Currently, only those in Dubai can renew their visas within the country — however, this option won't be available once systems are updated

With the revised rules on visit visa extension taking effect, travel agencies are now offering a number of options for renewal. An industry expert explains the different categories and the best budget-friendly option.

Raheesh Babu, chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com, noted that visitors will fall into three categories in the new scenario.

“The first category includes people who need to renew their visas and need to exit the country. In this case, people can leave the country via bus and travel to Oman. Thereafter, the UAE tourist visa is applied for, and once this is issued a person can return to the UAE,” Babu said and pointed out that a bus trip to Oman is the cheapest way to renew a tourist visa.

In this case, people will need a visa to enter Oman, which will take up to 2 days to process. Once the trip is arranged, the UAE visa is usually issued the same day.

“Travel for a visa change by bus to Oman is the most economical, but the prices may vary. The entire process takes 10 to 12 hours,” he noted.

“Under the second category are people who can still renew their UAE tourist visa without exiting. Currently, visa change within the country is available only in Dubai. However, this is only available until the Dubai immigration updates its system,” Babu said.

“Lastly, airport-to-airport (A to A) by flight is also possible. To renew your tourist visa, you can exit to a neighbouring country for a few hours and fly back to the UAE,” he added