Soon, I am traveling from Kolkata to San Francisco with a 20-day stopover in Abu Dhabi. I'm an Indian and a UAE residence visa holder, so the long stopover at Abu Dhabi isn't an issue. I'm planning to get my US visa stamped at Abu Dhabi in those 20 days I'm going to get. Will the airline staff allow me to board my flight at Calcutta just for the Abu Dhabi leg flight without the US visa stamped on my passport?
Can I travel on a flight to the US with a long stopover in Abu Dhabi without having a valid US visa?
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2Are you sure you'll be able to get your visa in 20 days? That seems very quick for the US embassy - considering its the busy season (summer holidays).– Burhan KhalidJun 10, 2016 at 14:15
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These are two separate tickets? Then how would anyone at Calcutta know?– Andrew LazarusJun 18, 2016 at 15:52
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2@AndrewLazarus I read it as one ticket, with a twenty day stop in AUH– CalchasJun 19, 2016 at 0:58
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2In my experience check in staff never look further ahead than the next stopover, and only ask for documents that are relevant to the journey up until that stopover. I cannot guarantee it as a policy of course but I have never been asked to show visas for anything so far into the future. And it wouldn't make much sense, because in fifteen days I might change my travel plans anyway.– CalchasJun 19, 2016 at 1:01
1 Answer
Since your US flight is 20 days ahead, your luggage won't be checked through, and you won't be issued a boarding pass for the second flight yet, airline employees will let you through.
In general airlines only care about not having to transport you back (and paying a hefty fine) in case you land into a country without a visa. Since you're a UAE residence permit holder this obviously doesn't apply.