From 25 February 2026 anyone applying for a UK visa will receive a fully digital ‘eVisa’ instead of the traditional vignette sticker, and by 27 February the change had become the talk of Dubai travel agencies. VFS Global, which runs Britain’s visa-application centres in the Gulf, confirmed to Gulf News that UAE residents may now keep their passports after their biometric appointment – ending a long-standing headache for executives who juggle multiple trips on tight deadlines. Under the new system applicants create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, upload supporting documents, enrol fingerprints once at a VFS centre and leave with passport in hand. When a decision is made, UKVI sends an email with instructions on how to access the electronic status – airlines will scan the passport and verify the visa in the background.
![UK completes eVisa rollout – big win for UAE residents who need their passports]()
Travel coordinators who prefer a guided approach can turn to VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/), which streamlines the switch to the UK’s eVisa by pre-checking documentation, scheduling biometric appointments and monitoring decisions in real time — freeing travellers to keep their passports and maintain their itineraries.
For UAE-based multinationals the practical upside is immediate: staff can submit UK visa applications while continuing to travel regionally or home to visit family, instead of waiting weeks for passports to be couriered back. Recruitment managers say the policy also dovetails with the UAE’s remote-work and multi-entry residency ecosystem, where professionals often hold more than one residence permit and need constant document flexibility. VFS Global expects appointment volumes to surge by 40 per cent in March, and has opened additional evening slots in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Employers are advised to brief travellers on three points: • make sure the passport number in the eVisa matches the document used to board; • carry a printed or digital copy of the confirmation email, as some airlines will ask for it at check-in; • set up the UKVI account with a long-term email address, not a temporary corporate alias, to avoid access issues later. Immigration lawyers note that while the eVisa is paperless, travellers should still verify that their UAE residence visa is valid for at least six months when they re-enter the Emirates, as airlines are under strict fines for transporting passengers with expired Gulf permits. For now, dependants under 12 years old continue to require in-person biometrics in most cases, but the Home Office says a fully remote option is being piloted for 2027.
Travel coordinators who prefer a guided approach can turn to VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/), which streamlines the switch to the UK’s eVisa by pre-checking documentation, scheduling biometric appointments and monitoring decisions in real time — freeing travellers to keep their passports and maintain their itineraries.
For UAE-based multinationals the practical upside is immediate: staff can submit UK visa applications while continuing to travel regionally or home to visit family, instead of waiting weeks for passports to be couriered back. Recruitment managers say the policy also dovetails with the UAE’s remote-work and multi-entry residency ecosystem, where professionals often hold more than one residence permit and need constant document flexibility. VFS Global expects appointment volumes to surge by 40 per cent in March, and has opened additional evening slots in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Employers are advised to brief travellers on three points: • make sure the passport number in the eVisa matches the document used to board; • carry a printed or digital copy of the confirmation email, as some airlines will ask for it at check-in; • set up the UKVI account with a long-term email address, not a temporary corporate alias, to avoid access issues later. Immigration lawyers note that while the eVisa is paperless, travellers should still verify that their UAE residence visa is valid for at least six months when they re-enter the Emirates, as airlines are under strict fines for transporting passengers with expired Gulf permits. For now, dependants under 12 years old continue to require in-person biometrics in most cases, but the Home Office says a fully remote option is being piloted for 2027.
