma Travels and past head of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan. He described the development as a welcome step.

He noted that prompt responses are now being sent to applicants who are going with family or joining relatives who already live in the United Arab Emirates. Sharif added that after recent difficulties in the region, passenger traffic is gradually improving and tourism promotion campaigns have restarted.

According to a senior Pakistani immigration official who spoke to Arab News under condition of anonymity, the number of passengers travelling from Pakistan to Dubai each day rose from about 170 earlier this summer to almost 400 by the last week of July, indicating a consistent rebound in travel demand.