Some passengers traveling from India and Pakistan are required to be cleared to embark on their trip to the United Arab Emirates, getting OK to Board. Their Passenger Name Record, PNR , must be marked with OK to Board from the respective airline.
After your visa is issued, you have to transmit a copy of to the airline for verification. The airline, after rechecking the visa and sponsorship, adds an OK to Board message in the PNR. Generally, this is done electronically, although some airlines will call you prior to scheduled departure and inform you of the OK to Board status.
Emirates, for example, provides an online tool to accomplish this process.
Some customers from the South Asia Subcontinent may require OK to Board approval to travel with us. You’ll need OK to Board approval if:
- You're a citizen of India or Pakistan and you're travelling from your country of citizenship (for example you’re an Indian citizen departing from India)
- You are a citizen of Sri Lanka or Bangladesh travelling out of India or Pakistan
If you require OK to Board approval, please complete the form below and attach a copy of your visa – this is required for Emirates to process your request.
Important information:
- All OK to Board requests must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to departure.
- In the case where you’ve booked a one-way ticket, please note that a copy of both a departure ticket and a valid return ticket are required for Ok to Board approval.
- Once submitted, your request will be processed and your booking updated automatically – please do not call to follow up on a request. You will receive an email confirmation at least eight hours prior to departure. For urgent cases where the UAE visa has been issued less than 24 hours prior to your flight's departure, please contact your local Emirates office.
- You may attach up to three documents, with a maximum size of 1MB per document.
For Indian passport holders, please note if you have ECR (Emigration Check Required) stamped in your passport, you must submit your visa copy for OK to Board approval. You do not need OK to Board approval if there is no ECR stamp in your passport.
Please note citizens of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh no longer need OK to Board approval unless specifically requested or if they are travelling out of India or Pakistan.