Countries sign visa-free travel agreement

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The United Arab Emirates and Paraguay have signed a visa-free travel agreement.

What does the change mean? Nationals of the UAE and Paraguay will be permitted to travel to each other’s country without obtaining a visa in advance.

• Implementation time frame: The implementation date has not been announced. The agreement has been submitted to the Congress of Paraguay for analysis and, for the moment, no change is yet in place.
• Visas/permits affected: Visa waiver.
• Business impact: Citizens of Paraguay and the UAE.
• Impact on processing times: Travelers will not need to apply for a visa before travel.
• Business impact: Business travelers may conduct limited business activities on the visa waiver.

Background: The visa-free travel arrangement between the UAE and Paraguay was agreed to in April when Paraguay extended its visas-on-arrival program to UAE nationals. Since the new year, the UAE has agreed to visa-free travel deals with China, Ireland, Russia, and Uruguay and implemented visa-free travel deals with Brazil and Ukraine.

Analysis & Comments: The visa waiver will facilitate business travel between the two countries. The UAE has actively pursued visa exemptions this year, and the number of countries allowing UAE nationals to enter without a visa now exceeds157, according to the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Source: Deloitte LLP. Deloitte LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC303675 and its registered office at 1 New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, United Kingdom.