World news story

Since 1 January: 2184 Qataris have used the new EVW

Since 1 January, Over 5,000 UK EVWs have been completed, allowing Emiratis, Qataris and Omanis to travel to the UK without a visa.

From:
British Embassy Doha
Published
28 January 2014
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
UK Electronic Visa Waiver

The scheme is proving to be extremely popular as travellers are no longer required to submit their fingerprints or pay a visa fee before travelling to the UK. Already 2184 Qataris, 1948 Emiratis and 1369 Omanis have completed an EVW, however not everyone has understood exactly how the system works.

When completing an EVW, the traveller is required to enter their name exactly as it appears in their passport, this must include all names and the spelling must exactly match the spelling in the passport.

The EVW must also state which plane the person will be travelling on, at what time and what day. The EVW is only valid for travel on that flight. It is not possible to use the EVW for a flight the day later and if someone needs to change their travel details, then they must complete a new EVW, and this must be done at least 48 hours before travelling.

HE Nicholas Hopton, the UK Ambassador to the state of Qatar said:

I’m very pleased that so many Qataris have already used the EVW scheme. This new system reflects the close links between our two countries, and shows how much the UK welcomes Qatari visitors to the UK each year.

As the number of Qataris using the EVW is expected to increase, we encourage everyone to complete the online form with 100 per cent accuracy to ensure smooth access to the UK’

Matt Heath, Regional Director for UK Visas and Immigration said:

We’re delighted by the uptake and interest in EVW. To ensure travellers enjoy a straightforward journey, we encourage them to check their EVW document against their passport as soon as they have completed it.

If the name on the EVW does not exactly match the name written in the passport, or the traveller attempts to board a different plane they may not be able to travel to the UK. If an error is identified it is really simple to rectify, you just complete a new EVW.

Those who travel frequently, at short notice or regularly change their travel plans are advised to apply for a multi-entry visitor visa or longer term visa rather than an EVW. This offers more flexibility and can last up to ten years.

The online EVW application system has been upgraded this week to better highlight to travellers that their name must exactly match the name appearing in their passport and the EVW is only valid for for the journey stated.

For further information on EVW, search online for uk visa waiver.

Notes to editors:

  1. Further information is available at:
  1. As of 21st January the total number of Electronic Visa Waiver documents completed is 5501.

  • Qatari 2184

  • Emirati 1948

  • Omani 1369

  1. A record 530,000 visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states came to Britain in 2012 (up six per cent on 2011). In 2012, the UK enjoyed a record year for tourism where £18.6 billion was injected into the economy from overseas visitors, of which £1.2 billion came from the GCC countries. (Source: VisitBritain)

  2. London in particular is a popular destination for tourists with shopping, entertainment and dining the main attractions.

  3. Visa applications from UAE, Oman and Qatar are growing year on year. The number of visas issued in 2012 is as follows:

  • UAE 30,148

  • Qatar 20,490

  • Oman 12,596

Published 28 January 2014

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