United Arab Emirates nationals can travel to the Kingdom of Tonga without the need for a pre-visa as of May 24, and can stay for up to 60 days during each visit.
Ahemd Alham Al Dhaheri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that Emirati nationals holders of diplomatic, VIP, special mission and ordinary passports can travel to Tonga without prior visa arrangements, following a visa waiver Memorandum of Understanding signed by the governments of the two countries on April 23, 2018, following a joint committee meeting in Abu Dhabi.
Gulf Today reports the MoU was signed by Yacoub Yousef Al Hosani, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Organisation Affairs, the Honourable Akauola, Special Envoy of the King of Tonga to the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of a meeting with Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has come a long way in its diplomatic efforts to bolster the country’s stature globally,” Al Dhaheri said, citing the large number of MoUs signed by the ministry with different countries to facilitate UAE nationals’ travel across the world and to strengthen cooperation ties with other nations in various tourist, economic and investment domains.
Al Dhaheri said that the Ministry aims to make the UAE passport among the top five most important in the world in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021.