According to travel agents, a flight offers the most cost-effective way for UAE visit visa holders to expand their stay there. Low-cost airline SalamAir operates a service from Fujairah to Muscat twice a week, becoming the go-to flight for those wanting to make the tourist visa change run.
Firioz Maliyakkal, founder and CEO of Thahira Tours and Travels, said, “This service offers a saving of around Dh200 compared to taking flight from elsewhere and people who have come hunting for a job and those who are staying in the UAE for spending time with their children or extended families are opting for the flights from Fujairah”.
Firoz added that UAE visit visa holders can extend their visa from inside the country only for a month. He said that considering the cost and validity of the in-country extension, most visitors prefer to fly out of the country and return on a fresh visa.”
Travel agents also stated that a visa change package from Fujairah can cost between Dh1,050 and Dh1,250.
Mahesh Babu, chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com, said, “It depends on the flight charges.”
SalamAir launched the Muscat – Fujairah service in July. The flights are operated on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Free shuttle service, other benefits
The Fujairah package includes complimentary pick-up and drops from Dubai and Sharjah.
Noushad Hassan from Alhind business center said, ” On the day of the flight, a bus picks up passengers from Deira near the Union Metro Station in Dubai. Travelers from Sharjah can board the bus from near the Saudi Mosque, and in return, these buses will drop the visitors back to these locations”.
According to Raheesh, the comfort of flying out of Fujairah airport is another factor in the popularity of the package. He added that ” the SalamAir service to Muscat is the first international flight to be launched from the Fujairah airport, so check-in and immigration is quite a breeze for travelers.”
Firoz also added that the airline offers a ticket amendment to the next day if the Great UAE visit visa is not endorsed on the same day. This flight takes passengers to Dubai.
Visa change options
According to Firoz, people who want to change their UAE visit visa status can also travel to Oman by bus. However, the state is limited, so they are almost fully booked.
Noushad Hassan said the Sharjah Airport Travel Agency has packages for UAE visit visas which offer two daily flights – one each to Bahrain and Oman.
