Travel between UAE and UK is predicted to skyrocket after the schools’ spring vacation begins on 27 March 2023. To meet rising demand, the UK has lowered visa processing time for UAE residents to 15 working days.
Previously, due to pandemic-related restrictions, UK visa issuance would take up to 6-7 weeks. According to Gulf News, a spokesperson for VFS Global, an authorized partner of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), stated that visa processing times for priority and super priority visas have also returned to normal.
Priority and super priority visas are being issued in 5 working days and 1 working day, respectively, while the visa application fees also remain unchanged.
A normal short-term visit visa (single or multiple entries) costs AED 473.80 and a long-term visa (multiple two-year entries) costs AED 1,778, while a 6-month student visa costs AED 947.60.
The spokesperson also claimed that the UK visa demand in UAE will continue to rise in 2023 and added that they’ve seen many people traveling to the UK for leisure, family, and business trips. He also revealed that over 2,200 UAE nationals got the visit visa in 2022, making it the most-demanded visa type.
