Dubai, UAE: According to reports from the authorities, tourists and travelers looking to visit Dubai for their holidays need to carry Dh 3,000, a proper return ticket, and proof of stay around the hotels in Dubai. Without the proper documents, visitors should not be allowed to land around the Emirate soil in the Middle East.
Again, there have been reports of passengers getting stranded in both Dubai and India, allowing them to miss their flights for the same reason. Strict rules and regulations are being followed by the Dubai authorities to stop anyone going in and out of Dubai without proper documents, as the notice depicts.
Firoz Maliyakkal, also regarded as the founder and CEO of Tahira Tours and Travels, reported that tourists were checked beforehand for a proper visa with six months of minimum validity to get entry into Dubai. Also, return tickets are mandatory for traveling to Dubai, which would determine the date of homecoming as well.
But, in recent times, the rules have been bent slightly for tourists to carry extra Dubai money along the way. The new rules suggest individuals carry around Dh 3,000 in cash or have a credit card by their side. Again, proper documents regarding homestays with proof of hotel bills need to be provided to gain access to Dubai in the coming times.
Travel operators also claimed that these checks were there for a good time, and the personnel have tightened their measures during the latest updates here.
Libin Varghese, working with Rooh Travel and Tourism, also stated that airport checks were meant to provide proper security to travelers here and restrict overstaying around the location. There have been numerous cases of overstaying, and thus the authorities have invoked this rule for the betterment of the travelers here while impacting the tourism industry.
All these strict rules and regulations are meant to keep the touring purposes transparent and also avoid any mistakes during the traveling process.
Stuck around the airport premises
There have been instances when one such traveler, Abin S, was detained at the Dubai airport when he traveled on a Spice Jet International flight from Cochin to Kerala on May 15th. Authorities inquired about his details and documents when he stepped down around the Dubai airport.
Abin stated that he boarded off in Dubai around 2.30 am when the authorities inquired about the money criteria and the return ticket back to his homeland. Abin had all the following documents but did not have any accommodation papers for staying in Dubai.
Abin also mentioned that he would be staying with his cousin here, who is renting an apartment in Dubai. The authorities also insisted on the cousin’s Emirates ID, to which Abin replied that his cousin was not staying under his name.
Thus, Abin lost his chance to tour around Dubai and was sent back to his homeland four days later, on May 19th. Abin was also confused since he was not taught about the new policies by either his cousin or his travel agent. All this ended badly for Abin, as he had to stay for 4 days in the waiting hall across the Dubai Airport before coming back home.
Detained from boarding
An Indian tourist traveling to Dubai from Cochin airport after taking Dubai tourist visa for Indian on May 20th was detained from boarding the flight. Abhishek was traveling to meet his brother-in-law, Bijesh, who was staying here across Dubai.
Bijesh stated the reason for detaining him at the Cochin airport was that he did not carry the issued Dh 3,000 with him. Nevertheless, he had 50,000 INR in cash but wasn’t allowed due to the policies involved in the matter.
Bijesh tried various options to help Abhishek out of the situation. Brijesh also reported that Abhishek was coming to stay with his uncle here in Dubai.
Bijesh finally sent all the proper documents concerning the uncle’s Emirates ID and proof of stay in Dubai. He was still not allowed to board the flight to Dubai. Authorities also suggested that travelers would be allowed to board Dubai flights only if proper documents were provided beforehand.
Thus, Abhishek was unable to board the Spice Jet flight and lost all the traveling expenses in the process. Bijesh and Abhishek both enquired for a refund over the case, which the company solely denied as it was against the rules and policies involved. The authorities also stated that all rules should be checked properly by the travelers before reaching the airport premises with proper documents and Dh 3,000 to be able to board the flights from India.
