India and the United Arab Emirates used President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s state visit to New Delhi on 19 January 2026 to unveil an education-mobility package that goes well beyond the usual MoUs signed on the sidelines of summits. According to India’s Economic Times, the two governments have agreed to create a fast-track system for issuing student and research visas, mutual recognition of academic credits, and joint ‘sandwich-degree’ programmes that will allow under-graduates to complete two years in one country and the final two years in the other (m.economictimes.com).
For Indian universities, the deal opens a direct pipeline to thousands of Emirati school-leavers who currently look to Europe and North America. Conversely, branch campuses of UAE institutions in Dubai International Academic City and the new free-zone hub in Abu Dhabi will be able to recruit Indian students on the same tuition schedule they enjoy at home—potentially saving families up to 40 per cent in living costs.
For students, researchers, or company mobility managers who need help navigating these rapid timelines, VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers an end-to-end service for obtaining student, dependent, and post-study work visas. Its team can liaise directly with universities and employers to upload admission letters or contracts, ensuring applications are correctly formatted and processed within the promised 48-hour window.
![India and UAE Expand Student Mobility with New Higher-Education Pact]()
Administratively, the pact creates a single online portal through which institutions can upload admission offers that automatically trigger a 48-hour visa-issuance window. Both sides will also pilot a ‘digital attestation wallet’ that stores transcripts and degree certificates on a blockchain ledger recognised by immigration and labour authorities, reducing document-fraud risk for future work-visa applications.
Corporate mobility teams should note the knock-on benefits: dependants of students will receive a one-year open work authorisation in the host country, and graduates will be eligible for a two-year post-study work visa that counts toward UAE Golden Visa salary thresholds or India’s new Overseas Professional Card. Multinationals with operations in both markets can therefore build early-career exchange programmes without separate immigration red tape.
Recruiters expect the first intake—targeted at STEM and fintech disciplines—to begin in August 2026. Firms keen to sponsor interns or research assistants should engage with campus career offices now, as the visa quotas under the inaugural tranche are capped at 5,000 places.
For Indian universities, the deal opens a direct pipeline to thousands of Emirati school-leavers who currently look to Europe and North America. Conversely, branch campuses of UAE institutions in Dubai International Academic City and the new free-zone hub in Abu Dhabi will be able to recruit Indian students on the same tuition schedule they enjoy at home—potentially saving families up to 40 per cent in living costs.
For students, researchers, or company mobility managers who need help navigating these rapid timelines, VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers an end-to-end service for obtaining student, dependent, and post-study work visas. Its team can liaise directly with universities and employers to upload admission letters or contracts, ensuring applications are correctly formatted and processed within the promised 48-hour window.
Administratively, the pact creates a single online portal through which institutions can upload admission offers that automatically trigger a 48-hour visa-issuance window. Both sides will also pilot a ‘digital attestation wallet’ that stores transcripts and degree certificates on a blockchain ledger recognised by immigration and labour authorities, reducing document-fraud risk for future work-visa applications.
Corporate mobility teams should note the knock-on benefits: dependants of students will receive a one-year open work authorisation in the host country, and graduates will be eligible for a two-year post-study work visa that counts toward UAE Golden Visa salary thresholds or India’s new Overseas Professional Card. Multinationals with operations in both markets can therefore build early-career exchange programmes without separate immigration red tape.
Recruiters expect the first intake—targeted at STEM and fintech disciplines—to begin in August 2026. Firms keen to sponsor interns or research assistants should engage with campus career offices now, as the visa quotas under the inaugural tranche are capped at 5,000 places.
