Visa waiver extended to UAE nationals

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Paraguay has extended visas on arrival to nationals of the United Arab Emirates.

What does the change mean? UAE nationals may apply for a visa on arrival and pay a $100 government fee at the border without needing to obtain a visa before travel. The visa on arrival is valid for 30 days.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate.
• Visas/permits affected: Visas on arrival.
• Who is affected: Nationals of UAE traveling to Paraguay.
• Impact on processing times: The waiver eliminates the need to apply for visas before travel.
• Business impact: The removal of visa requirements facilitates short-term business trips, especially for those traveling on short notice who do not have time to apply for a visa before travel.

Background: The foreign ministers of the two countries met in March and promised to increase business, economic and trade relations. Last week, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Paraguayan Embassy has agreed to waive visas for UAE nationals.

BAL Analysis: The expansion of visa-free travel for UAE nationals to the South American country is consistent with numerous visa waiver agreements that the UAE has recently reached with other countries, including China, Ireland, Switzerland, Uruguay and Ukraine.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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