The United Arab Emirates is one of the largest trade partners of the UK within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The UAE is the 18th largest trading partner and 14th largest export market for the UK. British exports to the UAE increased 8% in 2017 to stand at £11.1 billion, whilst imports from the UAE stood at £6.4 billion. There are over 5,000 British companies operating in the UAE, including some of the largest energy and financial services brands in the world.
Since 2011, following the launch of the UAE-UK Business Council, trade and investment activities between the two nations have grown rapidly, especially in sectors such as energy, financial services, health and life sciences, infrastructure, education, security and aerospace. By 2020, the council aims to increase the mutual trade and investment to £25 billion.
Over 100,000 UK nationals reside in the UAE and millions of British citizens visit the country each year for business and leisure. The UAE Embassy in London stands at the heart of the strategic economic and cultural ties between the two countries. It is the diplomatic representation of the UAE in the UK, with a mandate to promote cooperation with UK government agencies, provide consular and passport assistance to UK citizens and Emirati expats in the UK and establish strong academic connections between education institutions of the two nations.
The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in London plays a significant role in helping British companies support the work of the Emirates Foundation, established in 2005. The foundation supports long term initiatives in areas of culture, education, research and development and the environment across the UAE. Various departments of the Embassy fulfil these functions, including:
- Consular Department
- Legalisation Department
- Cultural Attaché
- Military Attaché
- Medical Attaché
- Police Attaché
Services Provided by the UAE Embassy in London
The Embassy fulfils a range of functions, to maintain bilateral relations between the UK and UAE.
- Offers visa services for citizens of the UK for travel to the seven Emirates, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. British passport holders are granted a free-of-charge 30-day visa on arrival upon entry into the UAE. However, the UAE Embassy in London does not deal with UAE visa applications for tourist/visitor visa purposes. For this, applicants need to contact specialised visa consultants, such as Saudi Able Link.
- Provides passport services to Emirati citizens in the UK, including passport renewals in case of expiry, theft or loss.
- Issues entry permits for holders of UAE resident visa, if the applicant’s passport is lost or stolen.
- The UAE Embassy engages in document legalisation and attestation for UK-issued documents to be used in UAE, after they have been legalised by the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO). These include business documents, power of attorney, UK police clearance certificates, educational certificates and more.
(UAE-issued documents to be used in the UK need to first be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE, followed by the UAE Embassy in London.)
- Registers UAE citizens residing in the UK and provides them assistance in consular, education, health and legal matters.
- Provides advisory services pertaining to medical issues for UAE visa applications.
- Accepts online payment for attestation and legalisation services.
Contact Details of the UAE Embassy in London
Address of the UAE Embassy in London is:
1-2 Grosvenor Crescent,
Belgravia
London, SW1X 7EE
United Kingdom
Email Address: LondonEMB.Visa@mofaic.gov.ae, LondonEMB.legal2@mofaic.gov.ae
Phone: +44 (0) 2075811281
Phone no. for Citizens Affairs: +44 (0) 2075811281
Fax: +44 (0) 2078088381
Website: https://sp.mofaic.gov.ae/EN/DiplomaticMissions/Embassies/London/Pages/home.aspx
Opening hours of the Embassy of the UAE in London is 09:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. GMT, Monday to Friday.
The Embassy can be reached through bus routes 13, 2, 137, 52, 9, C1 and 390. The nearest tube stations are Victoria, District and Jubilee. Train lines that can be used to reach the Embassy are South-Eastern and Southern. The Romanian Cultural Institute and the Embassy of Luxembourg are some of the landmarks nearby.
How Will Saudi Able Link Help?
Saudi Able Link is a specialised visa agency for UK citizens applying for GCC visas. Our expert consultants are well-versed in the Middle Eastern visa policies and will guide you through the UAE visa application process. We will act as the link between your visa application and the Embassy of the UAE in London. Clients vouch for our efficient pre-checking system, to ensure that all documents are in order before visa application, which is responsible for the high visa approval rates in our agency.
Apart from submission and retrieval of your visa documents, our agents will also help you regarding document legalisation and attestation. We have built strong relationships with prominent UK government agencies, such as the Foreign Commonwealth Office, Arab British Chamber of Commerce and the Embassies of the Gulf states in London. All your important documents are safe with our trained and screened visa agents, who will ensure safe delivery of your passport and documents at your doorstep, once the visa is approved.
For further queries regarding visa application for the UAE or any other GCC countries, contact us at 02070961985. You can also email us at help@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk or support@saudiarabiavisa.co.uk.
