Visa eligibility will be verified before entry to country

Dubai Airport Terminal baggage counter Source: www.dubaiairports.ae

Dubai is to begin the process for checking the eligibility of passengers to enter the UAE upon ticket reservation in their home countries and before the arrival in the emirate.

The verification system known as ‘Advance Passenger Information’ (API), is part of the federal project to be implemented across the country in the near future.

Col Khalid Nasser Al Razouqi - Assistant Director-General for e-Services division at the Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, said that the API system is still under research and will help the department in collect all information needed about passengers.

The advance passenger information system will help the immigration and residency naturalisation authorities to determine the status for a passenger whether he is banned from entering the UAE or not.

Col Al Razouqi said that the system will help air carriers to identify the banned passengers, and cancel their reservations in the beginning before their checking in at the home countries. Otherwise officials will capture them at the time of arrival and ensure the return of passenger through the same flight company.

The API system will ensure that the passengers have all the documents required and determine the possibilities of invalid, fake or expired entry visa. It also checks whether he or she is wanted by police or banned from entering the country.