UAE to charge Canadians for visas
OTTAWA — Canadians will have to pay up to $1,000 for visas to enter the United Arab Emirates, according to the country’s Ottawa embassy website.
While citizens of other western countries don’t have to pay to enter the UAE, Canadians, will be charged $1,000 for a six month visa.
Three-month visas will be $500 and one-month stays will cost Canadians $250. The fees go into effect on Jan. 2.
While the embassy’s website describes the UAE’s 35-year relationship with Canada as “strong” and “flourishing,” ties between the countries recently have become strained.
In October, a plane carrying Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk who were visiting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, was refused entry into the country’s airspace.
The UAE government also evicted Canada’s troops from Camp Mirage, the not-so-secret Canadian base near Dubai, a move that was seen as retaliatory for the Canadian government’s refusal to grant two UAE.’s carriers — Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways — more flights into Canada.
Emiratis have already had to get visas before travelling to Canada, including $75 for a single entry visa and $150 for multiple entries.
The Harper government said it objected to linking access to a base used in the war on terror with the dispute over landing rights in Canada.
Air Canada and Transport Canada opposed granting further landing rights to Emirates and Etihad, which now each fly three times a week to Toronto.
While many feel the loss of Camp Mirage won’t affect Canada’s military operations in Kandahar, it will cost the Defence Department tens of millions of dollars in additional fuel costs to transport soldiers and cargo through much less conveniently located airports in Cyprus and in Germany.
OTTAWA — Canadians will have to pay up to $1,000 for visas to enter the United Arab Emirates, according to the country’s Ottawa embassy website.
While citizens of other western countries don’t have to pay to enter the UAE, Canadians, will be charged $1,000 for a six month visa.
Three-month visas will be $500 and one-month stays will cost Canadians $250. The fees go into effect on Jan. 2.
While the embassy’s website describes the UAE’s 35-year relationship with Canada as “strong” and “flourishing,” ties between the countries recently have become strained.
In October, a plane carrying Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk who were visiting Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, was refused entry into the country’s airspace.
The UAE government also evicted Canada’s troops from Camp Mirage, the not-so-secret Canadian base near Dubai, a move that was seen as retaliatory for the Canadian government’s refusal to grant two UAE.’s carriers — Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways — more flights into Canada.
Emiratis have already had to get visas before travelling to Canada, including $75 for a single entry visa and $150 for multiple entries.
The Harper government said it objected to linking access to a base used in the war on terror with the dispute over landing rights in Canada.
Air Canada and Transport Canada opposed granting further landing rights to Emirates and Etihad, which now each fly three times a week to Toronto.
While many feel the loss of Camp Mirage won’t affect Canada’s military operations in Kandahar, it will cost the Defence Department tens of millions of dollars in additional fuel costs to transport soldiers and cargo through much less conveniently located airports in Cyprus and in Germany.
