Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Beginning in January, Canadian citizens visiting the United Arab Emirates will have to pay as much as 1,000 Canadian dollars to obtain a visa, according to the website of the UAE Embassy in Ottawa.
This major change in policy is the most recent development in the ongoing altercation between both countries over airline landing rights.
Canadians, who until now have been allowed entry into the UAE without a visa and free of charge, will not only be required to pay for a visa starting next month, they'll also have to apply for one at least 15 days before departure. According to the embassy, Canadians will be charged 250 Canadian dollars for a 30 day visa, $500 Canadian for a three month visa, and $1,000 Canadian for a six-month multiple entry visa. The Canadian dollar is almost exactly equivalent in currency value to the U.S. dollar.
The embassy said in a statement Thursday that "fees for all visas issued by the diplomatic missions of the United Arab Emirates in various countries around the world ... are applicable to all countries without exception," according to the Emirates official news agency WAM. The fees and visa categories are part of a "universal visa system which is used by all UAE missions abroad," the statement said. CNN
