GCC residents visiting the UAE can now apply for visit visas using a new online service launched by the Ministry of Interior, said a report.

The e-service, which can be accessed through the “Fawri” portal on the ministry’s website www.moi.gov.ae, is designed to expedite passenger movement at the various ports and streamline the visa issuance procedure before arriving to the country, a report in WAM stated.

The visit visas will be issued at various ports in the country for GCC expats belonging to the following categories:

• Businessmen, investors, partners, and company managers and representatives;
• Accountants, Auditors, doctors, engineers, lawyers and legal advisers;
• Public sector workers other than workers and labourers;
• Family members of the above mentioned individuals or entities and their escorts, namely the helpers, and individuals sponsored by them;
• Foreign family members of GCC nationals, their sponsored helpers and escorts;
• GCC truck drivers transporting goods from any of the GCC countries. They are required to submit a sponsor’s letter of no objection (NOC) from the sponsoring entity in the country of issuance;
• Sponsored of citizens who have residence permits in GCC countries.