Visa on Arrival For Gulf Countries

All passengers travelling to Kuwait, Bahrain, Sultanate of Oman and Qatar are requested to have their VISA on ARRIVAL message (OK to board) updated from an Air India office unless the original Visa is stamped in their passport.

If the passenger only has a photocopy or faxed copy of the visa or E-Visae, the VISA ON ARRIVAL message is mandatory in the booking. The passenger must produce a copy of the on-line visa or print out at a Reservations office in India or in one of the above countries. On verification of the visa, the following details will be added in the Reservation PNR – Passport Number and validity, Visa Number and validity, Type of Visa and "OK to board” remark. The airline would not be responsible, if the same is not reflecting in the PNR and passengers may be denied boarding.

Please note some additional country specific information for –

• UAE
• OMAN
• KUWAIT
• BAHRAIN
• QATAR
• KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

UAE

DUBAI

"OK to Board" for UAE has been discontinued for passengers holding Indian passports; EXCEPT for passengers holding passport with ECR status and travelling on Tourist Visa / paper visas.

Residence Visa

For valid Residence Visa stamped in passport "OK to board "is not required.

If passenger has overstayed outside UAE with UAE Residence Visa beyond 6 months, a letter issued by Ministry of Interior –UAE, should be obtained to enter the country, which is valid for 15 days. Passengers holding Residence Visa must return to UAE within 180 days( 6 months ) of exit , otherwise his/her visa becomes invalid.

Transit Visa

Passengers transiting Dubai beyond 23 hours must hold a confirmed onward reservation and a valid visa for Dubai and onward destination.

Seamen Visa

"OK to board" is required and remark will be incorporated in the booking only after getting an undertaking from the Company along with a valid passport for travel.

OMAN

Directorate General of Passports & Residences, Sultanate of Oman, issues paper visas (Employment, Family Visit, Relative Joining, Express, etc.), which have to be either available with the passenger (original) while traveling or to be deposited with Oman Air, the Ground Handling Agent at Muscat International Airport, who in turn issues the Visa Deposit Receipt. The Visa Deposit Receipt and copy of Visa has to be provided to Air India Office at Muscat based on which "Visa on Arrival (Okay to board)” is incorporated in the booking (PNR). The Agent/sponsor can forward a copy of Visa and Visa Deposit Receipt along with Booking reference and Ticket Number to the designated email addresses for updation of visa message.

Once Visa on Arrival message is updated in the Booking, passenger can travel with a copy of the Visa. In case the passenger changes the date of travel after up-dation of Visa message, the Visa Arrival message for the revised date of travel needs to be updated again prior to his/her travel.

Verification cannot be done in India, due to non-availability of online facility.

KUWAIT

Four types of visas are issued in Kuwait ONLY IN ARABIC, not in English.

• Family Visa
• Commercial Visit Visa
• Family Dependency Visa
• Work Visa

Family Visit Visa and Commercial Visit Visa are paper visas for which "OK to board” message is mandatory from the Air India office in Kuwait. Also return ticket is mandatory.

Family Dependent Visa and Work Visas are stamped in passport by the Kuwait Embassy.”OK to board” is not required.

BAHRAIN

Visa is issued through LMRA or Ministry of Interior. "OK to board” is mandatory either from India or destination station, as online check can be done at the website www.lmra.bh

QATAR

All visas issued by Ministry can be checked online either in Air India offices in India or at the destination, after checking validity on website i.e.www.moi.gov.qa and incorporating "OK to board” in the booking.
Visas issued for passengers by the Embassies of the State of Qatar and affixed to their passports (sticker) will allow them to enter the country during the validity period of the visa effective 30th January 2023.

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

There is no requirement of "OK to board” since visa is stamped in the passport. Visa will be checked at the time of check-in.