Hello,

I will be traveling with my wife to Thailand in January. I am a UK national with UK passport, my wife is a Thai national with a Thai passport but holds a full UK visa (Indefinite Leave to Remain) with a bio ID card.

We are traveling via Etihad airlines which means that on the return leg we have a 12 hour stop over in Abu-Dhabi. Because of this I am wondering if we would be able to leave the airport and go into the city to pass the time. I know that as a UK national I do not need a visa, but would be wife. Given that she has right of abode in the UK?

Should she need a visa can anyone advise which one see would need and could this be gotten from the airport on arrival or would we have to apply to the embassy? Given that she lives in the UK could this be done at the UAE embassy in the UK. Or as she is Thai would she have to apply to the embassy in the Thailand?

Thank you for you help, but please let me know if you have any question, or require further information.

Regards

Assuming you're in the UK now, wouldn't it be far better to contact the embassy there http://uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/uk/Content/591 or even the airline for information.

I'm fairly certain she'll need at least a transit visa, but the embassy or airline would give you more certain information that you could depend on than what you're likely to get here.

Better still get direct flights from the UK!

Not sure if you're familiar with Abu Dhabi. I was last in A.D. about 8 years ago, but doubt it's changed its character that much and it is not the same thing as Dubai. If you're there in the day time, you might want to have a walk along the Corniche, The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is probably worth a visit Saturday to Thursday (and Friday if you're Muslim), but beyond that and maybe a little shopping or a restaurant serving something other than airport food there isn't a whole lot to do. And the taxi drivers tend to be Pakistanis with varying English language skills.

Edited November 17, 201312 yr by Suradit69

Thanks for the replys. I will contact the embassy and etihad tomorrow as they are closed today. Looking on the web i have seen some people mention about right to abode in UK, you do not need visa. If thus was the case then it would give us something to do. As we have 8 hours to kill in the day time, and the airport is crap spending all day there would not be pleasant.

so was just wondering if anyone else had any experince.

thanks again

I took my lady there about 8 years ago, it was a nightmare.

I was asked to do a trade show in Dubai after a few weeks in Saudi... I told the company in Saudi that I wasn't interested in doing the trade show but they really wanted me there.

So they offered to fly the Mrs over for the trade show also.

Cut a long story short, their Dubai branch had to put up some ridiculous deposit for her to get a reference number and paperwork to be able to board the flight and get a visa on arrival in Dubai.

This was a long time ago though, hopefully things may have changed.

It seems they only want Filipinos/Chinese and East Africa loitering at Hotel Discotheques in Dubai!

*edit, I note some of the middle eastern airlines are actually promoting city breaks to break up a flight.. There may be visa support from the airline for this.

Edited November 17, 201312 yr by Satcommlee

Interested as I was thinking of a 2-3 day stopover in Dubai with the Thai wife on our next trip to the UK. She has only a Thai visa.

If no more info forthcoming guess I will check first with the airline (Emirates).

No she will definitely need a visa. For 12 hours I don't think it would be worth it for Abu Dhabi (we lived in the UAE for 35 years).

Any good hotel can raise a visa for a Thai national in the UAE. But, there's no point really as you wont use the room and not much to do for justifying Abu Dhbi for 12 hrs.

No she will definitely need a visa. For 12 hours I don't think it would be worth it for Abu Dhabi (we lived in the UAE for 35 years).

Yes, I was in Al Ain for 10 years and if ever the "bright lights" were calling, it was always to Dubai. Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi airport both were pretty deadly.

As Battybird correctly advises for 12 hours it is not worth the hassle.

For me 24 hours there would be too much. A week would be a nightmare.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere.